Saranac Big Moose Ale
Review Date
Ever read the book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Maybe you've seen the film version
called Willy Wonka instead. Either way, you probably know that it's
the story of a poor boy who lands a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour Willy
Wonka's mysterious candy factory. He does this, of course, by finding one of
a very few Golden Tickets inside a chocolate bar.
Alas, my sampler was
not a winner, and I found no Golden Ticket inside. But that's OK, because unlike
Willy Wonka, Saranac offers regular tours of their brewery on Fridays and
Saturdays. And really, everybody who buys a 12 Beers of Winter sampler is
a winner. Your prize: the beer inside, beer like Saranac Big Moose Ale.
Saranac calls Big
Moose Ale "An American Pale Ale with a kick" and quotes the following stats: Malt
Selections: Pale, Caramel Saranac Big Moose
Ale pours to a brilliant coppery color with a thick head of rocky foam and a
delightfully enticing nose of fresh piney hops. I pour a bottle into my Saranac
Spirit of the Adirondacks pint glass, and once the liquid settles I notice a
fine effervescence as tiny bubbles rise from bottom to top in a steady,
seemingly endless stream. There's a thin film of Brussels lace deposited on the
sides of the glass as well. The beer has a solid
caramel/crystal malt foundation, not as big as you might find in an IPA but then
you shouldn't: this is pale ale. Can a beer have a juicy malt character? I think
so, and this one does. And then the hops hit, quite herbal and aromatic, grassy
and a little citric in the finish. They end long and dry, and linger on the
tongue with a very impressive bitterness. This is a really great
American Pale Ale, and just another example of the wonderful little brews
Saranac rolls out each year with it's sampler. Smooth, drinkable, loaded with
hop aroma and wonderfully bitter, I could drink it all night. Another reason why I
love Saranac beers so much, even if I didn't win a chance to go to the brewery
to see how the Oompa Loompas make the beer.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
Also From This Brewery
Too
bad they've never done that with beer. But wait! They have! Or, at least, Utica,
New York's Saranac Brewery has with their 2009 12 Beers of Winter
collection. That's because some of those 12-packs will carry a Golden Ticket
inside that awards the finder a free trip to the brewery.
Hop Selections: Centennial, Amarillo
Color: Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Roast Beef, Lamb
Alcohol By Volume: 5.3%
Original Gravity: 13.5
