Review: Boston Lager, Samuel Adams

Boston Lager

The Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams) — Boston, MA

Stats:

• Style:  Lager
• Bitterness:  30 IBU
• ABV: 4.9%
• Malts: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts, and Caramel 60
• Hops: Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger
• Calories: 175 per 12 oz.
• Sampled:  12 oz. bottle

Description:  Samuel Adams Boston Lager helped lead the American beer revolution, reviving a passion for full-bodied brews that are robust and rich with character.  When it was introduced in 1984, Samuel Adams Boston Lager was unusual in a world of thin, light-bodied beers that were being churned out for mass market consumption. Following his great-great grandfather's recipe, Jim Koch used only traditional brewing processes as well as the finest ingredients to brew his Samuel Adams Boston Lager. "My great-great grandfather named his beer after himself: Louis Koch Lager," said Jim Koch. "I renamed my beer after the patriot Samuel Adams, who helped lead the Revolution and was a brewer by trade. I thought the name was assertively American.”  — The Boston Beer Co.

Random thoughts:  Boston Lager was included in the Samuel Adams Fall Harvest Collection and is recognized as one of the beers that launched the craft beer renaissance in the US. I just recently tasted it for the first time. 

The tasting:  Gold in color, crystal clear, with lots of effervescence. Its white head dissipated very slowly leaving plenty of lacing all over the glass. It's a very nice looking beer. Aroma of bready malt with spicy and earthy hops. Flavor mirrors the aroma with the addition of caramel malt. The alcohol isn't noticeable and there's not a lot of malt sweetness or hop bitterness. Overall, it's nicely balanced. Boston Lager is light to medium bodied, has a crisp mouth feel, and finishes with bready malt and spicy hops. It's a very easy drinker and a fine session beer.

Rating:  3 star.  Good. I would drink this again if someone gives it to me.  Although this is a solid beer, it wasn't particularly memorable for me. Boston Lager is widely available around the country. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if my options were limited. If you're a macro drinker and you see Boston Lager the next time you're out on the town, give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Have you tried Boston Lager?  What are your favorite Sam Adams beers?

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Review: Slippery Slope, Cascade Lakes Brewing

Slippery Slope
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. — Redmond, OR

Stats:

• Style:  Winter Warmer
• Bitterness:  50 IBU
• ABV: 6.4% ABV
• Malts:  2-Row, Crystal 120, Chocolate, Honey
• Hops:  Cascade
• Sampled:  12 oz. bottle

Description:  "Our full-bodied ale uses crystal malt and generous amounts of cascade hops to produce a well-balanced seasonal ale. So, whether your slippery slope is a mountain or your sidewalk, this ale makes an excellent companion.”  — Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.

Random thoughts:  Slippery Slope is Cascade Lakes' "new" winter seasonal.  If you were a fan of Santa's Little Helper (their old winter brew), don't despair. It's the same beer, just re-branded with a different name and a classy new label. Cascade Lakes owner, Chris Justema, confirmed to me that the recipe is the same and explained that they changed the name to extend sales after Christmas. Apparently, folks weren't too crazy about drinking a beer with Santa's name on it after December. What a shame—that Santa, he's a good dude. Slippery Slope is part of my series on 2011 winter seasonal beers.

The tasting:  Very dark copper in color with an off-white head that dissipated fairly slowly. It looks beautiful. Aroma of caramel malt, brown sugar, and light citrus hops. It's malt forward. Flavors are very similar to the aroma with the addition of nutty notes and a more pronounced, but well balanced, hop bitterness. Slippery Slope is medium bodied, moderately carbonated, and has a smooth mouth feel. It finishes with caramel malt, and a tart tangy finish that provides a unique and memorable end to the taste!

Rating:  4 star.  Really Good!  I want this again.  I didn't realize Slippery Slope was the same as Santa's Little Helper until I started writing this profile. I only tasted the latter once, and gave it four stars when I tasted it last winter. The flavor of the same beer can vary slightly due to subtle variations in the brewing process and ingredients. I don't recall the tangy finish in last year's version, but I absolutely loved it this year's vintage. Slippery Slope avoids use of spices that are common in many winter seasonals, but its malt flavors, nice balance, and distinctive finish make it a unique winter beer.

Have you tried Slippery Slope (or Santa's Little Helper)?  What's your favorite winter seasonal?

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Holiday Ale Fest '11: Three Tasting Flights

 

The 16th Annual Holiday Ale Festival opens in just two days! If you've perused the beer list, you've seen that lineup is unique. Most beers are one-offs created especially for the HAF. This incredible selection presents a problem (a high quality problem, though). Which of the many beers should you taste? Given the huge selection and the fairly high ABV% per serving, you'll need to make some decisions.

Some folks like to sample a wide variety of styles, while others like to sample beers within a given style. I usually preview the beer list, seek out a few favorite styles and then move on to new styles and unusual concoctions. There's no right answer. Taste whatever you like! However, to optimize your experience, I humbly offer three suggestions:

1. Hold the wickedly hopped (high IBU) beers for the end of your tasting session. An Imperial IPA can wreak utter havoc on your palate.
2. Save the highest ABV% brews for last. A few poorly timed barleywine samples will affect your taste buds and/or other faculties.  
3. Water is a good thing. Drink plenty of it! I try to drink at least 4 ounces after every sample. Staying hydrated = more sampling. Food's also good—eat some.

If you'd still like tasting suggestions, I've compiled three tasting flights for your sampling pleasure. There's no science behind my selection method. These are simply the beers I'd like to taste. I noticed that 12 (29%) of this year's regular lineup beers are barrel-aged, so I gaven them their own flight. If you've never tasted a barrel-aged beer, don't miss this opportunity to sample a few!

OK, here's the rundown:

Flight #1:  Holiday Beer Explorer.  You want a sampling of different beer varieties. Nothing too crazy.

Beer	Brewer	Style	Why should you taste it
Sang Noir	Cascade Brewing	Barrel Aged Sour Ale	You need to try a sour, so start with one of the best.
Fruit Cake	Buckman Botanical Brewery	Herb/Spice Beer	Fruit cake in a beer!?!  Say no more.
Left, Nut Brown Ale	Vertigo Brewing	American Brown Ale	A malty, nutty beer made with six pounds of honey per barrel.
The Nutcracker	Oakshire Brewing	Gingerbread Imperial Porter	You've got to try a spiced beer.   Gingerbread!
Red Nose Rye	McMenamins High Street Brewery & Café	Imperial Rye Ale	Brewers seem to be using rye more often. It provides a nice spicy and tangy flavor
Papa Noel's Moonlight Reserve	Alameda Brewing Co	Olde Ale	Brewed in the English Olde Ale style.
Little Brother	The Commons Brewery	Belgian Dark Strong Ale	This is your obligatory Belgian and it's bourbon barrel aged.
Fozziwig	Rock Bottom Brewery	Traditional Mild Barley Wine	I've never heard of a "mild" Barley Wine.  Live and learn.
Stone Ruination IPA DDH w/ Apollo Hops and American Oak Chips Added	Stone Brewing Co	Imperial IPA	Prepare to destroy your taste buds with hops.  Normally this would be last. But the next beer has mint…
Peppermint Paddy Porter	Widmer Brothers Brewing Co	Chocolate and Peppermint Porter	One of two chocolate-mint beers at the fest.  At this point, does it really matter?

Flight #2:  Craft Beer Geek.  You only drink the unusual one-off stuff. This festival is made for you!

Beer	Brewer	Style	Why should you taste it
Cranberry Biere de Table	Breakside Brewery	Belgian-Style session beer w/Oregon cranberries	Start with the lowest ABV at the fest. Farmhouse Ale with Cranberries. Ben Edmunds won't steer you wrong.
Cherry Christmas	Lompoc Brewing Co	Sour Cherry Ale	Port & Merlot. Blend of four beers (w/ wild yeasts). More tart than sour. I tasted a pre-carbonated version of it.
The Little One	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Traditional Small Beer- Second Runnings	Made from the second runnings from Critical Hit.  Ninkasi created two beers from one!
Provision	Upright Brewing	Biere de Garde	Aged in Oak and the only Brett beer at the festival.
Bonaparte's Retreat	Laurelwood Brewing Co	Corsican Christmas ale	Made with chestnuts.  No open fires allowed at Pioneer Courthouse Square!
Kentucky Girl Stout	Fort George Brewery & Public House	Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Stout	Stout with coffee and bourbon.
Drunken Elf Stout	Columbia River Brewing Co	Imperial Oatmeal Stout	Another coffee stout, this one with oatmeal.
Old Saint Chongo	Bear Republic Brewing Co	Winter Chocolate Wheat Ale	Chocolate banana! No bananas were harmed during the making of this beer. The yeast provides the flavor.
HOLLA-Day Ale	Natian Brewery	Specialty/Strong Ale	Made with the kitchen-sink of holiday flavors.
Super Jubel	Deschutes Brewery	Winter Ale	An amped up version of Jubelale.
Chocolate Mint Stout '11	Gilgamesh Brewing	American Stout	The other chocolate mint beer at the festival.  You can figure out why it's last.

Flight #3:  Barrel Madness.  All of these have slumbered in a wooden barrel for some time. Hope you like Bourbon…

   

Beer	Brewer	Style	Barrel Type & Random Stuff
Cherry Christmas	Lompoc Brewing Co	Sour Cherry Ale	Port & Merlot. Blend of four beers (w/ wild yeasts). More tart than sour. I tasted a pre-carbonated version of it.
Provision	Upright Brewing	Biere de Garde	Oak. Blend of two beers  aged for a year with Brettanomyces.
Sang Noir	Cascade Brewing	Barrel Aged Sour Ale	Pinot Noir & Bourbon. DO NOT miss a chance to taste this for a buck or two.
Barry White’s Voice in a Barrel	Bison Brewing Co	Dry Foreign-Style Stout	Bourbon.
Barrel Aged Ink Blot Baltic Porter	MacTarnahan's Brewing Co	Barrel Aged Baltic Porter	Whiskey (Jack Daniels).  The only Baltic Porter at the festival.
Little Brother	The Commons Brewery	Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Bourbon (Heaven Hill).
Laughing Boy Stout	Laht Neppur Brewing Co	Russian Imperial Stout	Bourbon.
100% Bourbon Barrel Aged Velvet Merkin	Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Oatmeal Stout	Bourbon (Heaven Hill).  Firestone Walker = must try.
Kentucky Girl Stout	Fort George Brewery & Public House	Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Stout	Bourbon (Makers Mark). Infused with coffee.
Old Knucklehead Barley Wine	BridgePort Brewing Co	Barley Wine Style Ale	Bourbon.
Barrel Aged Permafrost	Burnside Brewing Co	Winter Strong Ale	Whiskey (Big Bottom).
Kentucky Christmas	Hopworks Urban Brewery	Strong Ale	Bourbon (Buffalo Trace).  The barrel aged version of Abominale. Very popular and rightfully so.

You can download a free PDF copy of the three tasting flights (including ABV and IBU details) and take it with you to the festival. There's even space for your tasting notes! 

Have a great time at the festival! What are you most looking forwards to tasting? Do you have any beer festival suggestions?

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