One New York Life

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — Stony Brook Red

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 9%
Type: Red Ale

What They Say: This unique brew defies traditional beer style definition. The rich, malty brew combines notes of tart fruit from the yeast with a toasty oak character from the barrel aging. The long dry finish is almost wine-like. This is a beer that is satisfying on its own and also pairs well with many foods such as braised or roasted meats, beef stews and strong salty cheeses. Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red starts out as a strong red ale fermented with a Belgian style ale yeast. This younger ale is blended with over 50% of our Samuel Adams Kosmic Mother Funk. The Kosmic Mother Funk is a Belgian ale that we age in oak casks and tanks for over 6 months. The beer in the oak vessels undergoes a secondary fermentation with brettanomyces yeasts and lactobacillus to give the beer a rich tropical fruit note and some sourness. Stony Brook Red’s resulting blend has an earthy, fruity, and estery character. The beer is also bottle conditioned which creates a secondary fermentation in the bottle giving the beer an extra smooth and balanced flavor

Why I Picked It: The final beer in the vertical tasting of the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection Series. One final thanks to fellow beer snob The Big Show for getting these to me.

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Presentation (5): Check out the first post to see my thoughts here. 5

Originality (5): This is pretty much a red, but with some of the Kosmic Mother Funk and oak-aged goodness. Like I said previously: this whole idea of the Barrel Room Series isn’t the top of originality — it’s the second-best in Boston alone after Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series — but I give Sam the points for trying. 3

Body (10): An opaque red pour with minimal head. Decent amount of carbonation and bubbling. The beer has the same oaken odor as bourbon-aged beers. The texture of the carbonation really manages to pull off the alcohol, successfully off-putting the burn. Really well done body for the type. 8

Taste (10): This is the beer that’s best managed to get mileage out of the oak flavors. As mentioned, the nose is sweet and the taste is an explosion of flavors — sourness from the fruits, sweetness from the oak, and bitterness from the malts. The aftertaste is sort of Belgian, but there’s so much else going on by the time you get there that it can be tough to appreciate. There’s red, Belgian, and oak all going on here. Complex and good. 9

Versatility (10): There’s a lot going on here. These single bottle, experimental beers range between tasty & accessible to tasty & WTF. This one goes more toward WTF. 3

Efficiency (10): Love this beer. The intense flavor forced me to take it slow, but high ABV kept it worth it. 7

The Snob Sez: My favorite of these barrel room collection beers. This won’t change the way anyone feels about beer, but it’s a good single bottle offering that isn’t disappointing.

Final Score: 35 (of 50) — Good beer.

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — American Kriek

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 7%
Type: Kriek, although Beer Advocate calls it an “American Wild Ale”.

What They Say: The intense black cherry character in this beer comes from Balaton cherries, which were discovered in Hungary and are now grown in Michigan. These special cherries are prized for their depth of flavor. The tartness from the cherries is balanced by a rich, malty character with toasted oak notes added from the barrel aging. Our American Kriek undergoes a secondary fermentation on a bed of Balaton cherries from Michigan. The taste isn’t like the jarred candy cherry flavor but instead tastes like the deep red ripe fruit. The resulting beer is blended with a small amount of our Kosmic Mother Funk™, to add another layer of flavor and character.

Presentation (5): This was part of Great Big Show Trade. I believe this one cost me a Black Ops. This is the second of three beers in the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection Series.

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Presentation (5): Check out the first post to see my thoughts here. 5

Originality (5): They seem to be using their Belgian recipe here and doing some other nonsense involving trademarked Balaton cherries and “Cosmic Mother Funk.” They get an extra point for non-ironically using “Cosmic Mother Funk.” 3

Body (10): It pours a rather nice red with a about a finger of head which dissipates quickly. Healthy carbonation which is probably necessary given the big flavors. The mouthfeel is is not heavy in the least, and it finishes more like a soda than a beer. Even though the carbonation is bold, it’s one of the few cases where the beer could use even a little more. I don’t know if that would take it fully over to cherry soda. 8

Taste (10): While I’m usually not a fan of Sam’s “Fruit The Beer” offerings, I have to say this one is pretty good. The aroma here is of cherry and yeast. The cherries are used as a subtle, sour flavor that helps the base recipe. In this case, the cherry flavor is a souring enhancement as opposed to the Cranberry Lambic (which I hate) and the Cherry Wheat (which I’m also not a fan of) where the sickly sweet fruity flavors are the star. I do struggle to find any flavor elements — or even aroma — from the oak. This tastes like a nice little ale with some cherry tartness. As an oak-aged beer, I do expect a little more, though. 7

Efficiency (10): This comes in slightly lower than the first review if only because the ABV is lower. At “only” seven percent, the cherry tartness can be overwhelming by the time you get to the end of the bottle. For myself, I want a 22 oz offering to be nine percent or better at a reasonable price for a full score. At 7% for 22 ozs, I’d need two of these to take me home. I’d rather only get one. 6

Versatility (10): This beer gets a few more versatility points than the previous offering. With a much gentler flavor, it’s more accessible for a wider audience. While the corporate marketing of the Barrel Room Collection is trying to get back the snobs they’ve lost, this may at least pick up the burgeoning market of the new “them” snobs while giving the old “us” snobs something to look down their noses at. 5

The Snob Sez: Surprisingly good offering all things considered. I usually have a strong dislike for fruity beer offerings. However, this beer uses the fruit as an enhancement rather than a star. That makes all the difference.

Final Score: 34 (of 50) — OK beer.

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — New World Tripel

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 10%
Type: Belgian (style) Tripel

What They Say: Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10% ABV). Sadly, the neck booklet didn’t make it to New York on this beer.

Website: Other than the press release, I can’t find much info on this beer on their website. According to my newsletter, these are still available at the brewery but I don’t know if they’re anywhere else.

Why I Picked It: In various trades with The Big Show, I managed to get my hands on all three of these. I saw the press release a (long) while back, really wanted them, and eventually got them. They sat in my refrigerator for quite awhile waiting for the perfect weekend. As it turned out, Mets/Yankees Subway Series 2 + UFC + World Cup turned out to be that weekend. This is the first of three beers in the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection series.

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Presentation (5): I love the whole idea of these bottles. I like the caged-cork, I LOVE the BRC logo, and I like the bottles looking vaguely like barrels. Sam usually does a pretty bang up job with the packaging of their specialty offerings and these are no exception. This is what being big enough to have a marketing department allows. 5

Originality (5): This is more “eh” in originality than the other two. I’ve mentioned this before: I’m not a huge fan of American breweries doing Belgian styles because, well, they really don’t do them better than the abbeys that have being doing them for, in some cases, hundreds of years. As also mentioned before, there is one brewery that does Belgians well, and it should, by law, be served on taps at every baseball stadium due to its location in Cooperstown. 2

Body (10): This smells, pours, and looks like a Belgian. The expected heavy-yeasty aroma is cut a bit by citrus. The beer pours a hazy gold with some yeasty, floating sediment. Decent head in a tulip glass that reduces with some nice lacing. It’s a satisfying thickness for the type, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that’s quite nice. The carbonation here is just right, but slightly difficult to separate from the burn of the alcohol. 5

Taste (10): I originally decanted in to a Guinness glass until I read the press release which suggested a tulip glass. The rest of the bottle went in to the tulip. The flavors and yeasty aromas really did become much more intense. Honestly, I had a hard time picking up any flavors other than the yeasts, alcohol, and a touch of fruit. Between the citrusy acid, the carbonation, and the strong alcohol it had a very warm finish. The barrel aging, if anything, took away some of the Belgian flavor. As fake Belgians go, the flavor here wasn’t my favorite. Ommegang, as usual, does it better. 6

Efficiency (10): The 10% claim almost seems low. It’s possible I was tricked by the strong alcohol warmness in the finish. I’m not sure if the aging process (about three months) made the alcohol more distinct, but this would be tough to call efficient. Due to the trading situation, I’m not really sure what this cost so I’m working on the assumption the bottles were $7 – $12. The pinnacle of efficiency for this type is Three Philosophers from Ommegang and, well, this just doesn’t get there. 6

Versatility (10): Incredibly low. This is a cute beer and I love Sam trying to claim some of the “we’re going to make some obscure stuff” title from Dogfish and Brooklyn but there are many better Belgian styles on the market. As a Sam completest, this was worth it for me, but I’d never recommend this over some of the other, better ones. 3

The Snob Sez: Acceptable beer, but like I implied in the review of Saranac’s Belgian: it’s a crowded market between real Belgians and Ommegang. If a brewery’s going to bring it, they need to bring it hard. This doesn’t quite bring it hard enough.

Final Score: 27 (of 50) — Good beer.

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.2%
Type: German Pilsner

What they say

• Bottle: Samuel Adams Noble Pils is one of the only brews made with all 5 Noble hops from the world’s oldest growing regions. Its brightflavor and lively, citrus hop character reminds us that the warm days of spring are just a few weeks away. Cheers!
• Website: Samuel Adams® Noble Pils is brewed with all 5 Noble hops for a distinct hop character and fresh taste. Deep golden in color with a citrusy hop aroma, Samuel Adams Noble Pils is a traditional Bohemian Pilsner. The honeyed malt character from traditional Bohemian malt is balanced by delicate yet pronounced citrus, floral, and piney notes from the Noble hops. The winner of our 2009 Beer Lover’s Choice election, this beer was chosen by over 67,000 drinkers for its crisp complexity and refreshing taste.

Why I Picked It: My parents gave me a 24-pack of this for my birthday. Seriously. I might have a problem. This appears to be replacing White Ale and Spring Ale as a single January-to-April seasonal from Boston Beer.

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Presentation (5): Standard Sam seasonal presentation here, right down to the blue label. Seems like all the seasonals have blue labels with any other colors pushed off in to the outer rim of the label. I don’t recall if “Seasonal Brew” has always been included on the label or not. 2

Originality (5): Points for style — this is one of the Sam recipes on which their current ad campaign is based. The one in which they try to still sell themselves as a plucky, craft brewer even though they’re, you know, a publicly-traded company and all. The plucky, small craft-brewer with only 0.9% of the US beer market share — which translates to something like 20-25% of the craft beer market. This would be one of the cases where they’re “big enough to get fancy ingredients” and “small enough to try something different.” 4

Body (10): Pours the beautiful golden color of a pilsner with almost no head in a pint glass. Slight qualification here: I don’t own a pilsner glass so I poured in to a pint glass. I think this is fair because this is Sam’s new spring seasonal. Majority of places serving a Sam Seasonal tap aren’t serving pilsners out of proper glassware. At best, they’ll be serving it out of the Boston Lager glass. All that said, I usually expect Pilsners to be a little more carbonated than this one. However, even with the light carbonation, it seems like the flavor is a little TOO light for even the small carbonation. I get a very gentle citrus hint in the odor — but almost no hops. The body is appropriate for the style, but nothing to write home about. 7

Taste (10): Anyone who’s read more than a few of my blog posts know that I’m a bit hop-sensitive. When you tell me that something is brewed with a bunch of hops to show off the flavor of the hops, I expected a certain thing. But I didn’t get it. The hops in this blend together in a nice pilsner flavor with a little citrus. I don’t get any of the suggested floral or honey notes — which is fine because I find them unnecessary. I did not take part in last year’s vote that pitted this against Sam Adams Ale for this seasonal slot, but I can totally see how this won a vote. The flavor isn’t intense. It’s just… pleasant; like a gentler Boston Lager. 6

Efficiency (10): I’ve said in some previous review that the perfect American Ale is one that can be consumed for hours on end by college students without actually making the consumer feel full or realize that they’re actually thirsty for something else. Coors Light has pulled this off to a tremendous degree. I feel like this beer is like that. Not in flavor, because it’s much more “beer-flavored” than Coors Light, but I feel like I could drink this forever and neither get full nor put off. It’s like Blue Point’s Toasted Lager in that way. That said, paying the Craft Beer premium for a gently flavored pilsner with a relatively low ABV isn’t something I’d recommend. 5

Versatility (10): This is going to sound insulting — and you’ll have to take my word that I don’t mean it that way — but this is a good, corporate beer. It’s completely inoffensive without a bold taste or any fringe characteristics. Putting it up in a national taste-test by visiting (if their NYC stops are any indication) one-and-done* bars pretty much tells me they wanted this one to win. It’s a great shareholder beer and, for that to happen, it has to appeal to everyone. It does. 10

The Snob Sez: It’s an inoffensive beer, but I don’t think it’s better than the Spring Ale it’s replacing. My future spring plan probably will involve lots of Blue Point. However, this is why this scoring system works out, because I would still rate it high-good even if it’s not one of my personal faves.

Final Score: 34 (of 50) – Good beer

* – I coined the term “one-and-done” bar for places around Grand Central Terminal that overcharge for drinks because they cater to a crowd grabbing one drink while waiting for their train. So, since the bulk of their crowd is only having one, they soak them for it. Feel free to apply it to any bar around your office where folks from an office go for one drink before going home.

This is the first year I’ve managed to finally get my thoughts on Sam’s winter pack down on, um, paper. It took quite some time this year but, due to the way Sam packages their winter samplers, it’ll be a relative quick process going forward as four of these six beers are likely to appear in every sampler for the rest of time. I have recently seen 12-packs of Coastal Wheat available for separate purchase, so it appears I was right about the sampler just being a preview for a new Brewmaster’s Reserve.

• Winter Lager: 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. 40
• Coastal Wheat: 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. 34
• Cranberry Lambic: 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. 19
• Old Fezziwig: 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. 26
• Holiday Porter: I’ve been a fan of this beer since they introduced it in 2004. I look forward to it every year and I really wish they’d start putting it in 22 oz bottles for the holiday season. 35
• Boston Lager: Funny thing here… if I was having a party, it wouldn’t cross my mind to buy cases of Boston Lager bottles to throw on ice for everyone. But, if I had a kegerator and wanted to supply my guests with a upscale, safe, tasty option, I can’t think of a better choice than Boston Lager. Its low ABV would be safer for guests who might have to drive home later and the flavor is safe for a huge crowd. Boston Lager exists to be purchased on tap. With special pint glasses. 35

Average Score: 31.5 (of 50)

Best: Winter Lager. No real surprise here. Sam’s Winter Lager remains not only one of my favorite winter seasonals, but one of my favorite beers overall. If it were not to be included here, I’d be hard-pressed to buy the sampler over a 12-pack by itself.

Worst: Cranberry Lambic. I’d like to meet the group of people who love this beer and keep it in the sampler so I can punch them in the jeans.

Final Thoughts: I complain about the generic-ness of this sampler pack every year. I still purchase it every year because four of the twelve are two of my favorite winter seasonal offerings. It’s also become the twelve-pack that my get me by default for Christmas Eve/Day. I would be immensely happy if they’d replace Cranberry Lambic with a heavier winter offering like Cream Stout, but I don’t see that happening. Cranberry Lambic must have some fans somewhere. I also have a moral objection to them test-marketing a spring/summer offering in their winter sampler.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 4.75%
Type: Lager

What they say: Bottle: Award winning Samuel Adams has led a return to flavorful American beer. Samuel Adams uses only classic ingredients and traditional brewing methods. Website: Samuel Adams Boston Lager® is the best example of the fundamental characteristics of a great beer, offering a full, rich flavor that is both balanced and complex. It is brewed using a decoction mash, a time consuming, traditional four vessel brewing process discarded by many contemporary brewers. This process brings forth a rich sweetness from the malt that makes it well worth the effort. Samuel Adams Boston Lager also uses only the finest of ingredients including two row barley, as well as German Noble aroma hops. The exclusive use of two row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of malt flavor ranging from slightly sweet to caramel to slightly roasted. The Noble hops varieties, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the flavor, to the lingering smooth finish. We take great pride in the Noble hops used in our beers. They are hand selected by Jim Koch and our other brewers from the world’s oldest hops growing area. Among the world’s most expensive, they cost twenty times as much as other hops.

Why I picked it: The final beer in the 2009 Winter Classics. And every other sampler pack that Sam Adams releases. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again — Sam’s sampler packs suck. There’s no good reason to include Boston Lager in every single sampler pack. There’s also nothing that makes it a “Winter Classic.” The Winter Classics are Winter Lager, Old Fezziwig, Holiday Porter, and (sadly) Cranberry Lambic. I understand the corporate purpose behind Boston Lager being included, but there’s a reason other craft brewers are rated above Sam Adams these days.

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Presentation (5): If anything, Boston Lager’s label has become iconic. The Sam label has gone through slight updates over 20 years, but the spirit is still the same. I must say that I’m a sucker for the old label with a big image of Samuel holding a beer and toasting. The current incarnation I find somewhat bland. Much like the United States has kept the $1 bill in the classic layout, I think Sam should have kept the classic labeling on the Boston Lager bottle. I’m sure there’s some kind of “corporate branding” reason for the uniform labeling but, well, I don’t like it. 3

Originality (5): Most everyone knows the Samuel Adams story by now. Jim Koch thought there was too much crap American beers. So he resurrected his great-grandfather’s recipe for Louis Koch Lager, brewed it in his kitchen and made the first full-bodied American Lager since Prohibition destroyed the market. Six weeks after its introduction it won “The Best Beer in America” at the Great American Beer Festival. Later, it went on to pass the Reinheitsgebot (The German Beer Purity Law) and be one of the only American beers sold in Germany. If you compare this beer to other American Lagers being brewed in 1984 — a market dominated by Budweiser, Genny, Rheingold, and others — it’s impossible not to give this recipe full originality points for essentially redefining the American beer market. 5

Body (10): A deep amber beer with a good head and solid lacing throughout. The Boston Lager is carbonated well for the flavor. The carbonation tries to counter a heavy dryness in the aftertaste but doesn’t quite pull it off. The color and head are quite beautiful, though, and much better quality than an average American lager. 8

Taste (10): If I’m being totally fair, when I first tried Samuel Adams Boston Lager I didn’t like it. I’m relatively certain my first sampling came about when my dad had bought some to try something different, didn’t like it, and sent it back to college with me because, well, college kids will drink anything. At that time, I was in my Molson Ice phase and, really, when I first tried it, I didn’t get what the big deal was. Was I too conditioned to macrobrewed water at the time? Probably — but my fondness for Boston Lager hasn’t grown much. However, having gone to Oktoberfest and tasted German beers under the Reinheitsgebot, I appreciate it a little more. Boston Lager has a crisp, almost-citrusy flavor. The strike against it for me has always been a really, really dry finish. While I think the overall flavor of Boston Lager beats the overall flavor of many of the German lagers I’ve sampled, the Germans tend to be much more refreshing and finish better. However, as American lagers go, Sam’s a home run. 7

Efficiency (10): Big strike here. As American Lagers go, Sam’s offering is relatively expensive with a lowish ABV, and a very dry finish doesn’t make for a very efficient beer. Relative to others of the same type, you can do better for cheaper than this. The general sixer of Boston Lager is going to run few bucks more than other Americans. There are foreign lagers that run about the same price with a higher ABV. Even Sam’s own Boston Ale goes up to 4.9%. It’s hard for me to say if you’re looking for a good lager, six of which will bring you home, to go with Boston Lager. 4

Versatility (10): Funny thing here… if I was having a party, it wouldn’t cross my mind to buy cases of Boston Lager bottles to throw on ice for everyone. But, if I had a kegerator and wanted to supply my guests with a upscale, safe, tasty option, I can’t think of a better choice than Boston Lager. Its low ABV would be safer for guests who might have to drive home later and the flavor is safe for a huge crowd. Boston Lager exists to be purchased on tap. With special pint glasses. 7

The Snob Sez: It’s better than I remember but still not one of my favorites. However, the scoring system kind of works itself out here because, even though it’s not one of my faves, it still winds up relatively high on the snob scale which, honestly, is probably correct placement.

Final Score: 34 (of 50) – Good beer

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

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

What they say: Website: Introduced as a member of the Winter Classics Mix Pack in 2004, Samuel Adams Holiday Porter with its rich malt complexity has become a favorite among our winter seasonal brews. In total, five varieties of malted barley are used in the brewing process including a variety of German malt called Carafa. The Carafa gives our Holiday Porter its smooth, roasted malt character. Add generous portions of imported hops to the mix and one has a brew that is both robust and high in drinkability. Carafa is a registered trademark of Weyermann Malt, Bamburg, Germany. Bottle: Samuel Adams Holiday Porter is a full-flavored porter inspired by the famous drink of London’s Victorian era luggage porters. Brewed with generous portions of Caramel, Munich, and Chocolate malt, this hearter porter finishes with traditional English Fuggles and East Kent Goldings. Cheers!

Why I picked it: This is the fifth of six total reviews in the Samuel Adams Winter Classics 2009 sampler pack. Holiday Porter was added to the Winter Classics in 2004 and locked up the fourth slot rather quickly. This only really leaves one rotating slot.

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Presentation (5): Like Old Fezziwig, this beer is exclusively brewed for Winter Classics and, as such, has a unique painting for the label. I rather like the snowy background and the porter (see what they did there?) delivering a barrel of ale to a shopkeeper with children looking on. I like the old-timey feel. The red ribbon on which the beer’s name is displayed is thematically consistent with Old Fezziwig, too. 5

Originality (5): First brewed in 2004, I didn’t have to give it retroactive points. It’s a caramel and chocolate malt porter and, while the Carafa malt is a nice touch, nothing really merits full points. 3

Body (10): This is a pretty rock solid representation of a porter. The dark, ruby color, minimal head, and light lacing leads to a both heavy and refreshing body. Just a touch of carbonation carries the big flavor perfectly. My one single complaint is that it’s a little heavy for the ABV. 7

Taste (10): It tastes, well, like a porter made with chocolate and caramel malts. That’s not to belittle it. It’s tasty, but I can’t place the Carafa malts, which means I can’t really pinpoint what they do to the style. Then again, I like the generic Sam recipe. This is a very tasty, nicely carbonated version of the Sam porter recipe. 9

Efficiency (10): As mentioned above — this beer has a great taste, a high ABV, and a generally nice overall feel. It would be difficult to have more than a couple of these in any one sitting but, again, there’s no way for someone to get more than two at a time. So, its inclusion in a sampler is perfect. 7

Versatility (10): Like the Old Fezziwig, it’s only available two at a time in the Winter Classics sampler. It’s really hard to call it versatile in any way. This was another case in which I considered granting an N/A rating to the versatility but decided it wasn’t fair. The two bottles aren’t really versatile in any way. Of course, they’re not meant to be. 4

The Snob Sez: I’ve been a fan of this beer since they introduced it in 2004. I look forward to it every year and I really wish they’d start putting it in 22 oz bottles for the holiday season.

Final Score: 35 (of 50) – Really good beer

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