Samuel Adams Boston Ale

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Amber Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Pours a clear, medium amber color. A foamy, off-white head shows surprisingly good retention and leaves sticky traces of lacing behind. The aroma shows toasted pale malts, sweet caramel, bready yeast, light cream, and mild floral hops. There might also be a drop of honey in there as well. The flavor imparts a mildly bitter floral hop kick over sweet caramel and dry, bready grains. Drinks pretty smooth. Lighter bodied and even keeled, I could probably session this at a bar if there were no better options. Finishes short and dry, with a sour little twang fading quickly. Decent little amber.

Bottle. Amber color with a white head. Fruity aroma with spicy hop and caramel malt. Medium carbonation. Not harsh to the palate, but yet not creamy either. Nicely balanced flavor between the strong hops and the malt. But fruity, which made this an interesting ale. A nice treat.

Pours copper with white fast disappearing head. In nose roasted malts and dark bread. Flavour is caramel and some spices with a bitter finish.

This is a glowing, brass brew with a big, frothy head and nice lacing. The beer looks great, even if the label is only average. The taste is dry and lightly bitter, a little yeasty and nutty. I remember when this beer had a nice, fruity quality, but that must have been from a previous recipe. This version is a little watery and could use some more complexity. The best thing about it is the way it looks. It is still a decent drink, but not my favorite from the Boston Beer Co.

Best By Date of April 2008; Sampled February 2008
Pours with a frothy, lightly pockmarked surface, light tan, initially fat-two finger thick head. The beer is a clear, lightly cranberry stained, amber color but shows a bright, full copper color when held up to the light. The lightly hoppy aroma smells lightly metallic, a bit grassy and with a light herbal note. Thin malt notes, slight berry-like aromatics with perhaps a touch of stale citrus also are present. The aroma is not bad, but somehow is not all that appealing either.

The beer tastes lightly sweet up front, which accents a berry like fruitiness in the middle as well as a soft, sweet citrus note. A light, but substantial bitterness is found throughout the flavor profile, but it turns a bit tinny in the finish with a metallic astringency. This is certainly a hop focused beer, though I would not necessarily characterize it as a hoppy brew; the malt does play a secondary role here though; providing light flavors of caramelized malt, some biscuit notes and of course the grain sweetness. The beer has some heft to it, with a light medium fullness to it, but it is definitely a beer meant for quaffing. The hops provide flavors of light herbal, a touch of tangerine, and even a bit of hop-spice.

Not a bad brew, the aroma is a bit lacking, but the flavor is certainly agreeable.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson AZ

almost tastes like a stout to me, but without the smoothness. great hop selection!

Bottle. Pours a dark amber colour. Malty on the nose. Mostly malts, some sweet and buttery notes, in the taste together with an unobtrusive bitterness. I found this to be too thin-bodied.

2007. golden amber. white head dissipates quickly. aromas: dough, a little wetgrass. taste: sand, a little spice. sweet, acidic and smooth body: rolls right over the tongue. skips the front of the palate rolls right down the throat