Saranac gets a pretty bum rap amongst beer snobs. They just kind of plug along, make a bunch of new stuff every year, hit a few home runs, and I guess they produce too much to be considered real snob beers. Besides, can the brewery that makes Utica Club really be that bad? I bought the 12 Beers of Christmas The Holidays Winter variety pack way back at Christmas time and stashed it in my townhouse’s refrigerator until such time as I’d be home to review it. This starts a six week series of the 12 Beers Of Winter 2008.

Vanilla Stout
Brewed By: Saranac Brewery
Brewed In: Utica, NY
Type: Sweet Stout
ABV: 4.8%

What They Say: Few ingredients rival vanilla’s ability to add richness and roundness to food. Blended with a traditional blend of caramel and chocolate malts plus roasted barley, the result in Saranac Vanilla Stout will surpass your expectations. Enjoy the brew on it’s own or with a bite of dark chocolate for a real treat.

Website: Saranac passes my muster for a good website. Navigation on top, everything easily noticeable and findable without much work. Well done, guys.

Why I Picked It: The 12 Beers Of Christmas has been around for my entire drinking life. They unfortunately bowed to PCness and changed it to the 12 Beers Of Winter a few years ago. I try to buy it every year and it’s produced a couple of my faves including the Caramel Porter on my personal Top Ten.

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Presentation: I don’t remember a lot of breweries doing the sample pack thing before Saranac. I’d argue they did it before Sam Adams but have no proof. So, major points for the sampler pack marketing and the website making each sampler’s debut and line-up a big deal. Saranac’s individual bottles, though, I’ve never understood. The Saranac logo is always the same, but the labels are different colors with each beer getting some peaceful Adirondack nature painting. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the beer — just a random painting. But, you can always spot a Saranac bottle, even if you have to wonder what river flowing through the woods has to do with Vanilla Stout. 3

Originality: I usually only rate the originality of the idea in this space. But, usually the idea lines up with the taste somewhat. While the idea of the Vanilla Stout is really original, it didn’t really come across in the flavor. The vanilla is hardly noticeable, if at all, and this winds up tasting much like any other stout. 1

Taste: Disappointing. This replaced Caramel Porter. To pull it for anything other than something else that’s ten levels of awesome is a sin. The description says it’s a traditional blend of caramel and chocolate stout with a hint of vanilla. I don’t really get the hint. I get a standard stout. Which, while good, is not what I was expecting and not what I signed up for. 4

Body: It’s really a generic, run of the mill stout that pours dark with a negligible head. A bit more carbonation (read, a detectable amount) than most stouts. It’s not terrible, not great, and pretty much an average stout with no discernible difference to other stouts — or oddly even their Porter. 5

Efficiency: It’s a standard stout with an ABV that doesn’t breathe on 5.0%. Heavy, thick beers with low ABVs are really the exact opposite of efficient. 3

Versatility: You all know what things stouts are good for and what they aren’t. I wouldn’t be breaking any new ground here. The body of the stout keeps it from being something to consume in mass quantities, but it’s enjoyable in small quantities. 5

Final Grade: 21 (of 50) – OK beer.

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