Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner is one of the brewery's "extreme" beers. This is a seriously malty and hoppy brew! It poured a medium amber color with a large golden head that lasted a long time. The aroma is flowery piney hops and sweet malt. The first sip was quite sweet, and then the hops hit with a vengeance! This beer is more like an Imperial IPA than a Pilsner. As expected, the finish was decidedly bitter. Alcohol is at 8.1%, but there is no specific alcohol flavor, as it's hidden by the hops. If you're a hop-head, this is definitely worth looking for. It's packaged in a four pack and a bit pricey, but well worth it.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Today is the beginning of Autumn, so what better beer than an Octoberfest? I had a bottle of Samuel Adams ready and waiting. The beer poured a deep copper color, with an off-white head. The head didn't last as long as I would have liked. The beer didn't disappoint though. It had a strong malt base, with some caramel sweetness. Hop level was low, as I would expect for this type of beer. This went perfectly with our roasted chicken, butternut squash and corn bread - an excellent way to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox.

Sam Adams Light

I have a bunch of Sam Adams Light left over from my birthday party, so I decided to try one today. I've had it in the past, but my memory of the experience eluded me. It poured a pale amber color, with a small white head. The aroma was malt, which is unlike most light beers. One taste told me that if I had to drink a light beer, this would be the one. It does not compare to their Boston Lager for sure, but it is head and shoulders above the Beck's I had a while back. This is much more malty, with a better body than the Beck's. Of course, at 119 calories, it should be, since the Beck's was half that number. Of course, bottled water has no calories, so it would be a better choice than the Beck's.

Birthday dinner at Long Horn

Today was my official half-century birthday, and I celebrated it with my family by having dinner at Long Horn Steakhouse. I think Long Horn is one of the best steak restaurants there is. I've had tough steaks at some pretty fancy restaurants, but Long Horn is consistently good. I was a little concerned when the chain was bought out by Darden, the owner of Red Lobster, but I guess they decided not to mess with success. My only complaint is that their beer selection is sketchy, with Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Blue Moon representing their most adventurous selections. Fortunately I like them both, and chose a Sam Adams tonight - in the big 25 oz mug. Hey - it's my birthday, right? The prime rib was tasty, although it was cooked a little more than I wanted, and the Sam Adams was ice cold. Sam from the tap is a different beer from Sam in a bottle. They're both excellent, but draft is better. Maybe it's just the presentation, but it tastes fresher, and has more hop flavor and aroma. I had a nice dinner with good company for my 50th.

SURPRISE!!

Today started out as a pretty normal Sunday, except that my sister and brother-in-law are down from New York, on vacation. Being a good sister, she brought me some Saranac, and some beer from a brewery I was unfamiliar with - Otter Creek Brewing, which is in Vermont. We ate a late breakfast, and had plans to do an early dinner at my daughter's house, so my sister could see her niece's new home. I decided to go do some shopping, in preparation for my 50th birthday, which is coming up in a week, so my sister and her husband and I jumped in the car and took a ride. Our shopping trip ended just in time to get to my daughter's home at the designated time. I knocked on the door, and as I was let into the house - SURPRISE!! My family had thrown me a surprise birthday party for my 50th. I was floored! Totally clueless! I never suspected a thing. It was a great party, with good friends and family, lots of good food, and plenty of good beer. I was touched that they had planned this for me, and I had a great time. When I knew I would be just in time for "dinner", I asked my wife to bring one of the new Otter Creek beers with her to go along with my meal. So the first beer I had was Otter Creek's Stovepipe Porter, a roasty robust version of the style. I then switched to Flying Dog's Snake Dog - a very snappy, hoppy IPA. I cut myself off at 3 beers, so I picked a classic - Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I think this is one of the best lagers on the planet. The time flew by, the party ended, and I think everyone left smiling. I had a great early birthday! And now I know why my wife wanted me to get a haircut!

Samuel Adams Brown Ale

This is the third beer in the Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Assortment That I bought a few months ago. This brown ale had a small tan head that didn't last long, but left some lacing on the glass. It was a clear brown color, with the aroma of malt and caramel. The caramel was evident in the flavor as well, along with the nutty flavor that brown ales have. It was balanced by the right amount of hops, making this a very enjoyable ale to go with my lunch. Samuel Adams rarely lets me down.

Boston Beer Co's Samuel Adams Scotch Ale

I have a new favorite Scotch Ale, and it's from Samuel Adams. This is by far the richest, maltiest, and smokiest Scotch Ale I have tasted to date. The Boston Beer Co. simply knows how to make excellent beer. You can tell from the picture that this is a rich ale, from the deep amber color and the full tan-colored head. The head lasted a long time, and left lacing all the way from the top to the bottom. When I can brew a beer that tastes just like this one, I know I have become a successful homebrewer. Check it out!

Samuel Adams Honey Porter

Finally, a beer with a great big creamy head! In fact, I had to stop pouring to keep it from overflowing the glass. This is another fine beer from Boston Beer Co. - Samuel Adams Honey Porter. This is in the style of a Robust Porter - deep brown, and real roasty. It had a faint scent of honey, but most of the flavor was roasted and chocolate malt. I have never been disappointed by a Samuel Adams brew, and this just continues the trend of great, flavorful beers. This bottle came from a Brewmaster's assortment 6 pack, along with two other varieties.

Samuel Adams White Ale at Mimi's Cafe

Tonight I enjoyed a nice meal at Mimi's Cafe, and a Samuel Adams White Ale on draft. Their White Ale is their Spring offering from the Seasonal collection. I always prefer draft beer when I can get it, so this was a treat. The beer is an American version of the Belgian Witbier and was cloudy like a wit. It had a nice citrusy flavor, and was a little spicy. It's very similar to Blue Moon's White ale. It went well with my Chicken Cordon Blue, which was also delicious. It was good with my wife's dinner too - an excellent pot roast. Check out Mimi's!

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Samuel Adams Black Lager from the Boston Beer Company, is part of their Brewmaster's Collection. It pours a deep, nearly black color, with a small light-colored head. As you can see in the photo, the head disappeared pretty quickly. It's roughly in the style of a Schwartzbier and is smooth and easy to drink. The flavor is more roasty than a typical lager, and the hop character is much less pronounced than their standard Boston Lager. I really enjoyed this one, and would welcome a six-pack from time to time. This was purchased in their "Brewmaster's Collection", which also included their Brown Ale and Honey Porter.