Saranac IPA
We’re half way through the Summer variety pack from Saranac. I’m pretty sure I’ve had this IPA at sometime in the past, but can’t quite say for sure, which is sort of an apt description of the beer — tasty, but not all that memorable.
The beer is brewed with Cascade hops and weighs in at 5.8% ABV, but I found the brewery’s Pale Pale Ale to be the hoppier of the two pale ales. This particular brew has a decent bit of hop bitterness, but that’s only part of the equation when it comes to the style. It’s just not quite as well-rounded as it’s “paler” cousin.
IPA on the deck.
Appearance
Crystal clear amber with a large white head that held it’s form well, fading slowly to a decent lacing.
Aroma
Grassy hops and light, bready malts combine for a decent nose. It’s not overly citrus, but has a touch of grapefruit on the nose.
Taste
The IPA has a more apparent grapefruit character on the tongue than it did within the aroma as a light malt backbone does its best to support the hoppier side of the beer. It doesn’t have a huge hop bite, but it’s certainly more than the pale ale I had prior to this one. The mouthfeel is crisp, bright and clean allowing the Cascade hops to really shine, but there’s just not much of a counter point to the beer to help balance things out.
Overall
Saranac doesn’t have a bad IPA on their hands with this beer, it’s just that it’s not all that memorable. I found the Pale Pale Ale to be more enjoyable overall with a deeper palate than this brew. Still, it’s a refreshing alternative for a hot afternoon.
Rating: 3.5/5