Samuel Adams LongShot Grape Pale Ale

A beer that could have been decent is ruined becuase the brewer had to get all wacky! This stuff tastes like there was a chewed up stale piece of grape gum at the bottom. Finishing one bottle was a chore, it really was not good.

Pours chill hazy copper with 1-finger off-white head. Aroma is malt, honey, some green grapey and chadonnay notes. The taste is pale malty, with mild hops, and an off-tasting chardonnay flavor that just doesn’t meld with the rest of the beer. I found this one hard to finish, as it seemed to get worse as it warmed. The first few sips were unique, but it fell apart after that. A bit more sweetness and green grape flavor would have improved this one greatly.

Clear golden amber color with a small, foamy head. Don’t let the ’pale ale’ in the name fool you as the hop aroma and flavors are minimal. Aroma is light, sweet, fruity malt. Flavor is crisp and fruity with a bit of malt, acidity and a light, sweet grape finish. Not a pale ale at all but a good, refreshing light lager.

Not very good. Pretty weak flavor. A little bit of grape sweetness, but I am not really tasting any fruitiness. Light bodied, pale lager taste. Drinkable. My beer is way better than this.

12 oz. bottle from the LongShot six pack. Pours a nice dark amber color with a small head. Aroma is light with maple syrup. Taste is nice, but nothing too special. Not sure how this one was declared winner.

Fruit malt aroma with a light amount of maple syrup. Clear orange color with a medium white head. Sweet start with a malty finish and little hops. Moderate body.

12 oz. bottle from Family Liquors, Homewood, IL. Not quite sure why this one was deemed necessary. Well, color is a little darker than average pale ale. Fluffy head like the top of a cloud. Maybe I shouldn’t be judging the smell, as I’ve been handling a projectile-pooping baby today, but I, too, detect some phenol in the grape portion. Taste really can’t settle into what it’s supposed to be. I think that, yeah, there’s some grape that undergone a dry finish, with no wine tannins. But as other raters have noted, there’s not much that’s distinguishable as the "pale ale" part of this recipe. There should be at least one strong hop in here to cut though the sweetness and bring in some contrast. Well, let’s try Rodney’s weizenbock next time I’m here…

bottle, wispy head, mild grape medicinal nose and taste of tylenol, not my preference