Saranac Irish Stout, Matt Brewing Co., Utica, NY

Saranac, a brand of the Matt Brewing Co. in upstate New York, has been around for a while (over 120 years), making them one of the oldest breweries in the US. The Irish Stout is one of their newest offerings, effectively replacing the Saranac Stout in the lineup. Not sure if the Irish Stout is also going to go into the venerable Saranac Black and Tan...

The Irish Stout is entirely what you would expect. Dark, nearly black body, tan head, mild aroma of toasted malt. The taste is spot-on, with maltiness, smokiness, and only a tinge of metallic/sour aftertaste. The sourness is quickly covered up by a slight sweetness, with a pleasant smoky finish. Basically, the Irish Stout is what you would expect: good quality beer true to the style.

The Irish Stout easily outpaces the Guinness 250 Anniversary, which I recently reviewed. I'd much rather have a couple of Irish Stouts.

Rating = 3.5

Great label, too...