Saranac Winter Lager

Brewed By: FX Matt Brewing
Brewed In: Utica, NY
ABV: 5.9%
Type: German- or Vienna-Style Lager depending on who you ask.

What They Say: Our Saranac Winter Lager is a rich, malty, old school German Lager, made with traditional German malts and hops and fermented with a lager yeast. Look for a rich but smooth malty taste, balanced by an impressive Hallertau hopping-A nice reward for enduring our winter months.

Why I Picked It: This is the second of four new beers (and the second of five unreviewed beers) in Saranac’s 12 Beers Of Winter 2009. We can also designate this Saranac’s entry in to the crowded winter seasonal market.

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Presentation (5): Saranac offers a Winter Lager that’s blue with red lettering. I’m curious as to why red on blue is the go-to color for winter beers. The painting is a nice winter scene with snow covered trees. Nice, if not a little bland. 2

Originality (5): As mentioned previously, I can’t fault a brewer for bringing a product to market that most other brands offer even if it’s not very original. Bringing a Winter Lager to the market in 2009 is a little behind the curve but it’s forgivable when it takes a brewery a long time to get something right. 2

Body (10): It pours the same reddish-brown as most winter lagers with a healthy, creamy head hinting at a hearty beer. The body has a touch more depth then Sam’s or Blue Point’s offerings with a perfect amount of carbonation to offset the extra heartiness. It’s a really nicely done German with an excellent body and head to carry the flavor. 8

Taste (10): The flavor is incredibly balanced. There’s no specific overpowering taste I can isolate out to say “this tastes like ingredient X.” There’s a nice, malty flavor that blends remarkably well with the hops. As seems to be the case with me, I enjoy beers with a Hallertau hop finish. There are distinct spicy notes, a hint of caramel, and a general warmness from the ABV but nothing that stands out. There is a distinct German flavor which I’ve come to appreciate more since my Oktoberfest trip. A good, solid beer that blends all the ingredients remarkably well. Nothing wrong with that. 8

Efficiency (10): Hard to knock the efficiency of this beer. It’s 5.9% with a really tasty flavor and a great balance of body vs. carbonation. It’s only currently available in the 12 Beers Of Winter but, should it end up by itself in a six-pack next year, I’d be hard pressed to not put it up with my favorite winter offerings. It would be a reasonably-priced session beer with a strong ABV. 10

Versatility (10): As winters go, pretty high. The flavor is gentler then other winters and yet somehow pretty complex. The body is rich, yet carbonated and light. Sometimes, when a beer does a lot of things pretty good instead of one thing really well, it makes for a better product. Call it the Blyleven argument. 7

The Snob Sez: It’s really just a simple beer done the right way. Whereas the Maple Porter would enjoy life more as a 22 oz. bomber, the Winter Lager has future six-pack or session draft written all over it. I’d be pumped if they released this as a winter seasonal next year… so I’m filing this as my official request.

Final Score: 37 (of 50) – Great beer

Related posts:

1. Friday Beer Snob: Saranac 12 Beers Of Winter 2009 – Maple Porter
2. Friday Beer Snob: Samuel Adams Winter Classics 2009 – Winter Lager
3. Friday Beer Snob: Saranac Adirondack Trail Mix Series – Adirondack Lager

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