Yankee Brew News Archive

Saranac Stout Gets Limited Roll Out

Originally Published: 01/96

By: Dan Vlossak

On tap in late September at the Saranac Fallfest Celebration was the much-discussed, and often-sought-after Saranac Stout. The brewers at F.X. Matt said they finally succumbed to the pressures of the beer-loving public and made Saranac Stout available at Fallfest, as well as for their distributors for a limited time only.

"The first question I hear when I attend beer festivals is invariably, 'When are you going to bottle Saranac Stout?'" said F.X. Matt, chairman of the F.X. Matt Brewing Company.

"Our Saranac Fallfest is a special occasion. Thousands visit us at our brewery for the day, so we thought, what better way to showcase what we do best? Quite simply, that's brewing great beer."

No longer able to deny beer lovers of what they most desire, the classic Irish stout is the secret behind the success of Saranac Black & Tan. Brewed with seven different malts and grains, as well as a selection of choice hops, consumers can look for a full-bodied taste and crescendo of complex flavor notes.

"This is a stout to remember...and respect," said Matt.

Does that mean that if you didn't make it to the brewery for Saranac Fallfest, you'll have to go without?

Not necessarily, said Nick Matt, president of the 107-year-old brewery. "We will be offering the stout to our distributors in late September, but in very limited quantities and for a very short period of time."

The brewery plans to bottle and keg just a small amount of this hearty, complex brew to offer consumers a taste. There are no plans to bottle the stout as a permanent member of the Saranac family.

The Saranac Stout packaging, like the other Saranac brews, features an outdoor Adirondack scene. The new beige, red, gold and black design of a dense Adirondack forest covered in fall foliage, was created by artist Thomas Garber, well-known for his Adirondack artistry.