anybody had saranac?

I'm visiting home in central N.Y. and have seen Saranac beer around. I'm wondering if anubody has tried these. They have all different styles and I don't want to blow a ton of $ without a little first hand knowlage.

I love Saranac and used to drink it all the time back home (NYC) and upstate in college. It suxx that we cannot get it here in Colorado

Saranac is good beer. They have a lot of variety. I drink it if I don't have any home brew.

I pay 6 or 7 dollars per six.

David

I've tried a few of their different beers, and while I haven't found any that are 'amazing,' most are in the 'willing to drink this again' category. I'd say try and find a sampler pack (should be ~$14 for 12 beers?) and see what you like. IMHO I prefer Long Trail or Brooklyn Brewery.

Seems as though there are plenty of new micros around since I've been back. I appreciate the input and any other you would recommend from the CNY area

We'd go visit our son & his family when he was stationed in N.Y. (Saratoga Springs), and I'd drink mostly Saranac. Good beer, particularly as the price is very decent compared to a lot of micros. As a homebrewer....not so much. Saranac labels are pure hell to remove.

Saranac is all right. Likewise to the posters above, I'd drink it again. They are pop-tops so that's an added bonus.

Middle ages Impaled Ale!

Brewed in Syracuse.

David

Saranac is hit or miss for me. It's fun to try all the styles, but jack of all trades, master of none. I admire what they've done -- they used to make Matt's and Utica Club, but revived themselves by going craft -- but I like so many NY breweries better (Ommegang, Ithaca, Middle Ages, Southern Tier, Lake Placid, etc.).

1+ for Saranac. The Pale Ale is good, I like the Black and Tan, and lots of people like their "Black Forest". I'm only slightly partial because I live in the Adirondacks...we used to live in Saranac Lake.:rockin:

Saranac is what got me into craft beer (and by extension homebrewing), but I see them as sort of like SA in that they're doing styles like IPA, porter, etc but it's nothing really to write home about. You should try some if you can, and it'll be decent, but not spectacular.

As for Middle Ages... maybe it's just because I went to an all-MA tasting, but that ringwood fuggin' catches up with you. All of their beers have the same general flavor (from the yeast) and were, I thought, overcarbonated.

If you can get any Flying Bison (I don't know how big their distributorship is outside of Buffalo), I'd advise picking some up because that's our one local brewery here

Ithaca Beer Company makes some good stuff, especially their Excelsior series.

i've had a few of them. all i can remember at this point is the pale ale and ipa. both were not my favorite

Sigafoos said:

Saranac is what got me into craft beer (and by extension homebrewing), but I see them as sort of like SA in that they're doing styles like IPA, porter, etc but it's nothing really to write home about. You should try some if you can, and it'll be decent, but not spectacular.

As for Middle Ages... maybe it's just because I went to an all-MA tasting, but that ringwood fuggin' catches up with you. All of their beers have the same general flavor (from the yeast) and were, I thought, overcarbonated.

If you can get any Flying Bison (I don't know how big their distributorship is outside of Buffalo), I'd advise picking some up because that's our one local brewery here

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I'd have to agree with this...Saranac beers all have that certain taste profile from the yeast. I always wondered how their beers would be if they fermented them with appropriate Wyeast/White labs style-specific strain instead of all the same strain.

As a former Northern New Yorker (Watertown area), Saranac was the brewery that also got me to also appreciate craft beer and made me begin to think about homebrewing!

I like Saranac. But, I also think that the taste profile can change a little bit, year to year. More than other beers. Still, it is one of my "go-to" beers. While they are not the best thing in the world, I think most people find them "drinkable" because they are pretty well balanced, and the variety packs generally have something for everyone.

I will say that the Black Forest is one of the better Schwarz-style beers that I've come across--I like it better than Sam Adams version by far...

Black Forest, yes! (if you like this, you'll prb enjoy Sprecher's Black Bavarian too)
The rest, meh

I never liked any of the saranac beers. I've heard they use the same yeast on every beer, dont know if that is true or not.

I would get some middle ages beer instead.

Practically lived at the brewery (or more accurately, the tasting room) during my time at SUNY Utica. Friday afternoons the brewery manager would duck out early, the tours would be sped up or cut short and we'd all proceed to the bar upstairs. Enjoy some free Black Forests, then hit the happy-hour specials at the bars along Varick Street. Good times, good times (I think).

Don't most big breweries (or at least many) use the same yeast strain for most of their beers? (see Chico, Pacman, etc)

It's pretty stuff, and tends to be very affordable. They have different trail mixes throughout the year that let you try different styles without committing to a sizer of each one.

Hate to revive an old thread.. but since I am in Syracuse, I figured I would look on here for any good info. The hotel I am at (crap hotel) has Saranac Pale Ale on tap. I was not impressed last night, and went on a search for something better. Came up with a 12er of mixed brews from Middle Ages and a bomber of Magic Hat #9. Drinking their Impaled Ale (IPA) and I am quite impressed so far! I might have to go to the brewery while I am here this week. Unfortunately, I am here on business... so that kinda gets in the way.

If you are staying in the 'Cuse, you should stop in to the Blue Tusk on Walton St. They have lots of craft on tap and have real cask ale pulled from a real beer engine!

mr_goodwrench said:

If you are staying in the 'Cuse, you should stop in to the Blue Tusk on Walton St. They have lots of craft on tap and have real cask ale pulled from a real beer engine!

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+1 and get your ass to the Dinosaur for some top-notch barbeque. It also has a decent craft selection on tap.

shecky said:

+1 and get your ass to the Dinosaur for some top-notch barbeque. It also has a decent craft selection on tap.

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I am.. but I am not really down town, I am off of 7th ave north and Buckley. Have an address for this place? Maybe I can hit it while I am here =)

246 W. Willow Street


I work at the Chevy dealer right around the corner from where you are staying!

mr_goodwrench said:

246 W. Willow Street


I work at the Chevy dealer right around the corner from where you are staying!

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Oh, I see that.. Liverpool, I went to the liquor store over here on the corner and they had no beer.. but they sent me over to Genevese grocer (spelling is probably bad on that..). Pretty decent selection!

You must mean Galeville Grocery. They do pretty well with their selection and they are literally a stones throw from work!

mr_goodwrench said:

You must mean Galeville Grocery. They do pretty well with their selection and they are literally a stones throw from work!

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Hah, thats it.. I couldn't find my receipt, so I let spell check take over (guess I butchered it from the start!). Yeah, you are not far thats for sure!

If things go good tomorrow, I am going to check that place out Friday night! In the meantime, I finished the MA IPA, the Porter was pretty decent as well, and now onto the Wit, followed by the apricot..

Droot said:

Middle ages Impaled Ale!

Brewed in Syracuse.

David

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I'll see your Impaled Ale and raise you one Blackheart Stout. I think that may be one of my favorite beers ever.

shecky said:

+1 and get your ass to the Dinosaur for some top-notch barbeque. It also has a decent craft selection on tap.

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I don't know about the Syracuse one, but the Rochester one has a HUGE selection of craft beers. I just moved back to the area after being away for 4 years and it was great to find some of my favorite beers listed on the menu.

As for Saranac, it's one of those "Well, they don't have what I'm looking for, so let's get this" kind of beers. It's not bad, it's not great, but it's good drinking.

never met a saranac brew that I liked, unfortunately. two from the variety pack were even dumpers. it could have been mistreated, I suppose' but i'm done with saranac

I'm not a big Middle Ages fan. Went to a tasting of their stuff and it all seemed overcarbonated and had the same overpowering ringwood taste. It's not bad in one beer, maybe, but after a while everything starts to taste the same (and I'm not a big 'yeast profile' guy).

At the Buffalo Brewfest this year I met the guy from Empire Brewing in Syracuse, and they seem like they have their stuff together. The Empire brown was Beer-O-Vision's (unofficial) best in show.

So.. to follow up.. I went to the Dinosaur and it was freaking awesome. KILLER ribs and great beer selection! I brought a few beers back to Arizona, of the Middle Ages multipack, I only really liked the IPA. The Porter wasn't bad, but nothing special really.

I did try the Saranac Black Forest when I went to the Colorado Mining Company for dinner on Sunday. It was way better then their Pale, not a killer beer... but much better IMO.

I would have liked to try Empire, but I didn't have time to track them down. Same with the Tusk, I didn't have time to go there either unfortunately. Still, I was there for work but I did get to eat good and have some local beers. Does a work trip get much better then that?

Saranac is more about the place....as a Pennsylvanian (where you can't get six packs at a reasonable price) Saranac evokes *fond* memories of camping in the Adirondacks (Indian Lake) every summer of my life and, since old enough to buy beer, getting sixers at the (YES!) gas station in town and drinking them by a fire under the stars. And swimming in the dark after throwing back a few! In that setting, you couldn't ask for a better beer.