Charlottesville Area Masters of Real Ale

Samuel Adams is the mega-beer that markets itself like a microbrew. The Sam bottles are pop-tops, and I'll need those once I start brewing in earnest. So I figured, why not? I picked up a 12-pack at Kroger on Sunday that had two each of six flavors.

I started with the most obvious choice: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, the flagship Sam.

It poured with a medium head that disappeared quickly, leaving little lace. The color was a perfectly clear medium brownish red. The aroma was, well, that of a beer - nothing stuck out one way or the other. The taste was hoppy, compared to other major domestics, but it wasn't bitter.

I enjoyed it with a cut of dark oat bread and Stilton cheese studded with blueberries, which is more or less the only reason I'd buy this beer again - if I'm at a restaurant with a limited beer selection, I know that this would be okay with food. Despite the marketing campaign, Sam Adams is still a beer aimed at the largest possible audience it can reach, meaning they're trying their best to please everybody. It's not a bad beer, but like the saying goes: jack of all trades, master of none.

I really like the Sam Adams Boston Ale, much more than the lager.  If you can find some, give it a try.  Other notable Sam Adams beers that I like are:

- Winter Ale - Very smooth and tasty, I always pick up a 12 pack when this is out
- Octoberfest (marzen) - Malty and smooth.  Again very good.  My favorite marzen comes from the Fordham Brewery, in Annapolis, MD.  I can only really get this beer when I go to the MD Renaissance Festival, so I keep the Sam Adams version around as it is much more available.
- Old Fezzywig - This one comes out in the assorted pack near Christmas.  Very tasty in the style of an english old ale
- Longshot - Every year Sam Adams hosts a national homebrew competition called the longshot.  The first parts of that competition for the 2009 release are getting underway right now.  The competition finishes up the fall and the three winners each get $5,000 and have their beers produced by Sam Adams in the Longshot 6-pack, which is distributed nationally. This comes out sometime in February, so be on the look out for it.  This is a fantastic competition and it is really neat to see the results.

Cheers,

Samuel Adams Irish Red

This beer poured with a moderate head and, true to its name, a deep, rich red color. A thin head remained for the life of the beer, and it left a lot of lace on the glass.

The aroma was light malt. The taste was good and malty. There was just the right amount of hops - not bitter, not sweet. After a few sips I could begin to taste some caramel. The mouthfeel wasn't thick, but it was much silkier than the oh-so-watery Killian's Irish red.

All in all this was a good, enjoyable beer. I tend to favor malty beers over hoppy ones, and this one fit the bill. I would gladly have this again.

Samuel Adams Scotch Ale

This was a dark brown/red beer that poured with a nice fat head. A moderate head stayed for the life of the beer, leaving lots of lace. It smelled a bit malty, but had no overpowering aroma.

The Scotch Ale was rich and malty. There was no hint of sweetness. I had a hard time picking up flavors since I had just eaten, but I did pick up some roasted tones.

Overall this is a very drinkable, enjoyable beer. It is what it is and doesn't get cutesy. I think I'll come back to it soon. It'd be great with a meat-and-potatoes type of meal or just by itself while spending time with friends or just watching a movie. Good beer.

My wife, not a lover of dark beers, really enjoyed the Black Lager.  Does not create the head of the Scotch Ale and others, but satisfying enough.  It is a sweet beer, she had it with graham crackers.  I took a couple of sips and went back to the Scotch Ale. 

Samuel Adams Brown Ale.

This beer poured with a moderate head and retained a thin head to no head. It left a lot of lace. The Brown Ale, true to its name, was a deep, opaque brown.

I made the mistake of drinking this with pizza, so I had trouble picking up an aroma over the garlic and peppers lingering in my mouth.

The Brown Ale was a bit more bitter than the Scotch Ale, but overall the dominant flavor was malt. I picked up some traces of coffee. There was also something else that straddled the fence between chocolatey and roasted. Whatever it was, it wasn't sweet.

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the Scotch Ale, but it's still a decent beer.

It was probably the pizza.  Sam Adams has a nice piece to its sight suggesting food and beer pairings.  I have had pretty good luck with it, ignoring the fact that the suggestion is that the Boston Lager goes with about 50% of the foods. 

Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewing that Will and Dan and I caught for a beer dinner at the Satellite Ballroom, has a really good book about beer and food pairings called the Brewmaster’s Table. http://www.amazon.com/Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures-Real/dp/0060005718/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204038570&sr=8-2

There’s a lot of good info about pairings as well as beer styles. 

Brown ales go with a lot of things, but they are best with grilled meats.  The carmelization of the meat matches perfectly with the nutty, toasty and caramel flavors of a brown.  They don’t compliment each other as much as join forces for a nice, big mouthgasm.  (Yeah, that’s a trademarked word that I made up.  You can use it, too, for a small fee.)

That was a good event.  I did not know that he had a book out, I will have to get that.  Any other events like that coming up (that are not on a holiday that females may consider of importance)?

Samuel Adams Honey Porter

I pulled two Honey Porters out of the fridge and immediately popped the first one. It poured with a thick, coffee-colored head that did not linger. The color was so brown that it was almost black. It left some lace, but nowhere near as much as the Brown or Scotch ales.

I believe the first one was too cold to pick up the more subtle things. I could detect a faint malty aroma, but that was it. By the time I got to the second one, my nose must have acclimated enough where even the malt was no longer noticeable.

Taste. I liked it. I feel like the hops in this one were a good counterpoint to the malt characteristics. If I held it too long in my mouth for a few seconds, though, I got a sort of acidic wallop. I did taste a honey note, but only on the second beer. Again, I think I drank the first one while it was too cold, which suppressed some of the flavors.

Overall a nice beer. I think I'll have to try it warmer if I have it again.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

True to its name, this beer poured such a deep brown that it looked black in the glass. It had a malty aroma with hints of chocolate and a firm brownish head that petered out quickly.

The Black Lager was sweet and tasty. There were definite notes of chocolate and a roasted flavor. Some hops came through to save it from being too sweet. Good, balanced beer.

Considering their distribution size I like Sam Adams beers more than I'd expect to.

The Black Lager is my favorite as I prefer darker beers.  Although the dortmunder from the former longshot years was pretty tasty as well.