If I don’t have Guinness in the refrigerator, I probably have something by Sam Adams. Maybe the Boston Lager. Maybe the Boston Ale, which I prefer to the Lager. More often that not, it’s the Cream Stout, though I’ve been known to have one of their seasonal varieties around. The Summer Ale isn’t far around the corner. The other day, wanting something different, I picked up a six-pack of their latest Brewmaster’s Collection, two bottles each of three different brews.
Two of the bottles were Boston Ale. Pretty much standard. I like the Boston Ale, it has a slightly bitter tang to it.
Two bottles were of a new addition to the Sam Adams line-up, Black Lager. The label reads, “This traditional lager is medium in body with a deep roasted character. Its dark color and rich malty flavor come from specially roasted caramel and chocolate malts. This brew is lightly hopped with Noble Bavarian hops for a soft spiciness and a smooth clean finish.” Not a bad description. It’s very easy to drink, not bitter at all. It passes the opaqueness test–if I pour the beer into a glass and put my hand behind the glass, if I can see my hand the beer is not dark enough.
The last two bottles belong to Hefeweizen, an amber brew. The label reads, “Samuel Adams Hefeweizen has a traditional spin on a classic American craft brewing style. This crisp, fruity wheat ale is cloudy, because the yeast has not been filtered out. Bavarian Spalt hops give the ale a crisp elegance, this is not bitter and leaves a clean aftertaste.” It’s not really dark, more the color of apple cider, and it’s fairly opaque. I don’t like the taste, though.
I would love to find somewhere the Sam Adams Honey Porter. I discovered this in college–there was a beer specialty shop near the University of Richmond campus–and were it not for the Sam Adams Honey Porter I doubt seriously that I’d have made it through the American Revolution class I took one semester. Oh, to suffer through the dreadful monotony of Professor Harry Ward! Many a day I would go back to my room after lunch, pound a Honey Porter or two, and then I was good to go for Ward’s lecture. To quote John Lennon, “Children, don’t you do what I have done,” and I don’t recommend going to class after pounding a beer or two, but that got me through, and I came away with an A in that class.
Tomorrow I may have to make a run out to Total Wine & More. Yes, that sounds like a plan….
I tried the Cream Stout once and I just found the taste a little unusual for a Stout. Maybe because I mainly drink Guinness or Murphy’s (when I can afford them) I’m spoiled. I like Sam Adams seasonal brews alot. Black Lager sounds vewy,vewy intewesting.
If you ever get a chance to have some Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, I promise you heaven !
Once upon a time, I had the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout.
The University of Richmond is a rich, preppy kids school–most of the student body comes from the Philly-New York corridor, and these kids had money. I didn’t.
Despite having money, Richmond’s campus drink was, I kid you not, the Beast, Milwaukee’s Best, which is about the cheapest beer money can buy.
I can’t stand the stuff. It looks like piss, and I somehow think that piss would taste better.
I didn’t have money, but if I were going to drink, which I liked to do, I would drink something that at least excited the taste buds. And through experimentation I found my way to the darker side of the beer spectrum. Of course, having a beer specialty shop near campus was a plus.
One particularly trying week I scrapped together some money, went to the shop, and saw the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout. I had heard about this. I looked at the price, sighed, and plucked down my twelve dollars.
Yes, the six-pack of bottles was twelve dollars.
I put the six-pack in the refrigerator and decided that this would be my celebration beer.
My roommate drank four bottles because there was nothing else in the fridge.
“Joe,” I said to him, “that six-pack cost me twelve dollars. You just drank eight.”
“I’ll buy you another six-pack,” he said. Several years on, I’m still waiting.
But yes, that Brooklyn Chocolate Stout was something else. 😀
Oh man, that Milwaukees Best is PUTRID. What stinks, is I’m a ‘man of means by no means’ and even tho I drink very little anymore, when I am low on cash and in the mood for a brew I actually have bought the stuff. Less than 8 bucks a case….lol.
Glad you got to try Brooklyn Stout. Too bad you don’t have access to it. When I get to have that it’s almost better than sex. Almost.
You’re so right tho about taste. Back in the day when I was still a working musician, I had (still have) a good friend who’s a blues player. I had never tasted stout before. He bought me a Guinness. I almost spit it out and called him crazy! Thanx to his continued weaning over the next couple months, I discovered the sheer joy of drinking a beer that actually tastes like something. Never looked back. Well except for that occasion where I go brain dead and buy That Which I Cannot Speak Of Again.
Next week I think I’m gonna dig up some of that Sam Adams Black Lager. There’s a store near me that has a whole wall of Sam Adams six packs.
Newcastle. Drink it. Love it.
We have similar taste in beer. I love Guinness & Sam Adams Honey Porter, Beamish is good too.:smile: