Latitude 48 IPA - Boston Beer Company

    Latitude 48 IPA is an American India Pale Ale created by the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts. I purchased this beer as part of Samuel Adams' "Hopology" pack in hopes that the beers would be better than Sam Adams' norm.

    Latitude 48 pours an amber color with Samuel Adams' hallmark thick head which leaves lacing down the glass as it resides. A large amount of bubbles can be seen in the glass, making me suspect that this one is going to be over-carbonated.

    The AIPA smells strongly of hops. According to the bottle, this beer is made using a vast collection of hops varieties from all over the world, which is the likely reason that the hops scent to the beer is somewhat confusing. The beer has a fruity, yet almost metallic smell to it which isn't unpleasant as much as it is intriguing.

    Sam Adams' beer is light to medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation, definitely not the huge level that I was expecting. Instead of being too foamy in the mouth, the carbonation beefs up the body and makes what would seem like a lighter body seem much thicker and more smooth.

There's a reason we all went West.

    The American India Pale Ale tastes much sweeter than I would have guessed. While there are some slight floral notes from the hops, a huge malt backbone is more strongly featured. There is a somewhat bitter aftertaste from the beer, but other than that Latitude 48 is somewhat lacking in hops for an IPA. I also taste what I think is a cinnamon spiciness. There is a slight alcohol warmth to the beer which is surprising at 6% ABV.

    Latitude 48 is named for the Pacific North West area of the United States which supposedly has the best climate for growing hops. I can only imagine that our ancestors must have known this, hence the push Westward. Sure, there was supposed to be gold and silver on the west coast, but I think that they really went West for green gold, hops! Of course this isn't something that they would teach us in school, and we all know that there is no way that this fact would appear in any Oregon Trail game, but there just might be something to the theory.

    I went into drinking Latitude 48 hoping to discover a decent IPA created by Samuel Adams. By all accounts, Sammy makes good beer, he just doesn't make beer that is anything special. If ever you want something that is easy-drinking, look to Sam Adams. I feel like this IPA kind of goes along those same lines. If you would like an easy introduction into IPAs without jumping right into the super bitter stuff, Latitude 48 might just be the perfect starting point for you!

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Noble Pils - Boston Beer Company

    Noble Pils is Samuel Adams' take on the Pilsner, a style of beer brewed since the mid 1800's. It is created by Boston Beer Company which is located in Boston, Massachusetts. When compared to the traditional Pilsner, Noble Pils seems to have much more hops in its recipe. In fact, Samuel Adams comments that their Pilsner contains all 5 of the Noble Hops varieties. This is not a bad start if you ask me.

    Noble Pils pours a pale golden color with a decent head which persists for a long time and leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

    The beer's aroma is that of citrusy hops mixed with malty sweetness. In many beers the two scents seem to be separate, though this beer presents them both together at once. Hopefully this is an indication of a well-balanced beer.

    The Pilsner is light to medium bodied and features a medium-high level of carbonation. The beer is very crisp and dry.

Contains all 5 Noble Hops, and a few Peasant Hops as well.

     Noble Pils's flavor is much lighter than I would have expected. It is, however, a well balanced and very drinkable beer. Hoppy bitterness starts out the flavor with sweet barley malts mellowing the hops afterwards. There seems to be a slight acidity to the beer as well. There is no alcohol character perceivable, which at 4.9% ABV, is not surprising.

     The fact that there is apparently a hops hierarchy is news to me. I'm really starting to wonder at this point what the hops king would be like in a beer. If mere nobles in the hops kingdom were added to this beer, and taste this good, I can't imagine what hops royalty must do to a beer. It goes without saying that a King hops beer would likely become my favorite beer in no time at all. Hmm, now I just need to find this mythical kingdom and slowly infiltrate the ranks of the hops king's personal guard. As they say, The king is dead! Long drink the king!

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Griffin's Bow - Boston Beer Company

    Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine Ale is Samuel Adams's take on a classic Barleywine. Brewed by Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts), this ale differs from regular Barleywines by being aged on oak as well as having more hops in the mix than one might usually see in the style. This is the final 22oz bomber that was included in the "Small Batch Collection" I received for Christmas.

    Griffin's Bow pours a bright golden-orange color with a huge frothy head on top which leaves lots of lacing on the glass. The ale is quite clear.

    The Barleywine smells slightly sweet and much more hoppy than I would have expected. There are some fruity notes to the smell such as pineapple and grapefruit. There is also a slight scent of alcohol which reminds me of dark red wine.

    The ale is medium-thick bodied and has an almost syrupy feel to it. There is a very mild level of carbonation in the ale. A slight alcohol warmth can be felt when the ale is held in the mouth. The Barleywine has a high alcohol content (around 10% ABV) which is common to the style.

Ten pints for Giffin's Bow!

    Griffin's Bow is sweet, but not overly so. Much more bitter hops flavor is present than in most Barleywines which I have tasted. The hops aren't overpowering, however, and add a nice counter-balance to the normally extreme sweet presented by Barleywines. The oak that the beer is aged on definitely lends a bit of its flavor to the brew, but it is quite subdued. There is a huge amount of malt sweetness as well as a bit of honey flavor to the ale.

    I often joke about Sam Adams making beer which is somewhat in-between craft and macrobrews. The "Small Batch Collection" really isn't much different, though Griffin's Bow seems to be the most legitimate take on an ale that Samuel Adams has created so far. I am a huge fan of Barleywines, and I am a huge hophead. Therefore, I must admit that I am quite a fan of this beer.

    With its sweetness and bitter hops balance, as well as its slight oak character, Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine Ale is a very enjoyable take on the classic Barleywine. While I wouldn't recommend that this be the first Barleywine that someone would try, I definitely recommend that fans of the style give this ale a chance.

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Whitewater IPA - Boston Beer Company

    Whitewater IPA is an interesting take on the American India Pale Ale created by Boston Beer Company located, where else, but Boston, Massachusetts. Instead of the usual malts used in IPAs, Whitewater uses wheat, giving the beer a much different flavor than other IPAs.

    The IPA pours a hazy straw-yellow with a massive foamy white head which persists for quite a while. When the head finally fades, it leaves lots of nice lacing on the cup.

    Whitewater IPA smells mainly of wheat with a bit of citrusy hops and lemon. There is also a slight peach scent to the ale.

    The IPA is light bodied and moderately carbonated, though the carbonation works well to make the beer feel creamy. The beer leaves an oily feeling in your mouth after swallowing. There also seems to be little bits of wheat throughout the beer that at some points can be felt in your mouth.

Whitewater IPA thinks it is more extreme than it is...

     The first flavors which hit your mouth when drinking Whitewater IPA are the bitter, citrusy flavors of hops. There is a good bit of lemon and orange peel in the flavor which are common in wheat beers. There is a malty/wheat sweetness that follows the citrus bitterness as well as a funky fruit flavor. Whitewater's aftertaste is that of bitter hops and citrus. The beer finishes relatively dry and at 5.8% ABV, has no alcohol flavor.

    I really feel as though this beer has all the hops of an IPA, but just doesn't quite back them up with the malts needed for balance to live up to many of the great IPAs on the market. I honestly would not call this beer an IPA at all. I would call it an extremely hopped wheat beer, which will never be as good to me as a good old classic IPA.

    Whitewater IPA doesn't taste bad, but the flavors of orange peel, peach, wheat, and citrusy hops really don't cater to any one niche of beer fans. I feel as though fans of wheat beers will be turned off by the massive hops in the ale, and IPA fans will be turned off by the wheat and fruit flavors present. Sam Adams has a knack for making beers that are very drinkable, though I feel that Whtiewater IPA might just be an exception to that rule.

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The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock - Samuel Adams

    Of all the offices in all the buildings in this city, she had to walk into mine. I'd seen her type before; tall, dark, and beautiful. She was the kind of girl who knew how to play a man like a violin to any tune she wished. I knew I was in for trouble, but against my better judgement I took her job. Now it's just me, my .38, and whatever luck I have left against whatever filth this case throws at me. This is one hell of a dirty city, but it's my city. That Vixen was just one more player in this macabre circus I call a job.

    The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock is brewed by the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts and is part of their "Small Batch" series. I received this 22oz. bomber as a gift from Santa along with a few others.

A pour almost as dark as the human mind.

    The Vixen pours a dark, black coffee color with a finger or so of a thick, khaki head on top. Just pouring it I can tell  that this is going to be a sweet beer. The bock's smell just strengthens that prediction with sweet malty notes along with the slight smell of alcohol.

    The Chocolate Chili Bock is medium bodied with light carbonation. The beer tastes of sweet dark chocolate and slightly of coffee. There is  a slight warmth from the alcohol, which at 8.5% ABV isn't surprising. Unfortunately there is very little spice warmth from the chilies supposedly used in brewing the beer.

    Overall this was a very sweet beer. As a chocolate bock, this sweetness is not surprising. What was surprising however was the fact that there was little to no spice from the chilies. I had very high hopes for this beer. I was excited to taste it thinking that the bock would taste something like Mexican hot chocolate. The spice would have been such a good counter-balance to the sweet so prominently displayed by this beer. As a chocolate bock alone, this beer is quite good.

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Norse Legend Sahti - Samuel Adams

    Norse legend speaks of a great beer warrior. A beer that could stand up to his enemies with axe in hand and shield on arm and unfailingly slay all who challenged him. Some say that this beer had fiery red hair with freezing blue eyes, others say that he wore a mask to hide his battle-scarred face. No matter what story you may believe, this is not that legendary beer...

    Norse Legend Sahti is brewed by the people at Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts as part of their "Small Batch" collection. I received this beer as part of a four pack of the series I was given for Christmas. The label explains that the brew is aged on a bed of Juniper berries that are supposed to add a herbal quality to the beer. At 7% ABV, Norse Legend has a bit higher alcohol content than most beers, though it doesn't come out in the flavor.

    The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin tan head. The Sahti smells of sweet toasty bread as well as a bit of a pine scent from the Juniper berries

An actual pour of Norse Legend Sahti.

    The main flavor in this beer is malty sweetness. This sweetness is present at the front as well as back end of the beer. There is a mild aftertaste of toast in addition to a lingering sweetness. The Juniper adds a slight pine/gin flavor though I would expect more from being aged over the berries. There is definitely a woody, earthy flavor to the beer which does conjure ideas of the old world or a damp woods (in a good way).

    The mouthfeel of the Sahti is almost that of a light syrup. The beer leaves a light, sweet film in your mouth after swallowing. The carbonation level is light which exaggerates the syrupy feel.

    Overall the Norse Legend Sahti is a very sweet, earthy beer. I feel like the juniper flavor is not featured as well as it should be for this style of beer which leaves the brew somewhat one-dimensional. While it may not be a beer of legend, this Sahti is still worth trying for someone new to the style. I will be very interested to try more Sahtis now that I have been exposed to the style.

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Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout - Samuel Adams

    I hope that everyone is having a happy holiday season! I received this 22oz bomber as part of a four-set of Samuel Adams "Small Batch" series from Santa. I assume that this series of beer releases is Boston Beer Company's response to the general idea held by beer fans that they are no longer a "craft" brewing company. I have had a few beers in the series (reviews to come) and I have to admit that they taste little like Samuel Adams's normal line of beers, which I feel all taste very similar to one another. If you are not familiar with the Samuel Adams lines of beers, they are made by Boston Beer Company which is located in Boston, Massachusetts.

    This stout pours a thick, dark black with a thick tan head. The brew smells pleasantly of spices and molassesy sweetness with a hint of alcohol at the end which strikes me as slightly unpleasant.      

Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout touts an alcohol content of 9% ABV. This high alcohol percentage is noticeable in the flavor of the beer, though the flavor is more warming than harsh. I feel that this beer would likely fall into the category of winter warmers due to this warmth. The flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger of traditional gingerbread are immediately perceptible, but thankfully not overpowering. A sweet maltyness that one would expect from a stout follows the initial spice. The beer has an overall earthy flavor that is quite nice.

    The mouthfeel of the beer is thick and smooth, exactly what I'd want from a stout. The carbonation level is also very nice at about a medium-low level which adds to the smoothness.

    The label leads me to believe that either A.) The gingerbread flavor found in this beer is due to the need to find a use for all the accidental gingerbread man amputations, or B.) that it is highly dangerous to drink and drive a sled. Either way, that third gingerbread man should have kept his arms and legs inside the car at all times. I think that it may be a wise life choice for him to find a new set of friends as well. Those two in the front there appear to be laughing at his injury. I mean, he has to be yelling, and they'd have to hear him. Having a leg ripped off by a pine tree that you pass at high snow speeds would produce a scream that would likely cause an avalanche. There is only one conclusion, his friends are laughing at his pain! He should find friends that are a bit nicer...Or just let me eat him.

    Overall, Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout is a very pleasant holiday brew. The alcohol flavor is the biggest detractor from the experience as it could have easily been mellowed by Boston Beer Company's brew-masters. This stout makes me want to curl up under a blanket with the lights off and admire the Christmas tree.

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