Does anyone else think Sam Adam's beer sucks

[Ramitt]

Not my favorite beers, but I have an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for the Brewery. They have been and continue to be very supportive of and important to craft brewing and also home brewers. To dismiss them as if they are on the same plane as BMC is unfair and complete beer snobbery.

 

[jonmohno]

Sam Adams light. This is as close to "BMC" ? right? Well alot of craft brewers dont even make this style. soo.......... Will we hate any craft light lager? Per calorie,has there been a better craft light lager or much of any others to hate.

 

[anengineer]

Do I think their beer sucks...no I don't. They have
several styles of beer which to me are quiet good.

 

[doctorRobert]

All their beers taste dull to me. Which is their market. Their market is the person who wants to buy "good beer" but doesnt know what beer is. Just that they shouldnt serve bmc at a party because it isn't cool. They throw a crap load of spices into everything for marketing and everything just blends together.

I think a combination of their yeast, pasteurization, and recipe formulation that leaves everything just a bit too ordinary. Except for a few of their new ipas - which were decent, but missing that "wow" factor. Ive had all their beers, and have been to the brewery many many times.

 

[shoreman]

No - their beers are very well done.

 

[doctorRobert]

Do they ever win anything at gabf? Do they even try? Not to say that defines what good beer is but I'd be shocked if they ever even place

 

[andysim]

I do not think they suck. I drink all four seasons. I especially like the summer and oktoberfest. However I very much dislike the cherry wheat. Gross.

+1 on the cherry wheat. I enjoy most of their other beers.

 

[Qhrumphf]

They've always been hit or miss for me. For the most part I think most of their beers are alright, not spectacular, not terrible. Some are really good (Noble Pils, Boston Lager, Irish Red are some that come to mind), and some I thought were terrible (Cherry Wheat, Black and Brew, Cranberry Lambic, Summer Ale).

 

[Pilgarlic]

Do they ever win anything at gabf? Do they even try? Not to say that defines what good beer is but I'd be shocked if they ever even place

Four medals in 2011.

 

[leolee86]

Four medals in 2011.

+ a million

 

[JaimeTheLimey]

I tend to think of SA as more of a control; their beers are never far out of style guidelines. i.e. If someone asks you what an American Lager should taste like, you give them a Boston Lager, etc.
That's the only reason I don't really like them, but I wouldn't say that their beer is terrible by any means.
Now their small batch project is putting out some really tasty beers which i do like.

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

The impetus for this thread is likely motivated by nothing more than simple contrarianism. The Boston Beer Company has become a large, successful operation, so now it's fashionable to hate them. Laughable.

I'll proudly go on record as HBT's biggest Sam Adams apologist. I think Boston Lager is a very good beer, and I buy their Oktoberfest and Latitude 48 by the case. In fact, I'll put their Oktoberfest up against damn-near anyone's. There's a reason Sam Adams still continue to win so many medals in competition.

Now, does my glowing defense of them mean I like and buy every single style they make? Of course not. I've picked what I want from their catalog and enjoy those purchases, instead of ragging on them like a lunatic for daring to brew beers outside my personal preferences and tastes. The humanity! Geez.

To anyone who thinks the Boston Beer Company summarily "sucks", I encourage you to start a brewing company of your own and go head to head with them in good ole' American competition. Until then, quit yer bitchin' and have a beer.

 

[hepcat]

"The term I would use for Sam Adams is "homogenized." They craft their beers to appeal to a wide audience, and most of their beers I've tried seem somehow bland, like they didn't want to go all the way and risk alienating some of their customers." KTblunden

Well said, exactly what turns me off about SA, they put out mass produced, mediocre beers but market them like a specialty, micro-craft brewed, something-they-are-not beers.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'll proudly go on record as HBT's biggest Sam Adams apologist. I think Boston Lager is a very good beer, and I buy their Oktoberfest and Latitude 48 by the case.

You're going to have to fight me for that title! I like pretty much everything that make, and as I said earlier, their chocolate dopplebock is one of my favorite beers ever!

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

You're going to have to fight me for that title! I like pretty much everything that make, and as I said earlier, their chocolate dopplebock is one of my favorite beers ever!

Right on.

SA Chocolate Doppel is officially on my to-buy list. I'll be on the lookout for it.

 

[Airborneguy]

Look in the late fall. Last year I managed to find it in 6's, but that seems to be rare. Hopefully they do that again this year.

 

[ktblunden]

To anyone who thinks the Boston Beer Company summarily "sucks", I encourage you to start a brewing company of your own and go head to head with them in good ole' American competition. Until then, quit yer bitchin' and have a beer.

Just to clarify, are we not allowed to criticize any brewery ever unless we have a multi-million dollar operation or are you just going after the people who reduce it down to the word "sucks"? It's entirely possible to not like a product and say as much without having to actually produce a competing product.

I don't like BMC and I say as much, but I don't happen to own a corporation that makes billions of dollars producing light lagers. Am I entitled to my opinion?

 

[jonmohno]

People must not read the bottom of the Sam Adams 6 pack carrier, where it says" try all of these traditionally brewed beers ". And then lists their main offerings underneath that.

 

[Tmooka]

Love the noble pils. It screams summer. My favorite post grass cutting beer and one of the few things I look forward to during the summer here in Louisiana.

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

Just to clarify, are we not allowed to criticize any brewery ever unless we have a multi-million dollar operation or are you just going after the people who reduce it down to the word "sucks"? It's entirely possible to not like a product and say as much without having to actually produce a competing product.

I don't like BMC and I say as much, but I don't happen to own a corporation that makes billions of dollars producing light lagers. Am I entitled to my opinion?

You are entitled to it, indeed. Anything to the contrary was not my implication. The greater point being, if someone truly believes that not a single thing of value comes from SA, then brewing for a living must be pretty easy. After all, if all you need is 20 different utterly swill beers and a good marketing team to be wildly successful, then anybody can do it, right?

 

[Airborneguy]

After all, if all you need is 20 different utterly swill beers and a good marketing team to be wildly successful, then anybody can do it, right?

Well, sort of. The key is you have to order literally tons of hops and dump them into the beer multiple times. Then, and only then, are you producing good beer.

 

[GingerBeer515]

Sorry I meant Samuel Smith :cross:

I'd blame Whole Foods for that one--Sam Smith makes fantastic beers! Give 'em another shot.

 

[RobertRGeorge]

Well, sort of. The key is you have to order literally tons of hops and dump them into the beer multiple times. Then, and only then, are you producing good beer.

So sayeth Sam Calagione. And make sure your expected ABV is above 10%

 

[OldWorld]

It's just lackluster average stuff. I would take a Sam Adams over a Coors or Bud anytime. I don't think the beer is bad but the styles are uniformly dull and lacking complexity. Beer snobs drink beer for nuance and depth.

 

[HBngNOK]

I honestly don't drink that much Sam Adams, although given the choice between Sam and BMC, I'll opt for the Sam's. In Sam's defense, I will say that when I'm dumpster diving for empties at the local recycling center, there are usually plenty of empty Sam Adams bottles, and the labels do soak off easily. ..

Fred

 

[captwalt]

I like some of Sam Adams and others not. Alpine spring is good on a warm spring afternoon, the summer ale is doing it for me right now and I have to admit I enjoy the black lager iin cooler temps. It is important to note that at some point in your emotional development you ought to come to terms with the fact that just because you don't like something doesn't mean it sucks but if you start a campaign proclaiming it sucks it usually means that you do.

 

[rico567]

There are Sam's beers I like, and some I wouldn't pour down the drain. I like Boston Lager, Irish Red, Black Lager, Latitude 48. Sam Adams tends to be a good value at its price point. Sure, it's not Rogue, Stone, or Dogfish Head or my homebrew (hardehar!) but it's not $10-12 a six, either. Don't like it, don't drink it. But it hardly serves to question why they're in business when they've been so successful. Somebody drinks it.

 

[MyakkaRiver]

I particularly like their Boston Lager and their Noble Pils, but enjoy most of their beers. Plus the labels come off their bottles very easily!:rockin:

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I went to the gas station to grab some Swamp Ape but they had run out. So in dedication to this thread I bought the last sixer of Summers Ale. Not much wow factor, but not bad.

 

[downtown3641]

Sam Adams is a good backup beer for restaurants that don't have a good selection. If I don't have a better choice, I'll certainly order a Boston Lager, Noble Pils, Alpine Spring, or Oktoberfest. However, they often fall flat with their limited releases. Granted, all breweries have some beers that are not to my taste.

I tend to purchase seasonally, with a few year-round offerings falling into the rotation every few months, and purchase a lot of beers that are new to me. So, I don't purchase many beers repeatedly over the course of a year. So, my Sam Adams drinking does tend to be limited to those occasions I mentioned earlier in the post. I generally won't take a chance on one of their special offerings if I'm purchasing beer at the store. If I'm going to take a chance, I'm going to go with a smaller brewery that will benefit more from the purchase.