Thoughts on Sam Adams...

[kabrew]

I enjoy most if not all of Sam Adams brews. Way better than the watered down Michelob versions of micros (amberbock, etc). So, I don't think they're anything like the big 3.

 

[tom777]

looks like I'm in the minority here -- liking the Cherry Wheat.

 

[rico567]

Americans love to raise icons, and then smash them. This has happened to George Washington numerous times since his lifetime. Jefferson is another good example, and there are many others. In more recent times, there's the "JFK: Martyr or Philanderer" syndrome. All of this says less about the people involved than our tendency to want to set someone on a pedestal and then pull them down.

As for the beer, I like some Sam Adams labels.....Boston Lager, Black Lager, etc., and about as well as I ever have. I can't see any evidence that their beermaking has deteriorated. Certainly they're no BMC; that's just crap.

 

[Mirilis]

I like SA and I buy it when theres nothin out there or if Im in a restaurant and want a beer and not a beer cooler. I have to agree that the cherry wheat is pretty gross but for the most part I either thought they were ok all the way to pretty good.

Ill make my opinion on Jim Koch after ive seen 'Beer Wars' next month.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I heard Beer Wars was good. I still have not seen it myself.

 

[Kaner]

I thoroughly enjoy their Winter Lager. IMHO, it's much better than Goose Island's Mild Winter. Also, the price around here (Chicago area) of Sam Adams is cheap. They sell 24 packs of their "Winter Packs" at Sam's Club for about $22.

That I could live with. Does Sams Club have good prices on other brews other than BMC? Maybe it's time I finally joined up.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Ya Sam's Club has other brews besides BMC. They sell Harpoon, Guinness, Magic Hat and a few others in New England area.

 

[Synovia]

I dunno. I tried Boston lager for the first time a few months ago and it was all I could do to finish the glass. It just tasted... off. Weird.

I've noticed some really wierd issues with bottled Sam Adams Boston Lager. On tap its always fine.

 

[Synovia]

I thoroughly enjoy their Winter Lager. IMHO, it's much better than Goose Island's Mild Winter. Also, the price around here (Chicago area) of Sam Adams is cheap. They sell 24 packs of their "Winter Packs" at Sam's Club for about $22.

Agreed. I really haven't been impressed with Goose. I really haven't found anything that they sell thats any better than anything Sam sells. I love their Matilda (and some of the other reserves), but when you start looking at $4-5 a bottle, theres a lot of really good options out there

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

SA makes good beer. Are we supposed to think that every single brew they make is nectar?

Homebrewers can get really snobby sometimes. As soon as something becomes successful it needs to be torn down? Watch out Stone's....Your time is near.

 

[Nyxator]

Actually, I'm pretty sure I've seen evidence that Stone is getting too 'big' in these forums somewhere...

It's good to see that so many people are pretty mellow about this subject. It was a big turning point for me, personally, when I started being able to tell if a beer is well-brewed even if it isn't a style I like.

 

[GOOCHY]

Sam Adams makes good beer, no question. Some of their stuff isn't top notch, such as the Cherry Wheat, which has been flogged repeatedly in this thread - deservedly so in my opinion. But, the vast majority of their stuff is light years ahead of anything BMC is putting out there.

I've seen people bag on Sierra Nevada for being "too big" too, which is even crazier to me because many of their beers are even better than Sam Adams' in my opinion.

I don't understand the attitude of trying to tear a company down because it's successful. If it still makes a good product, why argue?!

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

SA makes good beer. Are we supposed to think that every single brew they make is nectar?

Homebrewers can get really snobby sometimes. As soon as something becomes successful it needs to be torn down? Watch out Stone's....Your time is near.

Gnome they can get snobby...no doubt

 

[skadalajara]

I like SA.
Because of them, I discovered there were beers other than Paulaner Salvator and Sam Smith's that tasted good.
Most people go from BMC to pale ales to other craft offerings. I went from Guinness and Heineken Dark to Harpoon IPA and SA Boston Ale.
Hell, I even have a few Bud Lites in the fridge. (Free. I would never pay for one, but I also wouldn't turn one down anymore.)
SA makes a few horrible beers, and more than a few that, while good, I just don't like. But I make a point to try a couple of their offerings every year. And my GF drinks SA Light when she's dieting.
I dunno. I've decided I'm not going to bash any successful brewery anymore. They all have their place. I'd rather try to educate beer drinkers and offer them the opportunity to broaden their horizons.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Same here I try not to bash any breweries anymore...not even BMC. They are what they are.

 

[ScottD13]

I cut my "craft beer teeth" on Sam Adams, back in 93-94 when I was in college in Boston. Personally I think two things are going on...one they've grown to be one of the largest craft breweries in the US and for some reason people always seem to hate the big guy...and two they're beer is sold yet not so extreme as some other craft brewers.

Sam's Boston Lager, although not my first choice, is always my go to beer when the selection is limited. I find all their beers to be solid if some what mass market.

 

[BlueSunshine]

All of Sam's ranges from "just ok" to "yuck" for me. In 2008, their Winter Ale had to be recalled due to small slivers of glass being in the bottles in 1 of the batches. Low and behold, I had drank 2 of the beers within that bad batch.

Never got sick or anything, but I expected some better quality from such a large company. I haven't had a single Sam Adams product since.

 

[jdc2]

So many things go into the perception of taste...Sam Adams
has to sell beer, and so do microbrews and brewpubs, and all of
their beers tend to be one-dimensional, SA lager being an exception.
I go to a brewpub and they also may have one distinctive beer
and a lot of nondescript ones. SA Boston Ale is a bland beer imo,
but lots of people like to hold it in their hand and think they
are drinking something sophisticated, beerishly speaking. Most
American drinkers are trained on the over carbonated bottled
versions of beers, including homebrewers, and they don't even
know what a real German lager, fresh and IN Germany on draft is like,
or English bitter on draft in that country. The whole argument
about whether a six-pack of BMC, SA, or microbrew is better
than the other is a waste of time because they all tend to
the mediocre with a few exceptions. The equivalent of BMC
beer in Germany (on draft) is a totally different animal, and
an outstanding style, but here it's just overcarbonated beer
flavored (sort of) soda water.

"What's that funny aftertaste?" (after finding a bar that has a
*perfect* SA lager on draft, then getting someone to
try it. Sorry, I forgot, it's not overcarbonated, it's not ice cold).

Jim

 

[Synovia]

and two they're beer is sold yet not so extreme as some other craft brewers.

I'm convinced that a lot of people on here (and in the craft scene in general) just don't like balanced beer. If it doesn't use 1lb of hops per 5g, or start out at 1.100+, its not good.


I've seen a couple of suggestions on here for beers that are "great" that have been nothing other than bitter, overhopped swill. They just happened to have an artsy looking label.

 

[MrInternet]

I'm convinced that a lot of people on here (and in the craft scene in general) just don't like balanced beer. If it doesn't use 1lb of hops per 5g, or start out at 1.100+, its not good.


I've seen a couple of suggestions on here for beers that are "great" that have been nothing other than bitter, overhopped swill. They just happened to have an artsy looking label.

+1 on this! All the ignorant comments on sites like Ratebeer only serve to reinforce this perception. I love a good ol' session bitter... I have had people chuckle at me when I say this. Like, "what, can't handle a REAL beer?". Gimme a break.

 

[Nyxator]

So many things go into the perception of taste...Sam Adams
has to sell beer, and so do microbrews and brewpubs, and all of
their beers tend to be one-dimensional, SA lager being an exception.
I go to a brewpub and they also may have one distinctive beer
and a lot of nondescript ones. SA Boston Ale is a bland beer imo,
but lots of people like to hold it in their hand and think they
are drinking something sophisticated, beerishly speaking. Most
American drinkers are trained on the over carbonated bottled
versions of beers, including homebrewers, and they don't even
know what a real German lager, fresh and IN Germany on draft is like,
or English bitter on draft in that country. The whole argument
about whether a six-pack of BMC, SA, or microbrew is better
than the other is a waste of time because they all tend to
the mediocre with a few exceptions. The equivalent of BMC
beer in Germany (on draft) is a totally different animal, and
an outstanding style, but here it's just overcarbonated beer
flavored (sort of) soda water.

"What's that funny aftertaste?" (after finding a bar that has a
*perfect* SA lager on draft, then getting someone to
try it. Sorry, I forgot, it's not overcarbonated, it's not ice cold).

Jim

Oh man, I'm restraining myself here. I will say, though, that you, sir, take beer snobbery to a whole new level.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

hahahahahaha

 

[BlueSunshine]

Oh man, I'm restraining myself here. I will say, though, that you, sir, take beer snobbery to a whole new level.

He's kinda right in the fact that alot of people don't really know, or care to know, beer outside US macro's. However, that's fine for most folks because they drink beer just to drink beer unlike us who are enthusiasts.

 

[Synovia]

+1 on this! All the ignorant comments on sites like Ratebeer )

Ratebeer is hilarious. You can pretty much determine a beer's score by its style alone.

If it has Imperial in the name, +2 points. Belgian, +2 points. Lager, -2 points. etc.

 

[MrInternet]

If it has Imperial in the name, +2 points. Belgian, +2 points. Lager, -2 points. etc.

Man, you forgot:

>10% ABV +2
Obscure style moniker in the title +1
Produced by a craft brewery so small no one's ever heard of it +1
Is available in a 6-pack at your grocery store -5

 

[MrInternet]

The equivalent of BMC
beer in Germany (on draft) is a totally different animal, and
an outstanding style, but here it's just overcarbonated beer
flavored (sort of) soda water

Bwahahaha... I have half a dozen English friends, and they all say the same thing about "plain" Budweiser. "It's fantastic over here, mate, the stuff we get across the pond is sh!t compared to this!" You seem bent on hating American styles of beer... that's cool, but it doesn't make YOU cool.

I think you're on Step #6, by the way... keep going!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Beer just needs to be enjoyed. Is that too much to ask of beer?

If it's BMC and you TRULY enjoy the taste over the brand loyalty then fine. Whatever floats your boat.

I think we can all agree that we drink what we want to drink......Except for the minority that drinks what they think they should drink to be cool.

 

[jdc2]

Bwahahaha... I have half a dozen English friends, and they all say the same thing about "plain" Budweiser. "It's fantastic over here, mate, the stuff we get across the pond is sh!t compared to this!" You seem bent on hating American styles of beer... that's cool, but it doesn't make YOU cool.
I think you're on Step #6, by the way... keep going!

The point is not how many "friends" you have that claim Bud is better
over there, the point is that most American beers are overcarbonated,
whether BMC or not, and that many homebrewers here haven't tried
the imported beers in their original homeland. Many foreign brewhouses,
Bass for example, create a bottled product formulated specifically for
this market, i.e., overcarbonated, different bitterness level. Go to
England and have some Bass on draft to compare.

I can see how some Europeans, not used to the American style, might
think American beers interesting just because they are different, but the
American style is hardly the best to highlight the subtle flavors of
the lower gravity style beers. Try drinking a bottled water, then try
a bottle of plain soda water. Or better, try a taste of Guiness with
the widget in it, then try the bottled export carbonated version immediately
afterward. The carbonated version will tast like the widget version
that has had soda water added to it.

I can't get into this "A BMC is great after mowing the lawn on a hot
day" argument. The last thing I want after exercise is alcohol, I'd
much rather have a ginger ale on ice. The best alcoholic drink for
me on a hot day would be hard cider on ice. Beer for me is gourmet food,
not soda pop.

Jim rockin: as they say)

 

[Joeywhat]

And all this time I thought the point of drinking beer was to enjoy it

 

[ArcaneXor]

I'm convinced that a lot of people on here (and in the craft scene in general) just don't like balanced beer. If it doesn't use 1lb of hops per 5g, or start out at 1.100+, its not good.

I, for once, hope that the "Imperial" fad will start easing off soon. Sure, there are excellent (and still balanced) Imperials out there, but I would really like to see the craft beer scene move more into the session beer business. Milds, Ordinary Bitters, Berliner Weisse, etc. are rarities right now - undeservedly so.