New Year Means More New Beer
02 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in adjunct lager, beer, beer dave gausepohl, Sam Adams, samuel adams, scotch ale, Uncategorized, white ale
There is welcome relief to the end of the so-called winter holiday season. Of course much of this is merely perception, because there are plenty of excuses to party further; the upcoming Mardi Gras and Super Bowl, along with whatever play off bowl, cross town rivalry or any other event of significance will suffice. When it comes to beer, perhaps 2011 should be the year that beer enthusiasts reach out to their cereal cooked swilling brothers and sisters, and tossing all cynical superiority aside and show, these millions of folks who have never experienced it, the absolute pleasure of a well brewed beer.
SAMUEL ADAMS, being a brand found nearly everywhere, is a good place to start. Their American Original variety 12 pack, recently released, might be a solid opening. Included in this sampler is the new Revolutionary Rye Ale, a rye spicy take, along with their great Noble Pils, a pilsener that Beer Dave Gausepohl said was amongst the finest produced in the world. I certainly agree.
Rounding out this tasty sampler, our S.A.’s Irish Red, their peat smoky Scotch Ale, their Belgian-American White Ale, and of course their flagship brand Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
You might be able to change the taste perceptions of the light lager drinker if you offer them a Noble Pils or White Ale. Even the famous Boston Lager is still a bit of a pine resin shock, to millions of beer drinkers. Which is what the so-called craft brew revolution was really all about: that beer is meant to have flavour.
There is still so much work to be done.
The Beloved Return Of Holiday Beer
26 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in anheuser-busch, beer, bock, chocolate bock, christmas, holiday beer, porter, Sam Adams, samuel adams, wassail, white ale, winter classics
It’s still early. Halloween hasn’t even arrived. But the release of beers seems to go on forever. Case in point: Samuel Adams Winter Classic Collection: probably the best selection ever for this annual sampler. For The Beer Doctor, there is not a single bad selection in the lot. As someone who has seen this offering over many years, I can honestly say this. Gone from the group was the always questionable Cranberry Lambic, which over the many years it kept reappearing I never met anyone who actually said they liked it. Gone too, are the thrown-ins from years past; the Sam Adams Light, the ridiculous lemon concoction known as Coastal Wheat, which was so bad that last year I abstained from buying the collection, which was sad, because that eliminated the possibility of drinking 2 of my favorites, Holiday Porter and Old Fezziwig Ale. Thankfully this year, that has been corrected. Joining these and the Winter Lager, is the extraordinary Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock and their Belgian style White Ale, along with their flagship brand, Samuel Adams Lager.
I often forget that my enthusiasm for flavorful beer often does not translate well to those unaccustomed to it. Watching people try these beers for the first time, folks who normally drink products like Bud Light, is an exhibition of bewilderment and complete surprise, especially upon discovering, sometimes for the very first time, that real beer actually does have real flavor. For the one quarter of the world’s beer drinking population who normally drink their Bud Light, this must come as a bit of a revelation.
The inclusion of the Chocolate Bock is a holiday treat. I have not been able to get over the focus of this recipe, using a bed of Ecuadorian dark chocolate nibs to produce a smooth as silk chocolaty masterpiece.
Old Fezziwig Ale, their beloved Christmas wassail is always welcome. I remember when this first came out, over 15 years ago, when it was in a 25.4oz bottle. As welcome now as then, a delicious festive experience.
This is equally true of their London-style Holiday Porter. It is difficult to imagine winter without having this, at least once.
The White Ale, a very good take on Belgian Whit, is a more interesting version of the beer style gone mainstream by Coors Blue Moon. Very crisp and lively, and very easy to drink.
In fact, as I said, these are all good. A very auspicious sign for the coming holiday season.
