Saranac Pale Ale has sweet, then bitter taste
Lukas Hallorman | Staff Photographer
Although Saranac Pale Ale had a flowery smell, the taste begins sweet and then becomes bitter.
Browsing through shelves of beer and deciding what to try this week, I was apprehensive about choosing a pale ale. To be frank, I’m not really a pale ale kind of guy. But after one of my roommates told me Saranac Pale Ale was one of his favorite beers, I figured I’d give it a shot.
The golden color came through immediately when I poured it into a glass. There was a pretty normal amount of carbonation, producing an average head. Bubbles rose throughout the entire duration of the drink.
As for the smell, there was definitely a hoppy and flowery aroma, which makes sense as it comes in at 32 I.B.U.’s (international bittering units). But there were a ton of other scents I got, as well — I smelled anise, fruit and something sweet, like a hint of honey.
Taking a sip, Saranac Pale Ale is unexpectedly sweet right off the bat. However, that initial sweetness doesn’t stay for long. Within a second or two, the dry and bitter finish sweeps it away and is there to stay. Your mouth may be dry and taste bitter for a while, even 30 seconds to a minute. But that bitterness isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to beer.
Saranac Pale Ale will give you a variety of tastes, each arriving one at a time. When it was sweet on the tip of my tongue, I got apples and oranges. Then both licorice and grapefruit flavors rushed to the roof of my mouth, and eventually a hint of sourdough bread showed up as well.
Overall, the taste is simply crisp and clean. You can’t really go wrong with it. I had it with sausage and green beans and it paired very well, but I could see it matching with any kind of meat.
If you’re a fan of Saranac brews, their brewery is just an hour down the road in Utica. Word on the street is they give great tours to Syracuse University students.
One caveat — although this is a great beer to have with dinner, maybe two or three with some friends, it’ll fill you up quickly; don’t try to drink too many in a night.
Overall, Saranac Pale Ale was a great beer that I was happily wrong about.
Published on January 28, 2016 at 12:01 am
