2010 Sam Adams Winter Classis

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JeffBeck

JeffBeck

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1) Boston Lager
2) Winter Lager
3) White Ale
4) Chocolate Bock
5) Holiday Porter
6) Old Fezziwig

Nothing special here IMO.

Boston Lager and Holiday Porter are the stand outs for me, Winter Lager is , well ok, other than that the mix is pretty pedestrian. I expected more from Sam Adams to be honest.
 
Most everything Sam Adams does is pedestrian. However, Noble Pils aside, I think that their seasonal stuff is solid. It's nothing amazing, but solid. Winter Lager being one of them.
 
Their winter lager seems to vary year to year I've noticed. It isn't nearly as good this year as it was last year.
 
Noble Pils was awesome, probably my favorite pilsener ever.

I've always enjoyed their winter lager, but haven't tasted it this year, so I'll reserve judgement. It's always been consistent on tap and out of the bottle.
 
I know. I'm way in the minority on that sentiment. But I really dislike Noble Pils. The one bottle I bought I was only able to drink half of it. I got almost no hop flavor. Avery Prima Pils FTW.
 
See if you can find it on tap next year. It was outstanding on tap.

I've also noticed that it seems outside of the east coast, it wasn't as popular. I wonder if that has to do with freshness at all?
 
I thought the Winter Mix was a pretty solid offering. I really liked the porter and the feziwig was good too. The chocolate bock was a nice desert beer. My problem with Sam Adams is their prices. SA is running $9+/six pack at the local grocery. Their beers are decent but not spectacular. When I can grab SN Torpedo for less than Sam Adams, it's no contest. Given SA's volume and buying power, I'd expect a six to run around $7. I'd probably try more SA beers if they weren't asking top shelf prices for beers that don't measure up against the competition.
 
Just got back from the grocery where the SA 12 packs were $12 and change. Not bad - that's about where they should be. I grabbed another winter pack for some re-sampling.
 
Just had a Winter Lager on draft Friday night. Wasn't a fan before, and now I really don't like it. The Yuengling Lager I had after it tasted better!

With the exception of Octoberfest and Boston Lager, I really find most of what Sam Adams does unexceptional, and sometimes downright terrible. Cherry Wheat, anyone?
 
Homebrewtastic said:
I know. I'm way in the minority on that sentiment. But I really dislike Noble Pils. The one bottle I bought I was only able to drink half of it. I got almost no hop flavor. Avery Prima Pils FTW.
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You got a bad bottle. Its a better beer than Avery's. Much better.
 
i think the chocolate bock is possibly the best beer i've ever had. Was paying $15 for the big bottle before the winter sampler pack, and it was totally worth it.
 
Love Old Fezzewig, can honestly do without any of the others though. As far as their other seasonals go, I was totally underwhelmed with their Latitude 48 IPA. Tasted like ****, had to force myself to finish it.
 
I grabbed one, promptly killed the two Boston Lagers as I kinda like it.

The Chocolate Bock got 3 sips - then poured in the sink. The other I'll pass off on some unlucky soul as soon as possible.

The Holiday Porter was good - until I had a Baltika from Russia. WOW. I drank the second Holiday Porter and was sad after that.

The White Ale i like. I like most White Ales though.

Old Fezziwigg was why I bought it in the first place - had read / heard great things and wanted to try it. I did. The second one will go to whatever sucker I get to take the Chocolate Bock.

The Winter Lagers I have not tried yet - but I'll have them before too long, I guess.

So, all in all, I was unimpressed. But then again, I am just glad it was not Cherry Wheat. That shyt is so vile that I had at one time sworn never to drink any Sam Adams product again...

( And seriously - if you like Porter, try and find you some Baltika. I got mine at the local Russian Grocery. Man that is awesome! )
 
Hartski said:
i think the chocolate bock is possibly the best beer i've ever had. Was paying $15 for the big bottle before the winter sampler pack, and it was totally worth it.
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I was disappointed in the chocolate bock. Too light/thin for taste. I was expecting something hearty, complex, and potent. Didn't get any of those out of the CB. It was ok, but didn't taste as good as the bottle looked.
 
I just don't get it, I think its pure prejudice. People just love to not like certain beers/breweries. Noble Pils is a good beer, if you like hops and cannot recognize that then you sir are a racist, or a beer snobbist or something:p
 
I bought it for the Old Fezziwigg. Really enjoyed the Chocolate Bock. It is def. lacking in body, but the chocolate comes through so strong I drank it as a dessert beer. I'm wanting to use it for a beer float, thinking it would be great with some vanilla ice cream...
 
Just got 2 twelves to take to a party this past weekend. The Old Fezziwigg was really good as was the Chocolate Bock. Tho as someone else said, I was expecting much more body for a bock. It was till very good tho.

As to those who think the SA stuff is pedestrian, I would disagree. I think piss in a bottle like BMC is pedestrian. While SA may not be the best beer on earth, (and I'm not saying it is), compared the mainstream BMC crap, it's pretty good beer.
 
Frank-Likes-Beer said:
Just got 2 twelves to take to a party this past weekend. The Old Fezziwigg was really good as was the Chocolate Bock. Tho as someone else said, I was expecting much more body for a bock. It was till very good tho.

As to those who think the SA stuff is pedestrian, I would disagree. I think piss in a bottle like BMC is pedestrian. While SA may not be the best beer on earth, (and I'm not saying it is), compared the mainstream BMC crap, it's pretty good beer.
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I agree. I feel like I came off as a major hater of SA in my previous post by bashing the IPA. In reality, I have been a huge fan of SA for quite some time, I'll even go as far as to say that Boston Lager was my favorite beer for a long time. I have just been disappointed with some of their seasonals lately.
 
Hartski said:
i think the chocolate bock is possibly the best beer i've ever had. Was paying $15 for the big bottle before the winter sampler pack, and it was totally worth it.
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ABSOLUTELY. The most chocolate I have tasted in a brew.

JNye said:
I just don't get it, I think its pure prejudice. People just love to not like certain beers/breweries. Noble Pils is a good beer, if you like hops and cannot recognize that then you sir are a racist, or a beer snobbist or something:p
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Agreed. WTF?

1) Boston Lager - A solid beer, fantastic for a lager.

2) Winter Lager - The dark wheat is FAR from common, WTF?

3) White Ale - Delicious and refreshing

4) Chocolate Bock - Incredible chocolate comes through. Delicious and FAR from pedestrian.

5) Holiday Porter - Nice crysatl 120 notes, fine.

6) Old Fezziwig - Meh, but certainly not bad.
 
michigator04 said:
I was disappointed in the chocolate bock. Too light/thin for taste. I was expecting something hearty, complex, and potent. Didn't get any of those out of the CB. It was ok, but didn't taste as good as the bottle looked.
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After going through three of the Winter Classics packs, I can tell you there is some very distinct quality issues with the Chocolate Bock right now. One pack, both of the CBs were like you described. The second was great, and the third I had a bottle of each good and bad.

Definitely been a craps shoot with them for some reason or another.
 
I picked up the pack last weekend and enjoyed every one of them except for the white ale, but that's likely because I have yet to have a white ale that I've enjoyed.

The standouts for me were the holiday porter and the Boston lager (never had it before). The porter had some nice hoppiness in it that I usually don't get from the porters that I drink, and I loved it. Also, for some reason that Boston lager was exactly what I wanted that night. Light, crisp, and with a perfume-y floral hop aroma.

The bock was really good too, never had a beer that chocolaty before. Winter lager was doable, and so was the Old Fezziwig.
 
Synovia said:
You got a bad bottle. Its a better beer than Avery's. Much better.
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I liked Noble Pils. It wasn't stellar, but i thought it was very good. I do think Avery's (Joe's Pils) and Victory's (Prima Pils) are both much better beers than the SA Noble Pils however. Just my opinion. Hard to tell which beers you guys are talking about though since the original post touting Avery's Pils as being good called it Avery's Prima Pils.
 
Deuce said:
Their winter lager seems to vary year to year I've noticed. It isn't nearly as good this year as it was last year.
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I couldn't agree more. I first had it back in 2009 and it was amazing. This year I cracked one open and it was just okay. I'm not sure what they changed.
 
I love their Holiday porter, really wish that was sold year around. old fezziwig was doable but at the same time i also bought a 6-pack of anchor christmas ale and though their flavor profiles are similar the Anchor packs so much more flavor and is a way better spiced christmas ale then old fezziwig.

White ale I thought was ok, i am glad they replaced the spring seasonal with noble pils though. Chocolate Bock was alright, really chocolaty but didn't have the rich Bock flavor I was expecting. Winter Lager is my least favorite seasonal, taste like Boston Lager but with spices instead of hops, that said I am and always have been a fan of boston lager.

+1 for getting rid of Cranberry lambic, just didn't get the flavor they were trying to get with that... at least it tasted better then Pyramid Apricot Ale though (worst beer I ever put in my mouth).
 
I just got one of these last night, and the chocolate bock is amazing! It really carries the full chocolate flavor, and where a lot of chocolate beers finish a little sour, this finishes smooth sweet and almost creamy. It's a fantastic cool weather brew, and I'll be trying to replicate it to have on hand for just such occasions.
 
I liked the Holiday Porter the best out of the seasonal beers, definitely gonna have to find some Baltika. SA's Boston Lager is always welcome in my home. Was offered a Sam Adams on Thanksgiving (when someone says Sam Adams I think Boston Lager), and was a little disappointed to be handed an Old Fezziwig.

Didn't really like the Chocolate Bock, probably my least favorite of the pack. Maybe it's because I don't really like beer that doesn't taste like beer.
 
I'm just glad they finally got rid of that damn cranberry crap, plus replacing the sam light they usually have in the holiday pack was a huge bonus.

As for the beers, I view SA as a whole as a "gateway" beer... helping people go from **** to quality... so they do a good balancing act of **** everyone likes and quality we all like to help people see the light.

Oh and Fezi and Choco Bock were the best 2 in the pack this year
 
I have only ever had 2 of these beers before. Boston Lager which is always welcomed, and last night I cracked open a Chocolate Bock. This beer was perfect IMHO. Very chocolaty and finished very creamy. Great beer! Ill try some of the others tonight. I love tasting new beers :)
 

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