Does anyone else think Sam Adam's beer sucks

I avoid SA 98% of the time. But I don't mind getting down and dirty with a Boston lager.

prrriiide said:

That said, I have never had the opportunity to try anything from SA in Boston. I know a lot of their capacity is outsourced (to Miller, I believe?), so I wonder how much different the beer is at the brewery than it is from the bulk runs done on contract.

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Not quite. SA does own their breweries, or at least runs them themselves. It is NOT brewed by Miller or anyone else. Their biggest facility is the former Rolling Rock brewery in Latrobe PA. They do also have a few other facilities around the country.
Even in Boston, the majority is not brewed in the Boston brewery. The only ones there are the Brewmaster series (the red, kreik, and so on) and Utopias. There are also test batches made there for the regular brews and new upcoming beers.

I also don't hate them - but I generally won't go out of my way for anything other than Noble Pils of the regular series brews. THeir stuff is decent, but fairly pedestrian. THey really don't push the envelope, but their beers are generally a good representation of the style. There are a few exceptions, like Cherry Wheat and Scotch Ale, but generally if I see something from them, with no other options, I don't have a problem ordering a Boston Lager.

Sam Adam's makes great beer. I question the OP's palate if he thinks there's something funky going on with their beers. They're all very clean and well made. The only beers they make that I really dislike are the Cherry Wheat and the Triple Bock (f*cking NASTY).

SABL is one of my go to brew's. It's right up there with SNPA and my all time favorite that originated in Dublin!!!

Sam Adams definitely doesn't suck. Might not be your thing, but they definitely don't suck. If nothing else, I have to credit SA for giving me a choice that wasn't BMC when I was bowling regularly. You think bars and restaurants were slow to jump on the Craft beer bandwagon? Try the little dive bars you find in a bowling alley.

i'm another Sam Adams fan. I don't dig their Boston Lager too much, but Noble Pils, Lattitude 48, White Water IPA and many more are very good.

I bet if people drank them sans label they'd have something different to say

Everyone hates on Sam Adams, but they Love Sierra Nevada and New Belgium

That off flavor you don't like is called preference not sucks.

Now ZIMA, Zima SUCKS.

lol.

Brewing-Yankee said:

That off flavor you don't like is called preference not sucks.

Now ZIMA, Zima SUCKS.

lol.

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Which is why it's not made anymore...

I'm appalled. I think you palate is off Sam Adams makes great beer. That's why they win so many awards and they do new their own I'm actually pissed that someone who appreciates good bet would day they suck

I LOVE Boston Lager. I have bought 1/6th barrels of it in the past and probably will again.

To try and say that Sam Adams sucks indicates a pretty poor grasp of what a good beer is (or at least a view of your own opinions that is way out of line with the actual value of your own opinions). I could completely understand someone saying they don't like SA's beers. There are several beers that I know are very well made, but I don't like them. In fact, there's very little made by New Belgium that I would ever put in mouth on purpose, but I recognize that's my preference, not a statement of the quality of their brewery and line of beers.

But to condemn the whole brewery due to your personal preference, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, is about as enlightened as the guy at the bar who will only drink Bud Light because "every other beer sucks."

Oifvet0708 said:

I'm appalled. I think you palate is off Sam Adams makes great beer. That's why they win so many awards and they do new their own I'm actually pissed that someone who appreciates good bet would day they suck

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well said, lol

Oh wow...wow...this is pretty good!!

What if i told you it was SA Boston Lager??

Would of fooled me!....Got...great...color...damn good beer!


HATE THAT COMMERCIAL!!!!

It shows how moronic people could be, oh **** i had that beer before, to dark and gross.
Yet without a label people will go bonkers over it....

Boston lager, oktoberfest, alpine spring, latitude, summer and cherry wheat are all great beers for their price point
Hazel Brown has been one of the only "experimentals" latley i enjoyed though.

I didn't realize people didn't like Sam Adams, lol. Maybe not someones favorite, but doesn't like? Maybe beer just isn't your thing, lol.

Love their Latitude 48 IPA (though this "hopology" thing isn't my cup of tea, a bit too much citrus.) Noble Pils, even their Wheat IPA, and of course, Boston Lager. I will say I haven't tried the fruity beers though.

Johnnyhitch1 said:

Boston lager, oktoberfest, alpine spring, latitude, summer and cherry wheat are all great beers for their price point

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Nailed it.

Sam Adams is a middle of the road craft brewery.

I give them credit for their contribution to the craft beer movement, but I only drink their beers when there is no better craft on tap. And more often than not, there's better craft on tap.

That being said, Uncle Sam has saved me more than once when I've found myself out in the middle of nowhere, deep in BMC territory. Thank Bob for Sam then.

This discussion is going nowhere. Let's define some terms and see whether we can nail this down. Define "anyone". Define "think". Define "sucks". If we can just agree on some definitions we might make some headway on this important question.

For the record, I think the answer is "yes".

beersk said:

Which is why it's not made anymore...

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exaaaactly. I don't think he thinks it sucks. at best, he doesn't like it so much he'd rather drink another beer.

I actually like the boston lager and some stouts and hefs and home roasted coffee and whiskey, bourbon, tequila, and a nice med-rare steak, cars with sharp throttle response, things that fly with engines, diving, rock climbin.. and ah crap off topic.

i'm really assuming he really dislikes the flavors.

Pilgarlic said:

This discussion is going nowhere. Let's define some terms and see whether we can nail this down. Define "anyone". Define "think". Define "sucks". If we can just agree on some definitions we might make some headway on this important question.

For the record, I think the answer is "yes".

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I can agree that most of the replies don't respond to the title of the OP, which you're referencing. But, I believe most folks who are disagreeing are looking at the content of the OP, especially this part: "...most all of their beers are awful and leave the nastiest aftertastes. It's just bad."

Now that the Boston Brewery Company is the largest U.S. owned brewery, I thank them for the fact that the No. 1 American beer doesn't suck.

The four-pack Imperial Series they did came out pretty great. Drank two of their Wee Heavys on New Year's Eve and they were wicked smoky/sharp but after six months in the fridge the last one was excellent.

I'd like to see more of that baltic porter they had in a mixer pack (I think it was the around the world pack?).

However, I didn't like much of their Xmas seasonal pack. But I don't really like any seasonal beers all that much - trying to get a year's worth of flavor in once a year doesn't work for me.

Still sucks

Some threads just shouldn't be revived.

Their Oktoberfest and Cherry Wheat beers don't suck.

I am a Sam Adams fanboy. Readily admitted. SABL was my intro to decent beer. Seasonals are solid. Fezziweg is a staple in my house for Xmas and something I always chase in my holiday beers. Miss the double bock very much. But the recent obsession with white beers I don't understand. They haven't made a white beer I've liked yet. Just stop with the white beers.

I was a young studly Private in the Army working my way through Advanced Individual Training at Fort Meade, and it was winter exodus (Christmas break). I had already returned to the barracks from my festivities, but there was no training to be had for nearly another week. As long as we checked in regularly, the Drill Sergeants were being generous with off-post privileges.

A few of us, Theemling, Baumgartner and myself, decided to take a day trip to the inner harbor area in Baltimore. They had been a couple times before. I hadn't. It was this young Soldier's first time in a big city. It had snowed lightly on and off for the past week. The serene beauty of the snowfall had at this point given way to the unsightly slush that plagued pedestrians of all walks. Steam rose from the sewer grates where the homeless would congregate. The sun did shine that day, I remember I could not look over the water for long without feeling blinded.

We walked more blocks than I can count and joked of the Army and our Drill Sergeants in particular, letting loose observations and imitations we dared not repeat in their presence. A hobo crossed the street with us and warned us that Jesus was everywhere. A prostitute invited us in to warm up. Another homeless man eloquently described a terrible situation involving his daughter and a hospital and a bus ticket and how he needed ten dollars to make things right. I lent an ear to each new fellow we encountered while my comrades wisely tugged my arms and kept us walking toward our destination. (I met one of them later on by sheer coincidence. He had apparently not sorted out his bus ticket situation by that time)

As I continued taking in the sights and sound and unfortunately the smells of Baltimore, we had finally arrived at the inner harbor. The aquarium was to our right, the Power Plant left, and there in front of us stood an ESPNzone. Cold and a bit winded from our perilous trek, we entered the establishment and made our way toward the bar.

Mind you, I was a young Soldier. I had unfairly turned twenty one in the middle of our Basic Combat Training cycle and, for the first few months of our advanced training we were strictly forbidden from the consumption of alcohol, and those months had now passed. Although such temptations had never entered my mind previously, as I took my seat on the stool and took notice of the arrangement of taps lining the bar, I was overcome by the sudden realization that I could order a beer if I wanted to. Legitimately, legally, willfully, and there wasn't a goshdarned thing anyone could do about it.

Freedom! After months of the initial sacrifice that I gave to my country, finally freedom! No Drill Sergeants to tell me no! No snooty bouncers telling me I'm not old enough! I waved down the barmaid and in my most confident tone announced to the entire bar "I WOULD LIKE ONE BEER, PLEASE".

"Fantastic. Which one?" She replied, nonplussed by my display. It had not occurred to me that, unlike in the movies or television programs, one does not typically order "beer" in such an establishment. I turned to my friends.

"What are you guys getting?"
"Idunno, Sam Adams. Seasonal."
"That's cool. Me too."

In short order the ever-apathetic bartender presented our trio with three Sam Adam's Winter Lagers. We raised our pints and toasted the city, we toasted the Army, we toasted ourselves, then at last that first drop of sweet ambrosia met my lips and hung there as if time had slowed. Though I was certain of my freedom, I was momentarily not so certain that I would even enjoy this swill.

Fortunately, I did.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager. My first beer, my first taste of freedom.

BeerLoverHere said:

How the hell are they so popular and successful?

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Because they were the first beer to challenge BMC on a nationwide basis in the USA. They identified a market opening and they took it. They marketed the **** out of their product and then marketed it even more.

I remember back in the 80s when the best american beer you could consistently find was Michelob Dark. By the mid 90s, Shiner Bock was starting to become distributed nationwide after Alvarez bought it. The Shiner acquisition was a game changer - the first real beer available nationwide in the USA since prohibition. All sorts of other craft breweries started popping up after the american public finally got a taste for real beer again.

I'm a fan of their beers actually. I'm a big fan of their story and their history. What's not to like?

Maybe I'm just crazy.....

Cheers
Jay

jbears1970 said:

But the recent obsession with white beers I don't understand. They haven't made a white beer I've liked yet. Just stop with the white beers.

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I really liked the imperial white because it was so different. I like it when breweries come out with oddballs like that.

Its becoming quite "hip" over the past few years to hate on SA. I see it more and more in this forum as well. Most people said it well...middle of the road with some great exceptions, but always a good fallback in bars with less than average selections. Of course they have some ones that bomb, every company expanding and doing numerous offerings will stumble.

I have never had too much of an issue with SA. Most of the stuff are solid examples of the style but doesn't walk the border very much. There are some exceptions on both sides(Some great, some terrible)

Been hearing some of the same kind of comments about Sierra Nevada the last few years. Is this just one of those things like when a band gets famous and everyone calls them sell outs and suddenly thinks their music sucks? SNPA and Sam Ads were some of the first beers that I ever tried when I was younger and held up the glass and said "wow this is actually good" even if I couldn't describe why I liked it yet.

noble pils, alpine spring, and latitude 48 are all pretty. IPL too
dont care for boston lager or most others

mjdonnelly68 said:

Sam Adams is a middle of the road craft brewery.

I give them credit for their contribution to the craft beer movement, but I only drink their beers when there is no better craft on tap. And more often than not, there's better craft on tap.

That being said, Uncle Sam has saved me more than once when I've found myself out in the middle of nowhere, deep in BMC territory. Thank Bob for Sam then.

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Completely agree with this. SA rep told a friend of mine that they do use extract in their beer.

I'm a fan of their boston lager, latitude 48 IPA, and the cherry wheat is cool (can only drink one at a time though). Their only offerings I really don't like are the spring and summer ales.

I was at a family party a few years ago. My ex brother-in-law was always pretty generous, and at the time I was pretty broke, and I always felt bad that at parties we'd go to at their place, I couldn't usually afford to bring even a pack of hamburger buns.

I got my finances sorted out after a few months, and they had a barbecue. He usually drank Bud Light (he is a white-washed Mexican), and I pretty much always drank Sam Adams, which I enjoy more than the other 24-bottle cases you can buy at Costco. I was ignorant of beer culture at that time - I only tasted my first beer when I was 25, a few months before this happened, so I was/am not loyal to any certain brand and didn't know people are like that with beer. So I brought a case of Sam Adams' Summer Collection, and I was excited to finally be able to contribute something I thought was pretty nice, and better than Bud Light, which seemed to always fill the fridge for some puzzling reason, haha. (this is maybe better for the funny story thread!)

We were all chilling out, and I showed him the case, and he didn't seem enticed at all, but I got him a bottle of Summer Ale and told him to enjoy it, let me know what he thought. A few minutes later I noticed him discreetly (but not inconspicuously enough) pouring the Summer Ale into a bush.

Dickhead.

I used to love Sam Adams in the mid-'90s. In '97 I went to Germany on my second tour and was there for 4 years. I pretty much stuck to dunkelweizen on this tour, and when I returned to the States in 2001 couldn't drink Sam Adams anymore. It left too much of an odd taste in the back of my throat.

I don't know if this was a result of my taste adapting to the wheat ales or if SA changed their recipe, but I can't drink it at all anymore. I've gone back and re-tried several times over the years because I really did used to genuinely enjoy an ice cold Boston Lager, but it just creates that nasty thick spit in the back of my mouth now.

I live just north of Boston and like others appreciate the contribution Sam has made to the craft movement. I do however get that cloying odd aftertaste in a lot of their Beers. Especially the Oktoberfest.
I appreciate all styles and have brewed almost every style from Rauchbiers and Gratzers to Lambics and IPAs. I just get that heaviness from their beers, like excess caramalt. It might be my palate, but if I was suspicious I would attribute it to economics - using bland domestic two row and then using caramalts to try to make up the lack of flavor. It is still better than a lot of beers, but after drinking beers from the barrel at Augustiner Brau, Schneider Weisse and Spezial in Germany, I might be ruined. That is what drives my Homebrewing hobby. Getting as close to those as I can.
I will also never forgive Sam for the Cherry Wheat - robittusin flavor memory from high school. Just my 2-cents.

Yeah cherry wheat is one of few beers I had one of, and dont drink any more of it. I get that pack (is it spring?) but somebody else drinks that variety.

BlackGoat said:

Been hearing some of the same kind of comments about Sierra Nevada the last few years. Is this just one of those things like when a band gets famous and everyone calls them sell outs and suddenly thinks their music sucks? SNPA and Sam Ads were some of the first beers that I ever tried when I was younger and held up the glass and said "wow this is actually good" even if I couldn't describe why I liked it yet.

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This x 10. So true and very funny

I think the issue with Sam is people do not try everything they bring to the market and make a judgement off of some of their major main stream beers that are not as craft as they are mass market. Something like their summer is imo terrible but they have some like their double IPA's and black IPA's that are very good. Maybe it is a function of living in Boston I have more access to their different varieties but people need to give them more of a chance. With that said I did not drink any sam but winter for two years after I got into craft beers because their main beers you find at a backyard bbq are boring compared to the rest of the craft market...over the last year or so I gave them another chance and I am happy I did.