Saranac Irish Red Ale

Did you know that Irish Reds get their deep garnet color from generous amounts of crystal malts? Carefully selected batches of 2 row malts are specially kilned to develop their sugars and then roasted to produce their wonderful caramel and toffee notes that accompany the rich color. You’ll find the complexity and drinkability of Saranac Irish Red to be second to none. Enjoy!

2.9

165 reviews

Utica, United States

Community reviews

2.7 Malty start with some peppery hops at the end. Not very impressed, I've had much better reds

2.8 A little bit malty with a slight caramel flavor. Almost zero hop presence and a medium mouth

2.9 Bottled from fall sampler. Some light malt and light hops but pretty forgettable otherwise.

2.4 12oz served into a Dogfish Head pint glass. A - Pours a clear chestnut brown with an off-white head. Bubbles form a collar with little to no lacing left on the glass. S - Sweet crystal malt, some raisins, yeasty, toasted caramel, dried grass. T - Slightly roasted grain, sweet and nutty, simple sugars, apple and plum undertones, faint citrus, grassy hops on the back end. M - Soft fizzy carbonation, thin body, finishes wet. Aroma was pretty good. Would have liked a little more ummpgh in the flavor department. Nothing bad but nothing too exciting. I would definitely drink this again. Serving type: bottle 09-07-2012

2.5 Bland. Taste ok, but not great. Don’t smell like much. Drinkable at best.

2.8 Bottle into a goblet pour. is a ruby red brown with a light head. Aroma is malt with a high co2 level. Taste is a very bitter malt. Finish lasts a long time, its co2 malt.

2.8 Poured from bottle. Toasted malt and gas in aroma. Amber with tan head. Toasted malt and hops in flavor - this seems more like a lager to me. A bit of a creamy feel. Pretty drinkable but the gas is annoying. Just OK.

2.4 Bottle. Pours clear amber with thin, fizzy white head; short retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is caramel and cookie malts, figs, floral hops, and barnyard notes. Flavor is sweet malts forward with a note of sourness and dark fruit esters; some brown sugar notes towards the end with a dry finish. Light body and medium carbonation.

2.3 Bottle. Pours clear amber with a medium, frothy off-white head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is caramel and cookie malt with dates and floral hops. Flavor is malt dominant with light hops and bitterness and a sweet finish. Light body and medium carbonation.

2.6 Well, it's red. Not much head and not really put together that we'll. mild tasting, earthy, almost red tea. You might be better off with Killians (perish the thought)

2.2 Bottle taste kind of sweet some hops malt not bad not great run of the mill beer

2.8 Appearance is a medium amber head with a slightly hazy amber. Aroma is a sweet bready malt. Taste is lots of malts, but not a lot more. Overall decent, but not great.

3.0 Bottle from a mix pack. Pours brownish amber with a dusting of a head. Smells of sweet malts, wet wood, and earth. Tastes of tea, copper, dried leaves. Finishes earthy.

2.3 from notes: im not a big fan of saranac at all these days. average beer after average beer. this is no exception. malty, no hop flavor. almost industrial. ws;sp

3.1 12oz bottle–pours amber/copper with an offwhite head. Aroma is light/medium malt-slight sweetness. Taste is light/medium malt-slight sweetness, spice/earthy hops. Plenty of carbonation.

3.0 poured from 12 oz bottle Beautiful dark red/amber pour nice off white head that dissipates pretty quickly. Aroma is right on with the style. Very malty and pleasant. Taste is ok, malty notes are prominent but a little lacking, slightly bitter. Beer feels a little water down but still has a strange sticky sensation. moderate carbonation. Quality beer for the style.

3.0 Translucent reddish amber with a minimal off white head. Nose is metallic, bread, cereal, light toast. Flavor is similar, about what I expected. Could suffer through this if given one at a party but would not choose to purchase again.

3.8 Pours a deep reddish brown. Lively carbonation. Mild mat aroma. Head settles a quarter inch foamy head. Smooth and sweet malt in the taste. Clean finish. Very good overall. Very drinkable. I wouldn’t mind having more of these.

2.7 Samples through a Fizzics. A pretty beer to be sure, but not exactly a fiery redhead. Pours reddish brown with a frothy tan head. Lacing is spare. Aroma is in line with other Irish red ales with some earthy caramel malt tones along with tannic apple skin. Smooth and clean but missing that some caramel character that makes a red ale desirable. Lightly toasty. Decent.

2.7 A copperish-red ale with a light reddish head. Has some mild spices that are kept untamed just like the country its named after. A decent afternoon beer.

2.9 Just not quite malty enough to do the job. The taste isn’t really wrong so much as not full enough (although other Irish reds have the same problem). Maybe a hint of roast would have done the trick. Also, it’s overly fizzy as are most Saranac offerings.

3.7 Pours an amber color. Aroma is of malts. Taste is also malty, some caramel, just a touch of hops are present. An easy drinking and enjoyable beer.

2.0 bottle from a mix pack. Pours a red brown with little head. No real aromas, thin palate with little fruits. A little spice, maybe cinnamon towards the finish. Really average with what saranac puts out. I could drink another, but I have better options.

2.5 12 oz bottle: Pours an amber red with a nice tan head and decent lacing. Aroma is of a sour american lager, not appealing. Taste is smooth and silky with a touch of sweetness. Relatively uninteresting and not very good overall.

3.2 Rather malty and sweet, with hints of caramel and nuts. A smooth finish that is not very crisp, but not bad either.

3.4 Pours a dark red brown color with a nice big foam head off a soft pour. Taste is malty and nutty with a little bit of roasted or burnt flavor. Smoother and less harsh than some beers in it’s style -- that’s common with Saranac and sometimes you just feel like with certain styles it’s being watered down, but here it makes it feel more balanced and refreshing, and, well, better, than a lot of beers in the Irish Red category. Good logo with an Irish flag and a Shamrock, which the Irish-descended part of me appreciates. :) One of the better beers in the fall mix pack (Also typically available in the spring mix pack and in it’s own 6er around St. Patrick’s Day).

2.5 Mostly clear light brown color, thin to minimal head. Very little lace. A sort of watered down spicy coppery malt taste. Medium to light body. Carbonation a bit on the stronger side. Savory taste. Nothing special or interesting... A barely passable Irish Red.

3.2 (bottle 10/24/10). Clear red/amber color. Medium off white head. Moderate toast/malt aroma. Flavor of the same. Avg duration. Smooth finish. Avg duration. Smooth finish. Slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Fair lacing.

2.8 Beautiful ruby pour but with minimal khaki head ring and faint lacing. Slightly sweet and caramel toastiness. A little toffee and a bit astringent. Not bad, not amazing. solid.

3.2 A dark brown pour with red highlights and a tan head. It has floral hop aroma with some caramel notes. The medium body has average carbonation. The taste is a little bland with a slightly bitter finish.