The Bar Towel

Suprised to see this on the shelves today. Picked up a six-pack, $12.95.

LCBO or TBS?

Weird. There's hardly any in the system at the moment according to the LCBO website.

My folks brought me a Saranac mixed 12 last year and I recall the pale being a pretty decent, sessionable beer.

What the heck? Can anyone confirm that this isn't a bad joke by the LCBO and we will actually see distribution of Saranac products?

interesting......at least the price is right.

Surprising, but not unbelievable, given that there are already a few F.X. Matt brewed beers at the LCBO, like the Headstrong and Yankee Jim stuff.

I didn't care much for the Pale when I tried it a few years ago, but I'll probably give it another shot.

Gedge wrote:Suprised to see this on the shelves today. Picked up a six-pack, $12.95.

I'll be right over for analysis.

I am a fan of saranacs beers. I have bought both of their mix packs, and a few 12's of the pale. Great beer for a low price.

I've tried other Saranac beers (though I can't recall which). I think this one (the pale ale) is as advertised on the box - a slightly fruity, moderately bitter English IPA. Nothing earth-shaking, but a good beer for the tail end of the warm weather.

GregClow wrote:Surprising, but not unbelievable, given that there are already a few F.X. Matt brewed beers at the LCBO, like the Headstrong and Yankee Jim stuff.

Don't forget Brooklyn.

I had one tonight. Meh. Certainly the LCBO have brought in a lot worse than this, but this is one I could have easily lived without. It's really just a thin bodied English Pale Ale.

TJ wrote:I had one tonight. Meh. Certainly the LCBO have brought in a lot worse than this, but this is one I could have easily lived without. It's really just a thin bodied English Pale Ale.

I guess it hasn't changed much from when I tried it in 2006, then:

"Clear orange amber colour. Quite decent aroma of fresh, resiny hops, with none of the stale notes I got from most of the other Saranac beers in the mixed pack. I thought this boded well for the flavour, but alas, it turned out to be thin and lifeless, with a very mild, simple flavour profile. Well-balanced, I suppose, but it’s hard not to be when the flavours are so subdued. Sigh."

GregClow wrote:

TJ wrote:I had one tonight. Meh. Certainly the LCBO have brought in a lot worse than this, but this is one I could have easily lived without. It's really just a thin bodied English Pale Ale.

I guess it hasn't changed much from when I tried it in 2006

Right. I had my first of these around 2004-5 and more recently a few months back and it has always tasted the same. It's like a "bridge" beer for those moving up from macros but not one that would impress most posters here. Still, a decent enough session ale. Unfortunately of the half dozen or so Saranacs I've tasted the Pale Ale is their best, with their Black & Tan not bad either. Their pale lager and Adirondack Amber were not impressive.

I was mildly excited to see a USA micro, but it's far from Saranac's best, and most of their portfolio rates under a 3.0 / 5.

The real shame is this middling beer is crowding out another potentially much bette rbeer like Nugget Nectar or equivalent.

A shame, but hardly a surprise. The LCBO specializes in middling beers.