Samuel Adams LongShot Old Ale

Formerly brewed at Boston Beer Company
Style: Old Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Third and final Longshot beer, still watching the Warriors kick the crap outta the Mavericks. Aroma is carmael, raisins, and slightly doughy. Appearance is crystal clear, brown with a nice 1 finger white head. Flavor is malty sweet, raisins, bready, and alcohol. I don’t have a ton of experience with the style of Old Ale, but this really reminded me of a barleywine on training-wheels. Really a tasty beer. Kudos to Samuel Adams for producing good beers with the entire Longshot series.

Bottle sampled on 3/3/07: Pours a transparent bright copper orange with a thin, wispy-lacing off-white head. Sweet sugary dark caramel malty aroma has a touch of earthy piny hops. Body starts with a full malty viscous dark caramel maltiness with a nice bittersweet balance with some light fruity notes and good complexity. A pretty good old ale.

Pours reddish copper. Nothing real distinguishing, just a typical hoppy amber-like beer.

12 oz bottle. Pours clear dark copper color with lite brown head. Aroma sweet malt. Taste of sweet malt, brown suger and alcohol warming.

This one, the alcohol is overwhelming, but it is a good beer for a homebrew. I wouldn’t drink it again...or maybe I would. If you buy one for me...

Poured into a Pint glass. Pours a red copper colour, fizzy off white frothy head with large bubbles and good retention with an instant lacing of the glass. Vinus malty aroma. Taste starts with a malty, rock candy,caramel combined with a well balanced hop bitterness for finishing taste. Silky Smooth on the palate. 10.6% is well represented and not overpowering. Big Props to this one, by far the best of the long shot variety.

Bottled. Well, I’ll rate this now and cellar the other one. Probably the best of the Long Shot batch. Opens with a big malt smell, though slightly sugary. Deep brown color under a thick head that, after dwindling, leaves a touch of cling to the sides. Taste has rich caramel malts, a bit chewy and sticky even. There is a trace of oxidation, though, that could increase in an aged bottle. Considering the pomp that accompanies most Sam Adams big beers, this is a modest surprise worth seeking out.

Compliments of Beer of the Week fraternity brother. My first go around with the Home Brew collection from Sam Adams. Nice umber brown pour with a staunch tan foam head. Full bodied malt and brandy aroma opened my sinuses on each sip. Flavor was equally , full bodied and represented a good hearty ale worthy of a manly man of my stature. Aftertaste was strong and lingered until a fresh swig brought forth more robust flavor and sweet 10.6% alchohol burn. This ale is fantastic. I will drink it again and again.