Beer Blogging - Samuel Adams White Ale
I haven't beer blogged in a few weeks, and I have some good beers in my beer fridge right now, so let's get beer bloggin'. First up for the evening, Samuel Adams White Ale.
This is their spring seasonal, so I don't exactly know why it was in my local Albertsons this weekend, but I'll take it. It was pretty warm here today, so it kind of feels like spring. I think it counts.
The pour: poured into a pint glass, the beer developed a huge head, very white and fluffy. The body looks a lot like a typical Belgian white ale, with a light golden color and a bit of haze.
The aroma: it also smells like your typical Belgian white ale, with strong smells of orange peel and coriander. There's also a hint of malt, but the coriander kind of washes it out.
The taste: well, it's 3 for 3, since it also tastes like your typical Belgian white ale. There's quite a bit of carbonation right up front, which kind of washes out the flavor and makes the first impression almost watery. It also keeps the full flavor progression from coming through. The first flavor that wanders out of the fog of carbonation is the coriander, which is not as strong as you'd think it would be. I don't taste the orange peel at all; after the coriander a little malt and a little hops show up. The hops stick around through the aftertaste, with maybe some of that orange peel showing up. If it's there, it's certainly not asserting itself.
The rating: 6/10. For a brewery that has advertisements focusing on how much quality control goes into all their beers, Samuel Adams is frustratingly hit-or-miss on their seasonals. Their Winter Lager, for example, is quite good. Others are lacking. This one is kind of the middle of the road. If you like Belgian white ales, don't bother, as you'll just be disappointed. If you like lighter beers and aren't a fan of a lot of hops or strong, sweet malts, you might want to give this one a try. It's very drinkable, so if you get a hot snap this spring you might want to pick some up to enjoy on your porch.
This is their spring seasonal, so I don't exactly know why it was in my local Albertsons this weekend, but I'll take it. It was pretty warm here today, so it kind of feels like spring. I think it counts.
The pour: poured into a pint glass, the beer developed a huge head, very white and fluffy. The body looks a lot like a typical Belgian white ale, with a light golden color and a bit of haze.
The aroma: it also smells like your typical Belgian white ale, with strong smells of orange peel and coriander. There's also a hint of malt, but the coriander kind of washes it out.
The taste: well, it's 3 for 3, since it also tastes like your typical Belgian white ale. There's quite a bit of carbonation right up front, which kind of washes out the flavor and makes the first impression almost watery. It also keeps the full flavor progression from coming through. The first flavor that wanders out of the fog of carbonation is the coriander, which is not as strong as you'd think it would be. I don't taste the orange peel at all; after the coriander a little malt and a little hops show up. The hops stick around through the aftertaste, with maybe some of that orange peel showing up. If it's there, it's certainly not asserting itself.
The rating: 6/10. For a brewery that has advertisements focusing on how much quality control goes into all their beers, Samuel Adams is frustratingly hit-or-miss on their seasonals. Their Winter Lager, for example, is quite good. Others are lacking. This one is kind of the middle of the road. If you like Belgian white ales, don't bother, as you'll just be disappointed. If you like lighter beers and aren't a fan of a lot of hops or strong, sweet malts, you might want to give this one a try. It's very drinkable, so if you get a hot snap this spring you might want to pick some up to enjoy on your porch.
Labels: beer
posted by The Disgruntled Chemist at
7:55 PM
