Tag: Sam Adams

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Review – New Albion Ale

Sam Adams has gone back in the way back machine and re-created with the help and permission of the original New Albion and the groundbreaking brewer Jack McAuliffe, a fresh batch of beer not seen for many years. With the old label design and everything!

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Here is what the PR people say about this ale, “Jack McAuliffe’s pioneering spirit paved the way for the American craft beer revolution. We’re rereleasing his original Pale Ale, with its distinct American hop character for the first time in 30 years in honor of Jack and his contributions to craft brewing. Cheers!”

Here is my review:

This is more lager-esque than pale ale. But it has a nice citric sweetness going on and a nice bit of hop bitterness on top a light malt base. If you can picture yourself pre craft beer, this would be a huge step away from the industrial water lagers.  But it is a huge step from here to Sierra Nevada pale ale.  But that is what makes this beer important.  It really puts things in perspective.  Maybe next someone will re-create a beer from the old Cartwright brewery.

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Xmas 2012 Sam Adams / Merry Mischief

One of the joys of winter warmers are the spices. Ginger, cinnamon and the like that just have a wonderful aroma and add backbone to a beer. Here is one such beer from Sam Adams….

“This rich dark gingerbread stout entices with the aromas of the holidays, hinting at the merriment and spices within. The flavor of gingerbread comes alive beginning with the smooth sweetness and heartiness of dark roasted malts and a touch of wheat. But it’s the intensity and spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, & ginger that add a wicked kick for a jolly playful brew full of merry mischief.”

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Utopias

Continuing with Sam Adams day, here is the information on this year’s Utopias which is the 10th anniversary edition.

“The 2012 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias has its entire lineage in it, some of the beer has been aged in a variety of wood barrels for 19 years. This long aging process and variety of spirit barrels enhances the beer’s distinct vanilla and maple notes, and its high alcohol content creates a heated aroma of ginger and cinnamon. As a result, this big brew invokes the flavors of a rich vintage Port, fine Cognac, or aged Sherry while feeling surprisingly light on the palate. The brew has sweet flavors of honey, toffee, caramel, cocoa and vanilla, balanced by distinct notes of molasses, raisins, plums and berries.”

You can see a video detailing more information right HERE

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Longshot 2013


Of the many regrets of GABF 2012 was missing the Sam Adams brunch which featured the new crop of LongShot winners. There is only one of me and I had put off a visit to New Belgium for too long. So here is a late but informative look at the new batch of LongShotter’s.

About the winners:
James Schirmer’s Beerflower Wheat is an ideal balance of smooth, sweet malt flavors with an exotic kick of citrus and herbal notes. Brewed with hot summer weather and fun gatherings in mind, this American wheat beer pours a dark amber color, and imparts a light floral and sweet aroma with the delicate flavors of hibiscus. Beerflower Wheat is a medium bodied brew that finishes crisp and refreshing on the palate.

Zack Adams ’ Magnificent Seven is a showcase of seven American hop varieties that impart a big piney and lingering resinous flavor. A true Imperial American IPA, this brew pours a rich bronze color. The slightly sweet malt character is pleasantly balanced by a pronounced hop bitterness with grapefruit, pine and earthy notes from the American hops. This medium-bodied IPA also delivers caramel, citrus, lemon and piney aromas.

Dave Anderson ’s Strawberry Lager is a bright and fresh wheat beer, with a strong strawberry character balanced with toffee and citrus notes – the brewer’s vision of the perfect summertime beer to enjoy after a round of golf on a hot day. Brewed with fresh strawberries, this beer pours a bright golden color and imparts a malty sweetness with hints of lemon and earthiness. Strawberry Lager finishes with a wonderful intensive strawberry flavor without being overwhelming and leaves a lingering creamy sweetness on the palate. Dave has worked as a member of the Samuel Adams Packaging Operations team since 2007.

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FoodGPS Teaser – Pumpkin Beers Review

I have waited until now to talk pumpkin beers. I know they are probably gone from most shelves to be replaced by Christmas ales but I celebrate my holiday’s in order and not in advance. I picked two pumpkin beers to compare. One from Sam Adams and one from Uinta.

Two gourd beers from two different parts of the country and both are pretty different. The Sam Adams poured a darker amber and had a noticeable lack of the pie spice (not a bad thing) and was a little more viscous and malty. It had a definite pumpkin taste. Sort of a yam taste.

The Uinta had a two tiered aroma. First the nutmeg and then a real jack o’lantern hit. The taste did not hold that though. There was some pumpkin flavor but it was more metallic and must have been on a lighter base beer because it poured a golden color.

I gave tasters to my sis-in-law to get her opinion and she agreed. (as well she should). She explained that the Sam Adams pumpkin would be much easier to drink a full glass of and had a more pleasing pumpkin taste. The Uinta tasted more like beer with pumpkin in her opinion.

As a further reference, HERE is the Beer Advocate list of pumpkin beers.

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Okto-Milkshake

I read the following press release with a bit of trepidation….

“As Oktoberfest celebrations come to a head this fall, Red Robin’s new shake will leave beer enthusiasts and dessert-lovers alike craving a cold one—a cold beer milkshake, that is! Now through Nov. 11 (or until supplies last), Red Robin is featuring the Samuel Adams® Octoberfest Milkshake – a unique 21 and over milkshake made with creamy soft serve ice cream, Samuel Adams® Octoberfest draft, vanilla and caramel. A sip of this one-of-a-kind shake will rouse a round of toasts and solve one epic food dilemma, right up there with coffee or tea, onion rings or French fries, and soup or salad. The Octoberfest Milkshake offers a sweet solution – a milkshake and beer – in, one satisfying drink.”

Now this sprung from the mind of the Master Mixologist at Red Robin. A position that I did not know existed. To be honest, I know of only a couple of locations where Red Robin’s are currently and neither are stops on my beer journey’s. It might be good but I would only want a small taster at first before I ponied up any money for it.

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Beer Review – Longshot – Derf’s Secret Alt

One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. We end the month with a secret….

Derf’s Secret Alt
Created by Samuel Adams Employee Fred Hessler
“Fred wanted to go big or go home with his homebrew and decided to brew a kicked up Sticke Alt. This full-bodied ale has a big, malty character balanced by subtle orange and grapefruit notes from the hops. With a light amber color, this brew has a sweet finish.”

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Beer Review – Longshot – Five Crown Imperial Stout

One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. The second beer to be reviewed is an Imperial Stout….

Five Crown Imperial Stout
Created by Joe Formanek
“For the past 15 years, Joe has been brewing his Russian Imperial Stout. This malt-forward brew has a rich complexity, with roasty and chocolate notes, yet enough hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness. This satisfying winter brew is full-bodied with an enjoyable velvety smoothness.”

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New Albion via Boston


This is great news. I was happy to see that Sierra Nevada honored Jack McAuliff in one of their 30th Anniversary brews and now Jim Koch is doing so as well. This will really help the new generation (myself included) who never got the chance to try New Albion back in the day.

“Jack McAuliffe, a pioneer in craft brewing and founder of The New Albion Brewing Company, and Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams announced today their plans to brew McAuliff’s original New Albion Ale for the first time in 30 years. Recognized by beer experts as the original American craft beer, this American pale ale will be brewed true to its original recipe using the original yeast, which has been carefully preserved at the University of California since 1977.

Koch and McAuliffe both share an enormous passion for craft beer and are seen as pioneers in the American Craft Beer Revolution. McAuliffe, a Navy veteran, acquired a taste for flavorful beer while stationed in Scotland in the 1960s. Shortly thereafter he developed a passion for homebrewing and eventually started the nation’s first craft brewery, The New Albion Brewing Company in 1976. Although the brewery closed its doors in 1982 due to a weak economy and a lack of financing options, McAuliffe’s vision for New Albion Ale was ahead of his time, helping pave the way for other American craft breweries, and its impact is still felt today.

“Jack was brewing craft beer when nothing was easy. Nobody made small scale brewing equipment, nobody wanted to invest, retailers and distributors didn’t want your beer, drinkers couldn’t understand why the beer didn’t taste ‘normal.’ It was so different from today,” says Samuel Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch. “New Albion is a true legacy. Jack’s passion for craft beer has had a widespread influence, and has shaped the craft beer landscape. What Jack started 30 years ago inspired brewers to explore brewing full-flavored craft beers. His New Albion Ale was the original craft brew. We wanted to work with Jack to brew his recipe for the first time in almost thirty years and recognize him for his contribution to brewing.”

Samuel Adams is brewing the original recipe for McAuliffe’s flagship beer, New Albion Ale. McAuliffe traveled to Boston in early July to join Koch and the Samuel Adams brewers as they brewed the first batch. New Albion Ale is a deep, golden beer brewed with American Cascade hops and a 2-row malt blend. The Cascade hops, sourced from the Pacific Northwest, create a moderate hop bitterness and lingering notes of citrus and floral, balanced by the upfront cereal character and sweet finish from the malt.

“Jim and I share a common passion for craft brewing, so I was honored when he approached me about bringing the New Albion original recipe back to life,” says Jack McAuliffe brewer and founder of the original New Albion Brewing Company. “I can’t believe I’m brewing New Albion for a new generation of craft beer drinkers – a group that has more great beer choices than I ever had! New Albion will have a place in the growing and diverse craft beer landscape thanks to a fellow craft brewer.”

When McAuliffe decided to turn his passion for homebrewing into a microbrewery, it was one of the first of its kind. At its height, New Albion Brewing Company brewed about 450 barrels annually. Microbreweries struggled under a market dominated by mass domestic beer but paved the way for growth in the 1990s. The number of craft breweries has gone from 8 in 1980, to 537 in 1994, to close to 2000 in 2012.

Jim Koch and Jack McAuliffe share the same pioneering spirit, and like McAuliffe, Koch was convinced that he could find his niche in an uncharted beer market. Koch followed his German-American family tradition and became a brewer, creating the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager® in his kitchen in 1984 from a family recipe. He insisted then, as he does now, that only the world’s finest ingredients will make the best beer, and that quality and flavor are the only standards worth pursuing. Jim wanted a beer brewed with American craftsmanship and pride.

New Albion Ale will be brewed, bottled and sold by The Boston Beer Company. All profits will go directly to Jack McAuliffe. The beer will be served at special events during the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (October 13), in Denver, CO and available nationwide beginning in January of 2013. New Albion Ale will be available in six-packs with a suggested retail price of $7.99.”