One New York Life

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.6%
Type: Winter Warmer

What they say: “Old Fezziwig Ale is in the tradition of special seasoned beers for the winter Holidays, and takes its name from the festive character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. This is a hearty, rich, brownish-red ale that gets its character from large amounts of specialty malts. These roasted caramel and chocolate malts give it a very full body and a smooth taste that’s then spiced with a touch of cinnamon, ginger, and orange. Happy Holidays.”

Website: Couldn’t get a blurb off their website as I was writing this because they still have a stupid Flash website that isn’t indexed by Google. So, not only could I not get information about their beer at the time I was writing this, but Sam’s website doesn’t even come up on the first page in Google. And, confidential to the site that shall not be named: Making your search function require log in is really dumb when I can go to Google, type a beer name and your site’s name, and go directly to the page. This is reason number two you shall remain the site that shall not be named in my heart.

Why I picked it: This is beer four of six in 2009’s Sam Adams Winter Classics. This beer has only been, and is pretty much always, available in the Winter Classics pack.

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Presentation (5): One of the few Sam Adams beers that eschews the traditional image of Sam Adams holding a mug in some way, shape, or form. I don’t think it’s ever changed — likely because it was designed before Sam went corporate and worried about things like branding and such. Since it’s never sold outside of the holiday pack, there’s no reason to rigorously brandify the bottle. The neck label has the beer’s name written on a festive red ribbon and the primary image is Old Fezziwig tipping his hat to the drinker while a well-dressed lady looks on like she wants a little of him. I’ve always liked this label and I like that it’s never changed, thus separating in to “something special” that only shows up in Winter Classics. 5

Originality (5): Another Sam Beer with a largely retroactive originality score. Old Fezziwig was first introduced in 1995 and, again, the craft beer revolution hadn’t quite started. That was back in my supermarket days and I don’t remember anything fancier than Guinness going out the door back then. 4

Body (10): The beer pours brown with heavy carbonation to convey the big flavors. My issue with Old Fezziwig is similar to my general complaint with most early Sam recipes. They’re extremely heavy and almost syrupy. The beer sticks to the tongue, throat, larynx, nose, eyes, hands, belly, and everything else it touches. It’s a heavy-bodied beer that blows out tastebuds without the ABV to really back it up. If a beer’s going to do this to the taste buds, it should at least have the rocks to be the only thing quaffed that night. 4

Taste (10): I’m pretty sure this beer is the granddaddy of Winter Lager. It has the same wintery flavor, but with much bolder caramel and chocolate malt flavor. There’s always been a specific flavor in this recipe that’s bothered me and it took me until now to realize it’s ginger. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing. It kills the beer for me. Maybe it’s the combination of chocolate with ginger? I’m not sure. Whatever it is, the beer was never right for me but now I can put a name to it. 6

Efficiency (10): The body is so heavy and the flavors are so bold that it doesn’t really hold up to the 5.6% ABV. The chocolate and caramel is all over your tongue from the first taste through the next three beers. It’s a heavy, meal-like quality beer and not something drinkable for any amount of time. All these things together crushes the efficiency. 4

Versatility (10): Tough to rate because it’s a special thing only included as a treat in the Winter Classics pack. It’s not available in kegs or six-packs and they even stopped offering it as a bomber. I considered N/Aing the versatility rating but, since I don’t do it with Saranac, it’s not fair to do here. There’s just too much flavor here to be good for much. It’s offered perfectly for what it is, but what it is isn’t very versatile. 3

The Snob Sez: I won’t go so far as to say I look forward to my seasonal 24 oz’s of Old Fezziwig, but I will say it’s become enough of a winter institution that I’d miss it if it were gone. I also feel safe in saying that if this didn’t exist, Winter Lager wouldn’t exist as we know it today. For that alone, it has my respect.

Final Score: 26 (of 50) – good beer

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.9%
Type: Wheat Ale

What they say: Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic is a fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it is brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by the rare wild yeast strain. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries and bananas, cloves and nutmeg. The yeast fermentation also will create a slight sourness on the sides of the palate, a signature of the original Lambic style which, with the subtle cereal note from the wheat malt, remind its drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it is still a beer.

Why I picked it: Beer three of six in the 2009 Samuel Adams Winter Classics. One of the beers that’s included, it seems, almost yearly in Sam’s Holiday Pack.

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Presentation (5): The one thing I appreciate about the old beers offered in the Winter Classics is that they use the older-style labels with Mr. Adams raising a glass instead of the current rigoursly diminished version. I’m a sucker for throwbacks. You should see my Michael Jordan Washington Bullets jersey. 4

Originality (5): Tough to rate because it was first brewed in 1990. This is one of those “grandfather of craft brewing” ratings because they were experimenting with this stuff before anyone else. I’m sure Jim Koch did something along the lines of “hey, let’s take the ale recipe, dump some cranberries in to it, and see what happens.” Original idea with a grade retroactive to 1990. Twenty years ago. 5

Body (10): As people on The Site That Shall Not Be Named are quick to point out, this is not actually a lambic but a wheat ale. Whatever it is, it’s tough to rate the body because it’s really hard to notice anything other than the knock-your-socks-off cranberry flavor. It’s a muddy red with minimal head and crisp carbonation. There’s also an unpleasant, syrupy consistency that coats your tongue and just won’t go away. Very dry, syrupy, and just not that great. 3

Taste (10): Full disclosure here: I don’t like lambics. I don’t get them, I never have. I’ve tried different varieties of them and I find them just too sweet regardless if they’re peach or cranberry or whatever. This one is no different. All I can taste in this beer is cranberry and nutmeg. That’s a delicious flavor profile… for cranberry sauce. I just don’t get it in beer. Cranberry Lambic is frequently included in the holiday pack and I truly wish that this and Cherry Wheat would just go somewhere together in never come back… like Vermont. Don’t fruit the beer. 2

Efficiency (10): The 5.9% ABV is about the only efficient part of this beer. The flavor is too intense with cranberry tartness which makes consumption slow-going. The ABV could be 25.5% but if the flavor sucks then it’s no fun. 3

Versatility (10): There are only two uses for this I can think of. First — a party in which the goal is to bring the worst beer and second — giving someone who hates beer a beer they might like. 2

The Snob Sez: Clearly not my fave.

Final Score: 19 (of 50) – bad beer

Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: Not specified, I’m going to guess low
Type: Wheat Ale

What they say: Hazy and Golden in color, this brew is a fresh twist on the popular Hefeweizen style. Eureka and Lisbon lemons, from three growing regions in California, balance out the wheat malt character, resulting in a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with subtle lemon flavor. Cheers

Website: Complaints about the website aside, I couldn’t find this beer on it. It’s a new beer in Winter Classics 2009 and information for it is pretty scattered around the web.

Why I picked it: The second of six beers in the Sam Adams Winter Classics 2009 sampler pack. It’s also the only new beer included in the pack.

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Presentation (5): Nothing Earth-shattering here. It’s the generic Samuel Adams labeling for spring/summer offerings. This one is blue in the center and ringed with yellow. The coloring and style is nearly identical to the Summer Ale labeling. It’s the mirror image with the same basic color palette. 2

Originality (5): It’s not exactly a hefeweizen and not exactly a wheat. It’s something in between. If I had to guess, they took their Hefeweizen recipe, increased the lemons, and actually filtered it. I can appreciate mixing up the recipe a bit to see what happens. 4

Body (10): “Twist on a Hefeweizen” appears to mean “Hefeweizen flavor without chunks of floating stuff.” The cloudy, golden color to the body is similar to the hefeweizen but I, for one, am a fan of the lack of yeasty chunks. Blending the Hefeweizen with the generally more masses-friendly Wheat Ale gives the beer a nice, crisp finish and and strong carbonation that, when combined with the lightness with the body, makes for a really drinkable beer. By blending out some of the more severe notes of the hefeweizen, the texture here is much more appetizing. 6

Taste (10): Very distinct lemon flavor that doesn’t quite go over in to “tastes and smells like Lemon Pledge” territory. It shares the crisp, refreshing flavor of most lemony wheat beers without falling prey to the syrupy oversweetness trap that some beers of this type fall in to. This beer simply lets the lemon be the star and balances out the citrus-crispness with the wheat malt. It works better than I expected. 9

Efficiency (10): Tough to rate here without knowing the ABV. Both their Hefeweizen and Cherry Wheat offerings are 5.4% so I’m going to assume this is right around there. For the moment, this beer is only available in the Winter Classics sampler but it smells like a preview for a new permanent offering. If it truly is 5.4%, and I’m going to work under the assumption that it is, then it’s an extremely easy beer to drink combined with (probably) a reasonable Samuel Adams price and an OK ABV. We like those three factors when they fall in that configuration. 7

Versatility (10): This is a great summer offering. It’s light, refreshing, and delicious. It’s a much more group-friendly flavor than Hefeweizen and something that the Coors Light crowd could even grow to love. 8

The Snob Sez: Odd choice to include in a winter offering sampler. Everything about this beer, from the colors on the packaging, to the name “coastal”, to the flavor screams “Summer Beer.” I would think, if Sam wanted to preview this, they would have included it in this year’s Summer Styles or Brewmaster Collection samplers. Out of place in a winter offering, but I look forward to seeing it placed in future Brewmasters’ Collection six-packs.

Final Score: 34 (of 50) – Good beer

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.8%
Type: Bock

What They Say: The first thing one notices in a Samuel Adams Winter Lager is its color: the deep brown of winter. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The warm aroma of cinnamon and ginger which blends with the roasty sweetness of the malted barley and hint of citrus from the orange peel. And after that first sip the promise is fulfilled. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with this season.

Website: Same as it ever was. I do still hate the double-confirmation screen, which remains silly. I also hate how sometimes their Flash app just stops loading and never continues. They should really catch whatever exception is happening there. I shouldn’t have to refresh the page manually. Loading bars are bad practice, people.

Why I Picked It: I couldn’t tell you. It was ages ago the first time I had it. In this case, it’s because I finally wanted to get it a proper score, compare it to the recently rated Blue Point Winter Ale, and, now that it’s 2010, kick off the Samuel Adams Winter Classics 2009 Series.

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Presentation (5): If you’ve seen Sam’s presentation, you’ve seen it. The Winter Lager’s label is a different blue than the Boston Lager… but not my much. The Sam Adams branding is pretty recognizable, though. 3

Originality (5): Much like many of these seasonal brews, Sam Adams was my first. According to their website, Winter Lager was first brewed in 1989… so until someone can show me a Winter Lager brewed before then, there’s no way Sam can fairly not be retroactively given full points for originality. 5

Body (10): They say brown, I say red, but I’m kind of color-blind. It’s a nice reddish-brown with a decent head and a nice lace. A perfect amount of carbonation and just a touch thicker than their regular Boston Lager. It’s just on the border of being too heavy without ever quite getting there and I think it’s because there’s a lot of big flavor stuffed in to a lighter body. The only complaint I’ve ever had of this beer is the same one I have with a lot of Sam’s early recipes: the beers all have an extreme dryness that makes it very hard to make an evening out of it without breaking it up with water or lighter brews. 8

Taste (10): I like citrus hints in my beer, I like malts, and I like spices. Winter Lager has all of the above. The taste rests on your tongue with a hint of cinnamon and citrus and finishes with malt and ginger. This beer has been around so long that a Christmas without it doesn’t feel like Christmas. 10

Efficiency (10): With a great taste, a very solid ABV, and a the reasonable price offered by the macro-microbrew, Sam’s Winter is one of the best seasonal values for your dollar. The dryness of the beer unfortunately isn’t made up for by the ABV and thus the efficiency rating suffers. 6

Versatility (10): I’ve met very few people who dislike this beer. Some may like one of Sam’s other seasonals more, but this one performs very well in crowds. It’s not a fast drinking beer, nor is it something you can sit down with and just slug all night, but it’s an excellent 3-beer maximum selection and a crowd-pleaser. From personal experience, it’s also makes quite the tasty base for a pork-chop brine. 8

The Snob Sez: This is the grand-daddy of Winter brews. It remains my favorite winter seasonal and, like I said last week, if a brewery wants to enter a crowded winter seasonal market, they need to beat this.

Final Score: 40 (of 50) – Great beer