Brewed By: Wagner Valley Brewing
Brewed In: Lodi, NY
ABV: 10.0%
Type: Bavarian (style) Lager
Awards: Triple Crown Winner

• Gold Medal: World Beer Cup 2004
• Gold Medal: 2004 TAP NY
• Gold Medal: 2003 Great American Beer Festival

What They Say: This traditional Bavarian style lager is brewed in early winter and aged until our annual release in mid-spring. Its dark mahogany hue is visually enticing & represents this bold, heavily bodied complex bier. Flavors are intense & chewy, with molasses, caramel, & lingering dark sugars that are incredibly smooth & creamy yet humbly complex. This special brew towers with alcohol that is enhanced by modest carbonation.

Why I Picked It: This is the fifth and final beer from Wagner Valley Brewing. I didn’t actually purchase this beer when I visited the brewery. Instead, I eventually ordered form their website as a throw in when PLR and I bought some wines for delivery. Wagner Valley’s delivery was prompt and efficient. They got the bottles in the mail the next day and I received them two days after I placed the order. Granted, this is shipping within NY, but it was out the door more efficiently than even Amazon.

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Presentation (5): Only sold in 750-ml bottles, Wagner Valley goes with a wine-shaped bottle with the dark-glass. The label is a simple image of a husky dog. The image is kind of generic, but I like that the beer has a mascot. 3

Originality (5): There aren’t many American breweries that do Tripels. There are even fewer that do them well. This tripel is full of the heavy, sweet, robust flavors usually reserved for porters and stouts. I find it intriguing before opening the bottle. 4

Body (10): One of the few beers I’ve ever had that smells sweet without smelling yeasty. It pours a beautiful dark amber with a minimal tan head and little lacing. The bottle describes the carbonation as “modest” and I’d have to agree. The carbonation is perfect for the complex flavoring. Obviously, the brewery wants this beer to linger in the mouth for a bit before swallowing. The carbonation is mild enough to not shut down the tastebuds while active enough to enhance the complex flavors. It also manages to be crisp and refreshing amongst all the heavy flavors. Body and flavor match perfectly. 10

Taste (10): Immediately evident are the heavy molasses and caramel flavors. Full-bodied doesn’t even really begin to describe it. The sweet, delicious, lingering sugars combine with just enough bitterness to balance this beer in to one of the most complex things I’ve ever tasted. I could argue notes of maple, molasses, sugar, caramel, and chocolate — but I’m not positive what, exactly, I’m tasting. As someone who doesn’t much care for extreme bitter hoppiness, preferring sweet flavors and malts, this is fantastic. It manages to pull off all this complex sweetness and bitterness without being dry. I don’t even know how that’s possible. 10

Efficiency (10): This is amongst the smoothest Big Beers I’ve ever tasted. The 10.0% ABV is masked both under a smooth sweetness that’s both awesome and dangerous. The buzz kicks in within half-a-pint. The knock here is its limited availability. Wagner Valley’s limited distribution range means Snobs not local to Lodi, NY are looking at over $30 per bottle. My bill for shipping from Lodi, NY to New York, NY was $31 after tax, shipping, and bottle deposit. Add two points to this score if you’re a Snob within Wagner Valley’s small distribution zone. 8.

Versatility (10): Helping to prove this beer’s versatility, it comes with a recipe tied around the neck. This is a beer you could honestly give to a person who claims to not like the beer. I WISH I was in a position to be able to purchase this on demand and I BEG the Wagner Valley people to find a distribution outlet in the city. Please call Whole Foods. I visited — you must be organic-ish. 10

The Snob Sez: It’s hard for me to tell anyone to spend $30 on a single bottle of beer. Honestly, there are likely equally as efficient options easily available and local. However, if you’re also a wino looking to try something different, grab this along with Wagner Valley’s award winning Riesling and fantastic Cayuga white. Go directly to Wagner Valley’s website and order this. You will not be disappointed. It did not quite knock Blue Point’s Toasted Lager out of the top slot, but it’s closer than anything’s ever come. If I lived in Central NY, I might have to readdress the score.

Final Score: 45 (of 50) — Great beer.

Brewed By: Matt Brewing Company
Brewed In: Utica, NY
ABV: 5.3%
Type: Bavarian Black Beer

What they say: Saranac Black Forest is a delicious Bavarian Style beer with a caramel malt sweetness, medium body, and our trademark rich creamy head. Look for the delicate brownish-red color. Until recently, Black Forest was served exclusively on draft. Enjoy.

Why I picked it: Beer four in the six-part Adirondack Trail Mix sampler. As I last week, it was either Black Forest or Black & Tan that was my first favorite microbrew.

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Presentation (5): I find it funny that the “Black Forest” beer offers neither a black label nor a particularly dark forest on their watercolor. I mean, if your thing is Adirondack landscapes on the labels, don’t you think you could find one that better represents a “black forest”. 2

Originality (5): This is another tough rate. This beer has been around as long as I can remember. And really, I don’t know what it is. It’s a Bavarian black beer called “Black Forest.” They don’t claim it’s anything, so it’s tough to rate against similar things. On the other hand, shenanigans on their “until recently it was only available on draught” nonsense. Granted, I haven’t spent much drinking time in Saranac’s Central New York wheelhouse, but I’ve never seen it on draught anywhere. Besides the point, I’ve been drinking it out of the bottle for damn near a decade. It might be time to upgrade the bottleneck blurb. 4

Body (10): It takes a little suspension of disbelief to accept the “red” or “rich, creamy head” mentioned on the bottleneck. It is barely red and the head, while creamy, isn’t very persistent. However, the body is surprisingly smooth for the darkness of the beer. It’s a bit out of the ordinary for a beer that blocks light. Not tremendously thick or filling and quite pleasant for the flavor. 8

Taste (10): This brew tastes like it’s nearly all malt with only a pale hint of hops. The caramel flavor mentioned in the blurb is evident and, as per usual, a pretty excellent flavor when combined with heavy malts. The one drawback is it’s right on border of being too sweet. Not a problem in a sampler pack, but maybe a problem in a full sixpack. 7

Efficiency (10): The beer’s malty sweetness is great but, as mentioned, a sweet flavor and a low ABV doesn’t lend itself to efficiency. This beer would be an excellent draught but despite their insistence, I’ve never seen it. The 5.3% doesn’t knock my socks off in efficiency terms, but it doesn’t suck. 6

Versatility (10): Much like the Black & Tan, I don’t know what I’d use it for. The pairing information suggests Mexican food and chicken dishes, but I don’t get that. If there was more than one in the sampler, I might have tried to turn it in to a steak sauce. I don’t want to be down on this beer because I do really like it but I just couldn’t see myself ever getting a sixpack of it. I love one or two, but I couldn’t see myself spending a night with it. 5

Final Score: 32 (of 50) — Good beer.