Sam Adams

TheDarkReaver · #1 01-22-2009, 08:32 PM

So I've been on this pub crawl tonight and we went to this bar/restaurant called 'old orleans'. It's basically this New Orleans/Cajun themed place. They had bottled beers quite cheap and one of them was Sam Adams. Now I've heard you guys speak of this beer but never seen it over here. I thought why the heck not and tried it. I have to say I'm rather impressed, for an American bottled beer it was actually rather good. It was a lager but it had a bit of an ale taste to it.

For the first time in my life I can say that American beer doesn't suck all that bad. Well done!

MJ5150 · #2 01-22-2009, 09:04 PM

They have cool commercials that make you believe they really do care about the quality of their product.

-Mike

SuperDuck · #3 01-22-2009, 09:15 PM

While the real strength of American beers lies in micro breweries, Sam Adams is one of the best "big" brewing companies around. They have a variety of beers, and many of them are outstanding!

CamMcIntyre · #4 01-22-2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperDuck

While the real strength of American beers lies in micro breweries, Sam Adams is one of the best "big" brewing companies around. They have a variety of beers, and many of them are outstanding!

+1. Sam Adams is a safe bet beer for me. When I show up at a bar, it's typically one of the first beers I'll ask about.

Joe Gress · #5 01-22-2009, 09:58 PM

Sam Adams is a fine American beer indeed.

**Eric Perry** · #6 01-22-2009, 09:58 PM

I'm a fan. Their Octoberfest, Winter Lager, Cherry Wheat, and Cranberry Lambic are favorites of mine.

hbarcat · #7 01-22-2009, 10:09 PM

The giant American beer factories (Miller, Bud, Coors etc..) make their beer as cheaply as possible, substituting rice and corn for barley and using hi tech additives and preservatives but low quality grains and hops. Result: crappy tasting beer.

Sam Adams (Boston Beer Company) is also a large brewery but they actually brew beer according to a more traditional approach - no adjuncts or preservatives and much higher quality base grains, specialty grains and hops. Result: decent tasting beer.

Another thing I like about Sam Adams is they are not afraid to use a little variation in their recipes from batch to batch and I can easily taste different amounts of specialty grains or hops.

The big American beer factories would be horrified if one of their customers wrote them an email telling them they could taste a difference between Bud Lite from November '08 and Bud Lite from December '08.

hbarcat · #8 01-22-2009, 10:15 PM

Sam Adams went through a "phase" a couple of years ago when they upped the amount of hops in all their recipes and I didn't like it because their beers were all out of balance (too bitter). I like a nice hop character, but they kind of went overboard. I think they got a lot of complaints because they've since toned it back down.

A lot of the smaller craft brewed beers have gained some popularity by being ultra, ultra hoppy and I think Sam Adams thought they could gain some wider appeal by hopping aboard that bandwagon.

Get it? "Hopping"?

MakiSupaStar · #9 01-22-2009, 10:17 PM

Winter Brew. Woooot!!!!

MJ5150 · #10 01-22-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Sam Adams (Boston Beer Company) is also a large brewery but they actually brew beer according to a more traditional approach - no adjuncts or preservatives and much higher quality base grains, specialty grains and hops.

Another thing I like about Sam Adams is they are not afraid to use a little variation in their recipes from batch to batch and I can easily taste different amounts of specialty grains or hops.

See what I mean about my earlier post? Those commercials are totally believable.

I think it's probably the guy in the Carhartt coveralls who looks kinda like Scott Ian.

-Mike

WickedPissah · #11 01-22-2009, 10:32 PM

Maybe I've had it before, maybe not...

ok you got me...shh.

Boston Lager is quality.

kesslari · #12 01-22-2009, 11:05 PM

Yep, a good beer for certain.
Next stop - get some Sierra Nevada.

DudeistMonk · #13 01-22-2009, 11:07 PM

I love the Boston Ale and you can't really go wrong with most of their brews, especially the seasonals (well except spring, but that's not my type of beer)

They also host a home brew competition and they "publish" the winners beers in a sampler pack. As a home brewer myself this gives me a greater respect for Sam, that and the fact that they use proper brown bottles and not twists.

Long story short Sam is one of the few big name domestics I drink and I wish the rest even compared.

jonathan_matos5 · #14 01-22-2009, 11:23 PM

Sam Adams in the UK

they must be getting less patriotic over there in Boston perhaps another "Tea Party" is in order

hbarcat · #15 01-23-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

See what I mean about my earlier post? Those commercials are totally believable.

I think it's probably the guy in the Carhartt coveralls who looks kinda like Scott Ian.

-Mike

I started homebrewing in 1988 which was the same year that Sam Adams beer went from a 500 bbl microbrew to brewing 36,000 bbls (the giant breweries brew millions of bbls/year). Sam Adams still brew beer today in a scaled up version using traditional microbrewing techniques and with quality of ingredients being a higher priority than cheapness.

Along with many other homebrewers I've known over the years, I've brewed clones of some of Sam Adams beers and it can't be done by substituting rice and corn for barley, taking shortcuts and going cheap. Some of my homebrewing friends have toured the Boston brewery and it's brewed the way they say.

Scoff if you want, this is how good beer is made commercially.

David Xanatos · #16 01-23-2009, 12:37 AM

Boston Lager is too sharp for me it's like drinking overcarbinated soda. Octoberfest I like.

hbarcat · #17 01-23-2009, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Xanatos

Boston Lager is too sharp for me it's like drinking overcarbinated soda. Octoberfest I like.

+1 Their Boston Lager and Boston Ale used to be a lot mellower and I haven't been that fond of either of them for a few years since they've made them more aggressive. The Octoberfest is very good but I will truly never get tired of their cream stout.

steve21 · #18 01-23-2009, 12:54 AM

I like Blue Moon.

louieeadg · #19 01-23-2009, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

+1 Their Boston Lager and Boston Ale used to be a lot mellower and I haven't been that fond of either of them for a few years since they've made them more aggressive. The Octoberfest is very good but I will truly never get tired of their cream stout.

I've been a fan of the Honey Porter...hard to get in these parts though.

And for some reason...the Oktoberfest, and Winter Lager tasted better three years ago...just my humble opinion...

SuperDuck · #20 01-23-2009, 06:18 AM

Sam Adams Cream Stout ftw!