Saranac India Brown Ale
Review Date
I
am not so sure I agree with the notion of an India Brown Ale. Mind you, I
understand the premise. American brewers seem to want to throw extra hops at
everything and add an "Imperial" or "India" moniker to so denote. Why not
brown ales, then? Toss in some extra hops with your kettle of brown ale, and
voila: IBA.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
Also From This Brewery
Thing is, the style already exists, and has existed, for quite some time.
It's called American Brown, though, not India Brown, and I think that's a
more apt description. The spicy-hopped
Brooklyn Brown Ale is perhaps the classic example, along with
Pete's Wicked Ale in its heyday (the latter seems these days to be a
less impressive version of its old self, but still retains a vestige of hop
bite).
Still, Saranac wanted to include an India Brown Ale with their winter
sampler this year, and who am I to argue with them? They're hardly the first
to offer such a style, joining Dogfish Head and Terrapin in that category.
They use the "3C" hop varieties, otherwise known as Columbus, Centennials,
and Cascades (interestingly enough, Brooklyn Brown features Cascades, too,
and the bottled version is actually contract brewed by Saranac for the
Brooklyn Brewery). Fuggles are used too, and malts include Marris Otter and
Crystal.
Saranac India Brown Ale pours to a russet reddish to very light brown
color with a medium creamy head formation and an herbal, spicy hop nose. A
fine layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass, and a steady
stream of tiny bubbles rises from bottom to top of my glass endlessly. A sip
reveals a palate with a gentle touch of caramel malt laced with toasted nuts
and chocolate.
Did I mention the hops? There be hops here, matey. You'll pick them up right
away, of course, at first permeating the brew with an herbal, tea-like
aroma, then becoming increasingly bitter into the finish. At last, it
deposits a lingering bitter buzz on the tongue. That's the whole point, of
course, a brown ale that's very hoppy like an IPA.
To my taste, this one needs a bit more work. I like it well enough, but it
leans more to the hops than the dark malt, and I find more of the IPA aspect
than brown ale (much more). I don't think it's quite so well executed as,
say,
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. 
