Samuel Adams LongShot Double IPA

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Boston, Massachusetts USA

12 oz bottle. I did a side by side comparison with Pliney the Elder due to this beer’s reputation as a clone of PtE. This beer tasted more like the PtE clone that I brewed than PtE. Less aromatic, and more bitter than PtE, and a little maltier as well. A very nice DIPA but not in PtE’s league.

hazy orange pour with a small one finger white head. aroma of piney, citrus hops. warming complex taste of floral hops with a short bitter finnish.

This Double IPA pours a nice copper color with a mild head. The nose on this beer does not let you down. Tangerines,herbal,bright floral hops are just a few of the aromas this offers. The taste is very nice as well. Citrus,hops,with a mild body, but great malt balance. Great job Mike McDole!

Wow, what a lead up to this beer, with press pro and con all over the place. First off, let me say that both Pliny’s hold a special place in my heart as perfedct examples of my favorite style. I had also heard anecdotal stories of how some people had gotten bad bottles of this one. On to my review................{wait for it................wait for it.............} The pour is turbid deep ruby orangy with 2-finger creamy off-white head and copious lacing. Nose is heavy piney hops, tropical fruit, including tangerine, pineapple, mango, plus black pepper, female feety Simcoey hops. The flavor is very piney, hoppy, resiny, on the bitter side at first, with a rich, very complex palate, and "in your face hops" that never let up, constantly pounding you olfactory and pappilary senses with piney resiny hoppy goodness. Is this better than PTE. I don’t know and I don’t really care. What I do know is that I WILL do these side by side, and I will buy both every time I get a chance. Big cheers to Mike McDale for brewing a beer this good, and to Jim Koch for recognizing it.

Small white head, retention is fair, lacing is spotty. Hazy, copper hued ale. Nose is nice and citrusy, piney and juicey. Nicely fruity. Med/full body lightly resiny on the palate with a good carbonation level. Surprisingly alot of hop flavor goodness, citrus, grapefruit, pine and then some toasty pale malts slunkin around in there, earthy woody notes, juicey. Lightly sweet finish that coulda used a bit more bite, otherwise,,,, hhhmmmmmmm. Not bad.

12 oz bottle. Pours a hazy copper color with a thin off-white head. Aroma of strong, floral, musty hops. Nice, thick, hoppy aroma with a strong aftertaste. Good, but not my favorite IPA.

This is far and away the best freakin beer Sam Adams has ever made! Delicious hoppy resiny golden elixer that can should have been named Pliny of the East. Your typical Sam Adams lager drinker will hate it, but count this as a big score for true craft beer folks. Absolutey loved it.

I was so excited to try this beer... I drink Pliny almost on a daily basis, living in Marin County close to Santa Rosa, CA (Where The Russian River Brewing Company is located). After trying this DIPA I was shocked, how it’s not that GOOD! Hoppy beers should have a hoppy after taste in your mouth not copper. PLEASE DON"T COMPARE THIS BEER WITH PLINY THE ELDER... Every beer magazine compares this longshot beer with Vinnie’s Hop Nectar "PLINY"... IT’S NOT!!!!!!!! Four Word Review Suck on a penny! LONG LIVE PLINY!