Does anyone else think Sam Adam's beer sucks

[BlackGoat]

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.

 

[NewJersey]

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

 

[BreezyBrew]

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.

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

 

[jro238]

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.

 

[bzwyatt]

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.

********.

 

[chawagi]

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.

 

[Feurhund]

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.

 

[bzwyatt]

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.

 

[Powerturn11]

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.

This x 10. So true and very funny

 

[tjmac5071]

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.

 

[Pantera]

I agree, I don't really like Sam Adams either.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Ill drink the boston lager if there is no other craft choices. I have been unimpressed with the seasonals however I have not tried all of them yet.

Beging on the west coast could be part of the problem with their beers seeming weak compared to what we get that is super fresh.

 

[akatrouble]

I just bought a twelve pack of six different varietys to see if I wanted to try and brew anything similiar next. They all tasted too heavy to me. I liked the IPA the best, but none very much.

 

[eltorrente]

A fresh Boston Lager is actually very good. Problem is, I haven't had a fresh one in years. Most of the time they aren't fresh, and they aren't good when old..

I don't like their other beers though, but Octoberfest is actually good. Most of their beers just seem average at best, and many are just bad.

 

[Robar]

I won't flame SA, but I just can't drink most of it. That "TASTE" (The one that those of us with off pallets can't stand) just turns me off. The one brew I do like is the Baltic IPA. With that being said I'd rather drink New Holland's Black Hatter.

 

[Randy64]

Something about the taste of Boston lager I dont care for. But I do like a lot of there other beers. I also like that they still use reusable bottles instead of twist offs. The thing I like most about sam adams is the 100 shares of stock I bought in July.

 

[seefish]

I won't flame SA, but I just can't drink most of it. That "TASTE" (The one that those of us with off pallets can't stand) just turns me off. The one brew I do like is the Baltic IPA. With that being said I'd rather drink New Holland's Black Hatter.

Lol, can those of you with a palate please describe the taste that you can't stand? I'm going to need a bit more description if I'm to agree with you.

 

[Feurhund]

I described it, but I will elaborate. I get a cloying heaviness or umami like sensation from a lot of their beers. It is the issue I have had when I went too heavy on specialty and crystal malts. I also got it from a 100% Vienna malt lager I did.
It makes it hard for me to enjoy the beer or drink more than one. And before I am labeled a light beer drinker, I polished off two liters of Rauchbier in Bamberg last weekend and wanted more, and I can enjoy several porters, munich dunkels and other darker beers in a sitting.

Sorry I am not the best at describing the flavor, but my wife is a super taster, maybe I will get her to try one.

 

[chawagi]

Lol, can those of you with a palate please describe the taste that you can't stand? I'm going to need a bit more description if I'm to agree with you.

For me it's like an over-carmalization. It has the same effect in my mouth that sitting down to an entire bag of candy would have. The saliva in my mouth acquires that same thick sticky consistancy when I drink SA.

 

[beersk]

Well, this isn't as bad as a group of people I talked to this summer at an outdoor party that said they thought New Glarus didn't make good beer. All credibility OUT THE WINDOW.

 

[syd138]

I generally don't like Sams Adams, but I do have to say that their Oktoberfest is pretty good. One of the best commecial marzens out there

 

[Soup4you2]

I find their beers hit or miss, most of them i generally don't like that much. but there are a few types that are not that bad.. most of their IPA's I tend to enjoy. (Latitude 48 IPA, Whitewater IPA, Double Agent ).

However i cannot stand the Noble Pils. To me it tastes like a hoppy bud light.

 

[djt17]

Well, this isn't as bad as a group of people I talked to this summer at an outdoor party that said they thought New Glarus didn't make good beer. All credibility OUT THE WINDOW.

I think I know those people...they drink Bud Lite, don't they?

 

[beersk]

I think I know those people...they drink Bud Lite, don't they?

They like the local brewery the best called Backpocket. This was at a Backpocket mug club members party. While they make okay beer, it is NOTHING compared to New Glarus. In fact, almost nobody touches the quality and variety that New Glarus brews, in my opinion.

 

[Skeptidelphian]

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.

people who hate on SN must not drink their beer much. I've never had a bad beer from them! Their beers are consistent, delicious, cheap, and plentiful. Not to mention they're good guys when it comes to the environment.

 

[ICWiener]

Remember the old saying, "Do one thing, do it well."? I feel like Sam Adams has thrown that mantra right out the window. Boston Lager isn't a bad beer per se, but how can you mantain a high standard of quality when you're brewing 758 different seasonals/specials/one-offs? They focus on quantity over quality and while their flagship brew isn't that bad, a lot of their other beers are. Some are laughably bad.

I think if SA trimmed their portfolio down to something like Sierra Nevada's they would be doing themselves a favor.

 

[Dirty25]

Not a fan. Thought the octoberfest is way off mark. Their lager is ok I guess I would order it before a BMC at a bar

 

[shawnbou]

Sam Adams isn't usually my first choice, but I don't mind them. Boston Lager is OK especially if I'm in a place that doesn't have anything better. I'm enjoying a lot of their Limited Release bombers that are coming out.

More than anything, I appreciate the work they've done to promote craft beer and support homebrewers. And Sam is a decent gateway beer for getting BMC drinkers into craft. So no, I don't think they suck.

 

[mkirkland]

I am a huge fan of their Octoberfest and the Boston Lager, other than that i dont drink a whole lot of their beers. But i have tried most of them

 

[Synovia]

Seems like most of the dislike is coming from the west coast, which makes me think its a distribution issue. I've had a couple I didn't like (the 'lambic', etc), but most of their beer is pretty good. Its not all real adventurous, but its true to style, well made, and tasty.

Someone mentioned that Stone and Sierra Nevada were there favorite nationally distributed brands. I'd take SA over SN in most cases, and Stone isn't really nationally distributed.

people who hate on SN must not drink their beer much. I've never had a bad beer from them! Their beers are consistent, delicious, cheap, and plentiful. Not to mention they're good guys when it comes to the environment.

People have different tastes. I have the same feeling about SN as I have about New Belgium: their beer just doesn't taste right to me. With New Belgium it's the house yeast. With Sierra Nevada, I think I don't like one of the hops they use in the Pale Ale, but I'm not sure which one.