Try?
Ever read the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Maybe you've seen the film version called Willy Wonka instead. Either way, you probably know that it's the story of a poor boy who lands a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour Willy Wonka's mysterious candy factory. He does this, of course, by finding one of a very few Golden Tickets inside a chocolate bar.
Too
bad they've never done that with beer. But wait! They have! Or, at least, Utica,
New York's Saranac Brewery has with their 2009 12 Beers of Winter
collection. That's because some of those 12-packs will carry a Golden Ticket
inside that awards the finder a free trip to the brewery.
Alas, my sampler was not a winner, and I found no Golden Ticket inside. But that's OK, because unlike Willy Wonka, Saranac offers regular tours of their brewery on Fridays and Saturdays. And really, everybody who buys a 12 Beers of Winter sampler is a winner. Your prize: the beer inside, beer like Saranac Big Moose Ale.
Saranac calls Big Moose Ale "An American Pale Ale with a kick" and quotes the following stats:
Malt
Selections: Pale, Caramel
Hop Selections: Centennial, Amarillo
Color: Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Roast Beef, Lamb
Alcohol By Volume: 5.3%
Original Gravity: 13.5
Saranac Big Moose
Ale pours to a brilliant coppery color with a thick head of rocky foam and a
delightfully enticing nose of fresh piney hops. I pour a bottle into my Saranac
Spirit of the Adirondacks pint glass, and once the liquid settles I notice a
fine effervescence as tiny bubbles rise from bottom to top in a steady,
seemingly endless stream. There's a thin film of Brussels lace deposited on the
sides of the glass as well.
The beer has a solid caramel/crystal malt foundation, not as big as you might find in an IPA but then you shouldn't: this is pale ale. Can a beer have a juicy malt character? I think so, and this one does. And then the hops hit, quite herbal and aromatic, grassy and a little citric in the finish. They end long and dry, and linger on the tongue with a very impressive bitterness.
This is a really great American Pale Ale, and just another example of the wonderful little brews Saranac rolls out each year with it's sampler. Smooth, drinkable, loaded with hop aroma and wonderfully bitter, I could drink it all night.
Another reason why I love Saranac beers so much, even if I didn't win a chance to go to the brewery to see how the Oompa Loompas make the beer.
Update 7/5/2014: I stopped at Taco Mac Woodstock for beer and wings today, and imagine my surprise to see Big Moose Ale on the draft menu, and for just $4! That may well be the most affordable craft beer I've ever enjoyed here. Drawn from a freshly tapped keg, the beer was not quite the same as I remembered it, with caramel and grassy hops in the nose, chewy caramel malt up front, big herbal grassy hop aroma and bitterness in the finish. Very nice, have not had this since 2010, and not piney like before but still very tasty, especially for the price. I'm taking off a half star but wills till absolutely buy this again, it went well with the second half of my wings.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
