Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Hopskeller

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Hopskeller.

The Saranac Hopskeller is one of two new beers in the Saranac German Roots mix box  for 2019. The box also includes Hop Harvest Haze IPA (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/10/sunday-night-suds-saranac-hop-harvest.html) as well as old friends Black Forest (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunday-night-suds-saranac-black-forest.html) and Octoberfest (reviewed here
https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-night-suds-saranac-octoberfest.html).

I had never heard of Hopskeller, so I checked out the style on BA which listed the beer as a  German Kellerbier / Zwickelbier. BA explained that this is:

A rather old, rare, and unique German beer style, Kellerbiers are unfiltered and unpasteurized lagers that date back to at least the Middle Ages. The beer is matured, unbunged (beer is exposed), in deep vaults. The final product is a smooth, naturally cloudy beer that's rich in vitamins from the yeast. Hop bitterness can be high and alcohol will vary. Zwickelbier is similar to a Keller, but not as pronounced.

The Hopskeller poured a dark orange with some carbonation, but not the trademark level of a typical Saranac brew. The beer is a bit bready and not very hoppy, notwithstanding the name. Although the beer is 5.5% abv, it does not have alcohol flavor. This is not to say that the beer is bland as there was some spice and floral notes, but this is not a sharp, bitter brew.

The Hopskeller is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac brews some varieties off site, so check the cans/bottles for kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the brew, please follow this link https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/435305.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

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