Samuel Adams Double Feature!

Ok, so it has been a hot minute since my last post. I have had a couple of beers since then, so I will give you a quick run down of those two before I get to a special one that I will be having later this evening. The other day my father in law was in town, so I picked up a Sam Adams variety pack (fall seasonals). I have not dabbled too much with Samuel Adams beers because I have always thought of them as beers produced for mass appeal, thus not as extreme as some other beers. Be that as it may, it sure was nice to try a couple to remind me why this is the biggest craft brewery in the US.

The first from this collection that I tried was the Harvest Pumpkin Ale. Before trying this, I had not had a pumpkin ale since I first delved into the world of craft beer. Though I do not recall what ones I tried at a craft beer festival, I remember finding them too sweet and not all that enjoyable. I can say now, though, that either my tastes have evolved (quite possible, I did, after all, once drink Keystone Light...) or I was drinking the wrong pumpkin beers. Anyways, poured into a plain old pint glass, this dark, caramel colored beer had a thin, tan head that faded rather quickly. On the nose was mostly spices and a slight pumpkin sweetness. The taste pretty much followed the nose. Spices are very forward with a slight pumpkin flavor, followed up by mild sweet malts. All in all, though it is not something I will anxiously wait to see on the shelves, Harvest Pumpkin makes for a light, enjoyable experience.

Next from this collection came Latitude 48 IPA. Being my favorite style, and because of my previous presumptions about Samuel Adams brews, I did not expect to enjoy this brew as much as I did. Pouring a nice, dark gold into my treasured IPA glass, this beer boasted a huge, thick, slow fading head that created lots of great lacing. Just a slight citrus odor on the nose for this one. The flavors followed suite. A nice, light, sweet citrus flavor with mild hop bitterness were at the forefront, followed by just a tinge of grapefruit aftertaste. Though certainly not an intense IPA, the flavors here are spot on, and I could see myself enjoying a couple of these at a summer/fall outing.

So what is the lesson learned? Don't assume you won't enjoy a beer just because it is from a main stream company. I should have known this since I enjoy both Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, but it is what it is.

Cheers folks!