boston beers

New Beer Blog Boston Beer Company Samuel Adams White Christmas (2014)

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Samuel Adams Brewery.  It is their White Christmas.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this east coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Boston Beer Company.  Let us get into this White Ale.

It has a cloudy golden color with a white head color. It disappears over time. The aroma has a yeasty, corridor, to a lemon notes. The taste has a wheat to corridor notes. The aftertaste has a dry cinnamon, nutmeg, and hints of orange to lemon notes finish. It is pretty drinkable winter beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

As crisp as the first snowfall of the year, this unfiltered white ale is blended with holiday spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel.  The familiar citrus and wheat characters of the ale are complemented by the warmth of the spices for a festive brew that’s perfect for the season.

Here is a description from their website (www.samueladams.com):

A special time of year calls for a special brew. For us, this brew combines the crispness of a white ale with the warmth of familiar holiday spices.

HOP VARIETIES

Spalt Spalter Noble hops

MALT VARIETIES

Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, wheat, IdaPils malt

YEAST STRAIN

Samuel Adams ale yeast

COLOR

SRM: 6

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS

Cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel

ALC. BY VOL/WT

5.8% ABV – 4.4% ABW

IBUs

8

CAL PER SERVING

190

AVAILABILITY

12oz: 6pk, Winter Classics

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.samueladams.com

Twitter:  @samueladamsbeer

Closing, I am not a fan of Samuel Adams or the Boston Beer Company. I give them a ton of credit to be one of the pioneers of the craft beer world.  Now days, they are looked as one of the big beer companies.  They are now known as one of the big three.  Jim Koch does not like to hear this but he is in that group.  Most of his beers are starting to be viewed like that too.  The kids today are looking at his beers like their Dad or Grandfather’s beer.  They are still pushing the limits but not as much as they did back in the 1980’s.  This brew is something a little special that they have been putting out in the last few years.  I am not a fan of but I can see people liking it.  There is a ton of spices going on this brew.  There is a nice light body but yet some complex notes.  I am not a fan of this beer style and beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Samuel Adams Juniper IPA

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample out Juniper IPA from Samuel Adams.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this craft brewery, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know the Boston Beer Company.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear copper color with a constant white head on this winter IPA.  The smell is a heavy Juniper Berries.  The taste is a piney with hints of Juniper Berries with a quick bitter aftertaste that disappears fast.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.samueladams.com):

For this special release, we wanted to brew a flavorful winter IPA that captured the aroma of the season.  This brought us to juniper berries, which add a slightly sweet, piney character.  Complemented by citrus notes from American hops, this balanced IPA will brighten the holidays.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.samueladams.com

Twitter:  @SamuelAdamsBeer

In the end, I was pretty interested in this brew.  I did not know how the Juniper Berries would mix with the IPA.  I know they made an English style IPA because I believe that West Coast IPA would not go well with the berries.  I believe the hops would have overpowered the berries.  There is a nice balance from the hops, malty backbone, and Juniper Berries. I love the aroma and beer drinking experience.  This beer is good but it is not that good.  It is average beer, however, I will give Boston Beer Company some credit for being unique and original.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Lager Vs Samuel Adams Boston Lager

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Battle of Evermore, we are going to do something different.  I am taking two well-known craft lagers and putting them up against each other.  They are Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which is the flagship of the Boston Beer Company, and Brooklyn Lager, which is the flagship of the Brooklyn Brewery.  The reason why this challenge has come to head is the fact when both breweries started out they contracted their beers out to one brewery to keep up with demand.  Plus, it is Boston against New York City.  Both cities hate each other from football, hockey, baseball, and I believe basketball.  Both breweries were there from the beginning of the craft beer world.  I do not need to go over the history of these two breweries because I have done blogs on both breweries.  Let the fight begin!

Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Lager has a slightly hazel copper color without a head on the beer.  It has a sweet malty to a little caramel smell to the beer. It has a slight hoppy to malty taste with a nice crisp finish for the aftertaste.  It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Amber gold, with a malty body and a floral hop character. Brooklyn Lager is a revival of Brooklyn’s pre-Prohibition all malt lagers. This is the brewery’s first and best-selling brand. Brooklyn Lager is brewed only with malted barley, hops, water and yeast.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Boston Lager has a clear copper color without a head on the beer.  There is really no smell to this beer.  This lager is sweet malty carbonation to it with crisp malty aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Our original beer, brewed with Bavarian Noble hops. The balance of malty sweetness and hop spiciness in this brew sets the standard for all Samuel Adams beers.

What is the same between these beers?

Both beers are craft beers and are the flagship beers to each respected brewery. They are both pretty malty tasting lagers.

What is the differences between these beers?

Brooklyn lager is a little bit more hopper than Boston Lager and has a clean crisp aftertaste.  Boston Lager is a little bit more maltier and has a malty crisp aftertaste that last longer than the Brooklyn Lager.

The end, respect to both breweries, they both make some good beers.  Some of their beers are average to below average while some are above average.  You will get that from many breweries.  There are a very few that make all their beers really good.  Brooklyn Lager has a little bit more of a hoppy feel but yet enough of malty taste to give the best of both worlds.  Boston Lager is a little bit more maliter.  I have to say Brooklyn Lager is better.  Brooklyn is going with the old school taste that was going on in American before Prohibition.  Boston Lager is more American Craft Lager with a classic twisted.  I just feel Boston Lager is dying a fast death and needs to put down.  To me, Brooklyn Lager wins this battle and I wish more people knew about this great beer.  This is my thought pattern and I would like to hear your thought. Go get some Brooklyn Lager!  Raise your glass to a beer that should be classic American lager before and after Prohibition era.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

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In this blog, we are sample out last beer from this Samuel Adams Fall pack. We are going to get into one of my favorite beer styles in the Fall Season.  Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale is going to be feature in this beer blog.  If you read my earlier blog, you know a little something about this brewery.  Samuel Adams are pretty well-known and I know you about this brewery before you reading this beer blog.  If you do not, please, go back to one of the earlier blogs and read the first part of it.  Let us get into the beer.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale is available in their Fall Sampler Pack.  It has a dark amber color without a head on the beer.  It has a cinnamon to nutmeg and a little pumpkin.  This pumpkin taste like a cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin.  This is not a well balance beer. There is a point in the beer drinking experience that the drinker will get a little water hint. It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Early New England colonists were nothing if not resourceful.  Lacking traditional malts, they added pumpkin to their brews, & the first pumpkin ales were born.  This modern adaptation uses 4 different malts, and over 17 lbs of real pumpkin per barrel, for a rich depth of flavor & unmistakable character.  Cheers!  Jim Koch

Here is a description from their website (www.samueladams.com):

A perennial favorite at our brewery Halloween party, Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale is brewed with over 17 pounds of real pumpkin per barrel, adding a full body and sweetness to this dark reddish amber brew.  Deep roasted malts, including a smoked malt, lend a distinct roasted character while traditional pumpkin pie spices give the beer a subtle spice note.

Pumpkin Ale is one of the oldest beer styles that originated in America.  Early colonists lacked some of the classic beer ingredients, so in place of malt other fermentable sugars such as molasses or pumpkin were used.  Pumpkin beers were not as popular at first since the pumpkin was used for its sugar alone rather than its flavor.  More recently, pumpkins have been used in addition to malt and other spices to create flavorful pumpkin ales.  For our take on the style we’ve used a large portion of real pumpkin to give it a natural richness of flavor.

To brew our version of this fall favorite, we used a significant portion of real pumpkin.  The pumpkin is added to the mash to meld with the malt flavors, bringing out its true flavor in the final brew.  In addition to our classic two-row pale malt and Caramel 60, we’ve added Special B and Smoked Malt for a deep roasted and nutty character that perfectly complements the pumpkin.  Once in the kettle we also add clove and the classic pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.  The spices subtly enhance the character of the pumpkin and malt without overpowering it.

Flavor: Smooth and roasty, real pumpkin adds to a full body and sweetness while deep roasted malts lend a toasty finish to this subtly spiced brew.
Color: Dark reddish amber, 33 SRM
Original Gravity: 15° Plato
Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 5.7%ABV – 4.4%ABW
Calories/12oz.: 199
IBUs: 14
Malt Varieties: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60, Special B, and smoked malt
Hop Varieties: East Kent Goldings and English Fuggles
Special Ingredients: real pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice
Yeast Strain:Samuel Adams ale yeast
First Brewed: 2010
Availability: Seasonal (Sept. – Oct.) and in the Harvest Collection Variety pack

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.samueladams.com

Twitter:  @samueladamsbeer

Closing, this pumpkin ale is one of the best one in the market.  I am pretty stun since it is coming from Boston Beer Company.  They found the classic American style and did it up right.  It has a nice balance unlike most pumpkin ales in the market.  Most Pumpkins ales have too much cinnaon or nutmeg in the beer. This beer is also in six pack bottles this year.  I recomment this beer and you can take your time with it.  This is because most of the smaller batches will be gone first.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser