What is it with Sam Adams specialty beers??

[PearlJamNoCode]

Say what you will about all their seasonals and whatnot, but the Black Lager is a damn good beer.

 

[newbrewoob]

Sam Adams has a limited Imperial Hallertau Ale that is just great!! I think it only comes in 4-packs ($9). It is intense with Hops and 8%+ABV, but still very good.

The other offering from them are hit or miss. Sometimes you can get a great Boston Lager and other times it will be....less great

my 2..

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I had their Cranberry Lambic once and it sucked, poured it right down the drain. Also the smoky flavor of their Scottish Ale was way overboard. I mean I appreciate peat in a nice single malt scotch but this tasted like I was eating a piece of burnt peat bog.

 

[abracadabra]

I think Sam Adams beers are great. While I like some, dislike others and could take or leave a few of them. In many areas of the country it's one of the few decent beers you can get. Everyone doesn't live in the NE or Calif. where there are a bunch of good beers to chose from.

And most restuarants in my area Sam Adams is the only decent beer you can buy.

Sam Adams beer also made me realize that beer could actually be good as compared to the stuff of other commercial brewerys.

By the way for the person that asked Old Fezziwig is a porter named after a Charles Dickens character.

 

[Joker]

The only Sam Adams beer I have tried it the Cherry Wheat, what a mistake that purchase was.

 

[Danny013]

I like some of their beers a lot, actually. Their Octoberfest was excellent last season! I must have bought at least 2 cases worth. I just bought a case of Cream Stout, as well, excellent stuff! The BL, brown ale, pale ale, and black lager are all pretty good, as well.

I think BBC is a great company and does a lot for the homebrewing community as well. It might not be as great as your favorite micro (at least they don't use cascade in every recipe! ) or import, but is still a damn decent beer. I don't like some of their offerings, but I respect that they go out there and brew all sorts of different beers. This can only be a good thing IMO; it shows the BMC drinkers out there that there is variety and different flavors and that beer does not emcompass fizzy, watery, underhopped 'pilseners'.

And for those ordering SA on tap at bars, I've found that most of the time the bar doesn't know jack about cleaning their beer lines and that is most often the culprit, not the beer itself. Serving temp also plays a big role, that's how the BMC crowd likes it and that's the biggest seller.

But hey, cheers! I'm off to go grab a Cream Stout.

 

[RICLARK]

The Cherry Wheat makes me gag I hate the taste, I really only like there Ale and Lager the rest are gross but I still want to try a Utopias.

 

[zoebisch01]

Hmm one local distro has the Imperial Pils on discount for $25. I wonder if it's worth it?

 

[Danny013]

I've never had it myself, but have heard some great things from friends up north. Give it a shot, I would!

 

[TheJadedDog]

Hmm one local distro has the Imperial Pils on discount for $25. I wonder if it's worth it?

Personally I would say no, it's not worth more than $12-$14; that said, if you're willing to pay $25 to try it, then that is what it's worth to you.

 

[Adolphus79]

SWMBO and I just finished a case of the Holiday Variety Pack, and I must say, except for the Cranberry Lambic, they were all pretty decent... I think the Winter Lager is so far my favorite SA brew, the Holiday porter and the Old Fezziwig were quite tasty... the Cream Stout was a little hoppy for a stout (in my opinion), but was still pretty good...

 

[GloHoppa]

as far as Sam Adams, by and far the beer i have had from them has been pound for pound (or beer for beer) one of the best overall breweries I have had multiple beers from. their honey porter is delicious, their boston lager is awesome, winter lager is equally as tasty, and the only beer I have tried from them that I had serious trouble drinking was the cranberry lambic. the best way to describe this swill would be making a bowl of cereal (cheerios or something like that) and then instead of milk using cranberry juice and eating the whole bowl. VERY grainy and VERY tart. no balance whatsoever...

other than that im a big SA fan...

 

[RICLARK]

as far as Sam Adams, by and far the beer i have had from them has been pound for pound (or beer for beer) one of the best overall breweries I have had multiple beers from. their honey porter is delicious, their boston lager is awesome, winter lager is equally as tasty, and the only beer I have tried from them that I had serious trouble drinking was the cranberry lambic. the best way to describe this swill would be making a bowl of cereal (cheerios or something like that) and then instead of milk using cranberry juice and eating the whole bowl. VERY grainy and VERY tart. no balance whatsoever...

other than that im a big SA fan...

Damn Than it must taste like the cherry Wheat. I think the cherry wheat is one of the most awful beers I have ever had it tastes like the Red liquid Nyquil it is horrible!

 

[zoebisch01]

Personally I would say no, it's not worth more than $12-$14; that said, if you're willing to pay $25 to try it, then that is what it's worth to you.

I dunno, $25 for a case price isn't too bad in my book. I just don't want a whole case of it if I don't like it

 

[kush]

but my favorites in the bunch were the Black Lager and the Honey Porter.

Agreed.

 

[gruntingfrog]

Hmm one local distro has the Imperial Pils on discount for $25. I wonder if it's worth it?

I just picked up a 4 pack this morning for 10 bucks and just cracked one open with lunch. Trust me. If that price is for a case, it's plenty worth it.

It tastes much like an IPA, but so clean.
Beautiful hop aroma and flavor.
Perfect balance of bitterness/maltiness (if you like IPAs).
8.8% alcohol, so I think one will be all I have for now.

Like a lot of you, I have been disappointed in many of the Sam Adams specialty beers, but this is fantastic.

 

[beta pleated sheet]

I haven't had too much SA, but I do quite like the winter lager. And the imperial pilsner! That beer tastes like sex.

 

[westerntrout]

picked up a sixer of the 'winter holiday' lager last week. read something like 'amber' on the box. when i was bringing it into the house, with SWMBO right behind me, i looked at the package again and saw 'cinnamon, ginger' etc and went ballistic! i HATE spiced beers. SWMBO thought i was cussing at HER! took an hour for her to calm down enough for me to explain that i was cussing out the entire family history of Jim Koch and anyone else who had anything to do with that beer. after a couple of days i tried one, you know, just because. hmmm, damn good. maybe i don't hate spiced beers after all. SWMBO is still a bit miffed though, she has a tough time believing a grown man would literaly throw a fit over beer and i feel a bit stupid too