Saranac Winter Lager
Review Date
Every year at
Christmas time, Utica, New York's Saranac Brewery releases a 12-pack
sampler of holiday brews called The 12 Beers of Winter. Some of
them are old favorites making a return appearance (like the delightful Maple
Porter this year), while others are new brews being rolled out for the first
time. Like clockwork, I head to the liquor store in search of their sampler
each year. To me, it's one of the highlights of the holiday season, and a
lot like Saranac's Christmas gift to beer lovers.
Winter Lager, of
course, is a generic term. Samuel Adams has had a Winter Lager for quite some
time, which began life as a wheat bock of sorts and later found new flavor when
spices were added. Saranac doesn't say what style their Winter Lager is (though
when you take a sip, the beer will say it for them). The beer is brewed
with Pilsener and Kiln Coffee Malt and hopped with Perles and Hallertaus.
Alcohol is slightly higher than average at 5.9% by volume, just enough to ward
off the cold on a frigid winter night. Saranac Winter
Lager pours to a rich copper color with a medium-sized creamy head formation
and a sinfully nutty malt nose. The color, and then the nutty malty nose will
tell you what this one is right away: Vienna Lager/Marzenbier. The beer is clean
of fruity esters but delightfully redolent of toasted nuts with just a hint of
chocolate. This is a highly malt accented brew, as a Vienna Lager should be. The
finish is nicely balanced, with the malty sweetness attenuated by the dry,
slightly grassy Hallertau hops. I'm very impressed
with this beer. Kudos to Saranac for choosing a hearty, rich lager like this to
include in their 12 Beers of Winter collection (which, by the way,
makes a superb gift for the beer drinker on your list) . I find it to be a very
good example of its style, and wish I could buy it year round. And if you're
listening, Saranac, that was a hint.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
Also From This Brewery
This year, Saranac
does it again, giving beer enthusiasts two bottles each of six different brews
for a paltry $13.89 (or so I paid at Sherlock's in Kennesaw, Georgia). The
sampler usually makes it's appearance late October to Early November and is sold
until they're all gone. One of the new releases for 2009 is Saranac Winter
Lager, a "rich, malty German style lager made with traditional German malts
and hops" as the brewery describes it.
