In memory of Wild Duck brewmaster Glen Falconer, this aggressively spruce-hopped bitter gains piney notes by silky, yet bold, mocha-spiced finish. Brewery defunct: 2004.
SARANAC WINTER WASSAIL
Whimsical cinnamon-spiced treat perfect for post-breakfast (with a sticky bun). But like some misguided holiday ales, it loses focus. Instead of concentrating on cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg as the singular pronounced flavor, it dabbles in all and gets murky. Peculiar, yet daringly strong.
SARANAC WILD BERRY WHEAT
Pronounced fruity aroma, fizzy wheat foreground, robust grain assertion and invigorating citrus flow make this one of Saranac’s better ales.
SARANAC SUMMER WHEAT BEER
Refreshing amber-hued brew offers dark fruit aroma, gradually increasing lemon and spice insinuations, and strangely, a noticeable lack of wheat essence. Definitely one of Saranac’s finest, this unlikely ‘wheat’ beer sprinkles acidic citrus notes over perky hops and lively carbonation for crisp thirst quencher perfect for pool parties and beachcombers.
SARANAC STOUT (2001 LIMITED EDITION)
Chewy autumnal stout with dry malt sweetness, maple influence and blackened mocha singe. Stove-burnt coffee bitterness and chocolate cookie thickness provide further thirst-craving full-bodied richness. Dark caramel shadows oats-flaked sourdough follow-through. Not as creamy or memorable at the finish as most first class stouts, but fine nonetheless.
SARANAC STOUT
Artificially sweetened coffee palate, chalky cocoa follow-up and chewy chocolate spell depleted by sharp astringency as well as watery flow. Light caramel dusting at sulky finish fades out. A tepid stout lacking richness and complexity.
SARANAC SEASON’S BEST NUT BROWN LAGER
Refreshingly sweet aroma, sharp fruited malting and nut-grained harshness consume chocolate-roasted front end. But dainty hop moderation, cigarette tobacco dryness and phenol cherry souring spoiled by murky bitter tea finish.
SARANAC SEASON’S BEST ADIRONDACK WINTER NUT BROWN LAGER
Dizzying copper-hued, tan eggshell-headed, floral-hopped seasonal can’t decide whether to envelop its squalid honeyed malt cusp with ester-y cherry quip or to mediate its candied caramel slurp with tepid almond-chestnut roast. An off-dry harsh metallic astringency lowers its earthy grain potential.
SARANAC ROGGEN BOCK
Fine German-styled rye lager counters cracked wheat sweetness with dry fig-plum-walnut dryness. Marble rye malting and bittersweet prune swoon lead to dour sour grape finish. Though lacking alcohol binge of more assertive bocks, moldy fruit moistness and vegetative earth tones add to its resolute peculiarity.
SARANAC PUMPKIN ALE
Capricious amber-cleared medium-bodied seasonal brings tantalizing pumpkin pie crusting, molasses-soaked allspice-clove-nutmeg spicing and teasing cinnamon apple nuance to hop-fizzed astringency. Syrupy cherry soda sweetness and soured citric tinge outdistance underlying vanilla dab. ’09 re-tasting: vegetal gourd-squash astringency relegated molasses malt temperament. ’11 re-tasting: honeyed cinnamon-nutmeg spicing and pumpkin pie sweetness bettered past versions. ’13 re-tasting: pumpkin pie-spiced nutmeg sweetness stood out contrasting gourd-backed hop astringency. On tap at Biggie’s ’17, ginger-leafed pumpkin pie sweetness picks up lemony carbolic spritz and light cinnamon-toasted nutmeg and allspice seasoning, but flavor profile ultimately drifts.
SARANAC POMEGRANATE WHEAT
Likable ’07 limited edition gold-hazed amber uses pomegranate juice as catalyst to bring out slyly bittersweet lemony blueberry-boysenberry-juniper tartness above wheat-cracked honeyed oats spine. Ripe peach-apricot-cherry tang and juicy orange-tangerine pliability add auxiliary luster. Arguably as fine as Shmaltz’s He’brew Pomegranate Ale tasted one week before.
SARANAC PILSENER
Piquant Cascade hop dryness, reserved wheat wisp and mineral water crispness embrace light-bodied glee as muted fruit aroma confirms orange, tangerine and apricot tang imbuing barest spicy twang.