Samuel Adams LongShot Grape Pale Ale

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Dark golden with a large, frothy off-white head that is nicely lasting. Aroma is sweet with notes of honey, white pepper, and straw. First impression upon taking a sip is the palate, it is very velvety with a silky carbonation that is absolutely perfect. Flavor-wise - some raw straw, rye bread, lightly fruity hops and something "stale" towards the end - almost like soggy corn tortilla chips. Not really detecting much I’d associate with "grape", however.

Interesting fruit aroma with some caramel malt backing. Beautiful copper/amber color with a white ring for head. Medium body with fizzy/creamy carbonation. Flavor is a bit papery, and arguably a bit vinous. There could be fruit of a grapey sort. There is certainly enough hop to balance the sweet. It’s an interestingly different "pale ale". I wouldn’t drink it constantly, but it is something that would be good every so often.

Clear medium amber, decent head. Aroma is faintly of sweetish malts, some balancing hop bitterness, and faint tannic astringency. Flavor is pretty much a standard amber ale, malty, with some balancing hop bitterness. Not sure I could have picked out grape, but there is something very faintly astringent on the tongue that may be from the grape. Not bad, easy drinker. Would have liked a striking Muscat flavor, but it just isn’t there.

Bottle. Body-deep gold/light brown body with a lasting 1 inch foamy head. Very pleasing to the eyes. Nose-stale crystal malt, lightly soapy, champagne, macroness. Taste-cheap hard grape candy, watered down unsweet grape Kool-Aid, high CO2, cherry, like a heavy, sweet, slightly fruity macro.

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.

My least favorite of all the Long Shot beers to date. Pour was a nice looking golden amber with a one finger head and nice lacing. Weak aroma of wet cardboard. The flavor was sweet sticky malts infused with an overripe grape flavor. The mouthfeel was really syrupy. This brew is certainly not light bodied with any dry flavors at all.

Really deep brassy gold, clear. Soft white head. Sweet juice-syrup aroma, with some cereal malt and a touch of leafy hop. Initially quite a sweet, almost syrupy mouthfeel. Not a true green grape flavour in my opinion, it has a softer edge to it with no tartness at all. More honey-ish really. The mid-palate is clean malts, and the finish has a stemmy/leafy quality with light bitterness. This came across as an english pale ale with a sweeter-than-average profile. Interesting.

Bottle. Pours a typical pale golden color, small white head. Aroma is decent but average, light malt, beer smell. Flavor is dissappointing. Bland pale ale flavor with a macro character. Grape flavor doesn’t become evident til end of glass. Semi dry. Maybe something was lost in the transition from homebrew to mass production. Drinkable but boring.