Category Archives: Samuel Adams

Hello again guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Samuel Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA produced by the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Just picked this up yesterday and thought I would give it a try.

Let’s see if we can find any information about it on the breweries website, samueladams.com.

Dark, and fierce, this English porter was transformed, from a mild ale to a dark and complex lager that confounds definition.   Immersed in dark, roasted malts and a bold citrus hop character, these big and contrasting flavors are brought together with the smoothness of a lager for a brew that’s rugged, mysterious, and full of flavor.

How ’bout a sip or two?

The Dark Depths came in a 22 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 7.6%.

The beer poured a dark brown with and underlying ruby tint.  It was clear too.  I could actually see right through it when I held it toward a light source.  The head was off white, very full, thick, creamy and frothy.  The size was tremendous and the retention time was great.  The lacing was both patchy and clingy.  This beer looked really nice in the glass.

The nose seemed very, very light and relaxed at first, but it gradually came into focus the longer it sat.  It revealed hints of earth, toasted breads and some very faint dark fruit notes (plums, grapes).  I found some citrus and piny relishes along with some very subdued chocolate and coffee hints.  It wasn’t too strong or robust, but everything did seem to be balanced very well.

The taste brought forth quite a bit more of the chocolate as well as some slightly charred coffee beans.  It was still rather earthy though as it continued with some toasted bread and biscuit savors.  The hops were citrusy, piny and grassy.  I didn’t really find any of the dark fruit flavors that were noticed in the aroma, although the coffee beans and chocolate totally covered for any misplacement. 

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/full bodied.  It was very smooth, slick and very dry.  The carbonation was quite good and a plethora of flavors were left behind long after each sip.

Yeah, this is another decent beer.  It does kind of follow that Black IPA trend that’s been happening over the past year or so, but it’s still worth a try if you like that style.  It personally has never been a favorite of mine, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy one on occasion.  I just can’t make a night of them.  This beer didn’t really stand out as being anything special, however it wasn’t anywhere close to being horrible or off putting either.  It was well balanced with plenty of a aroma and flavor and it made for a relatively easy drink on this lazy Saturday afternoon.  I’d say pick up a bottle if you see the Samuel Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA, but I, personally, wouldn’t go out of my way to find it again.  That’s just my opinion of course, so try it yourself and see what you think and let me know your thoughts.  

Thanks for reading and commenting folks.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.75 out of 5
Grade:  B   

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Samuel Adams Octoberfest brewed by the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts.

This is a brew that I, like most, try to pick up every year just to see how it stacks up to the other Oktoberfests on the market.

Let’s get to the website, samueladams.com. 

Brewed with five varieties of malted barley for a big, rich flavor. 

The first thing you notice when pouring a glass of this seasonal beer is the color.  Samuel Adams Octoberfest has a rich, deep reddish amber hue which itself is reflective of the season.  Samuel Adams Octoberfest masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee.  The malt is complimented by the elegant bitterness imparted by the Bavarian Noble hops.  Samuel Adams Octoberfest provides a wonderful transition from the lighter beers of summer to the heartier brews of winter. 

This brew has an ABV of 5.3% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle.  

It poured a clear, amber/copper/rust color with some burnt orange highlights circling around the bottom of the glass.  The head was a light cream color of good size with average retention and some fair lacing left behind.  The crown was smooth, soft and sort of creamy. 

The nose started with some jolts of caramel sweetness.  Subtle spices of nutmeg were intermingled with some earthy hops and tones of fresh grain, which were enhanced even further by a fragrance of dried, crumbled leaves.  It seemed to be balanced very well, however it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for the style. 

The taste revealed slightly toasted bread crumbs along with more of the sweet caramel malt.  A moderate graininess joined the party and the spices gave a slight sting and really held their own.  In fact, the spices kind of became the defining factor after the brew warmed considerabley.  Again, fairly well balanced and decent. 

The mouthfeel was medium, crisp, smooth and dry.  A decent bit of flavor was left behind, which created a somewhat chewy feel.  Not bad. 

Overall, this beer is pretty good in my opinion.  It’s a mostly straight forward Marzen.  It’s not anything too crazy or misinterpreted.  Sometimes I like a brew that’s a little more to the point like this one is.  The Samuel Adams Octoberfest is easily drinkable, very sessionable and completely fits the mood of the season.  I could picture myself sitting around the campfire on a cool, crisp, Fall evening enjoying several of these.  If you haven’t had this years version of the Samuel Adams Octoberfest yet, pick up a bottle or two.  The recipe hasn’t changed much (if at all) and it should match up well against the plethora of other Fall seasonals out there. 

Thanks for reading everyone.  Have a great day.

Cheers.

Score:  3.6 out of 5
Grade:  B

Today, for my craft beer review, I thought I would review another brew from the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts.  The Samuel Adams Irish Red.

As I have mentioned in previous reviews regarding the Samuel Adams line of beers, I truly respect and appreciate what they have to offer and what they have done to help bring craft beer a little bit of publicity. 

As far as this beer, I have tried it a few times, but it has been several years since I last had one, so I’m having trouble recalling what I thought of it.

The website, samueladams.com, has this to say about the Irish Red.

The gentle rain and fertile soil of Ireland helped inspire this style of ale, known for being remarkably balanced.  Pale and caramel malts give Samuel Adams Irish Red its rich, deep red color and distinctive caramel flavor.  The sweetness of the malt is pleasantly balanced by an earthy character from the East Kent Goldings hops.  Samuel Adams Irish Red finishes smooth and leaves you wanting to take another sip. 

Let’s pour. 

This beer is 5.8% ABV and comes in a 12 oz. bottle. 

The appearance was a very nice, clear, ruby red to copper color with some burnt orange highlights shimmering throughout.  The head was a very light tan color with ok size, average retention and decent lacing.  The crown settled to a slender ring around the top of the liquid.

The aroma started with a sweetness similar to cranberry juice.  Maybe even some raspberry.  I’m not real sure about that, but it’s very similar if not.  I detected the most faint hint of caramel malt at first, although after the beer warmed a bit the caramel became more forthcoming.  The malt seemed to convey somewhat of a toasty aroma that added a touch of complexity.

In the taste, I picked up some of the caramel malt, however I also found a weird medicinal, cherry cough syrup type of flavor.  I didn’t care much for that really.  The taste also had a touch of “earthy” hops and smidgen of bitterness.  It finished with a light toasted bread savor.  I’m not extremely well versed with these types of beers, so I was having a bit of trouble distinguishing some of the characteristics.  Forgive my ignorance.

The mouthfeel was medium, smooth, slick and dry.  The palate was not left with a whole lot of flavor however.

Hmm.  Well, this is not my favorite effort from Samuel Adams.  I do think the appearance is nice.  I love the color.  The taste was just a little too medicinal for me and I didn’t think that it had enough caramel malt.  I could probably have one or two during a sitting, but then I would probably move on to something else.  I can’t see myself wanting to try this again anytime soon.  Some may find this beer to be just what they are looking for, and that’s great, however it’s just not my preferred style.

Have you guys tried the Samuel Adams Irish Red?  What did you think of it?

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  Have a great craft beer weekend.

Cheers.

Score:  3.05 out of 5
Grade:  C+