Samuel Adams Holiday Porter
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

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From:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Porter
Ranked #90
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,785
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 12.37%
Reviews:
1,227
Ratings:
2,604
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 02, 2023
Added:
Oct 17, 2004
Wants:
  59
Gots:
  286
A traditional, British-style porter - robust and full bodied - Samuel Adams® Holiday Porter was introduced as a member of the Winter Classics Mix Pack in 2004. Holiday Porter, with its rich malt complexity, has become a favorite among our winter seasonal brews. In total, five varieties of malted barley are used in the brewing process including a variety of German malt called Carafa®. The Carafa® gives our Holiday Porter its smooth, roasted malt character. Add generous portions of imported hops to the mix and one has a brew that is both robust and high in drinkability.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 40451:
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Rated by 40451 from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7.5%

May 19, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.96 by AndyGG from California

Oct 02, 2023
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Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Dark caramel, but not as dark as a cola soda, it came out of a brown twelve ounce bottle and into a clear glass Imperial pint mug. There's plenty of off-white foam on top. If anything, it really doesn't bring much to the nose. Thankfully, there's not an overload of spices, but unfortunately, there's also very little malt. The foam recedes without any glass lacing. Although its dark color is bright, it's also opaque. It brings a little, emphasize little, more malt to taste than to nose. The best part of drinking this is the roasted malt and mild hop finish. That turns out to be OK. But, overall this is a run of the mill porter and nothing to celebrate. At least there isn't an overload of spices. For some reason there was sporadic glass lacing.
Jan 12, 2023
 
Rated: 3.62 by not2quick from Missouri

Nov 22, 2022
 
Rated: 3.54 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Jun 03, 2022
 
Rated: 3.67 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Feb 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.8 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 16, 2022
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Rated by smaddock from Massachusetts

1.71/5  rDev -54%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Quite possibly the worst porter I have ever encountered. It's thin, with an unpleasant forward and even less pleasant aftertaste. Stay away.
Jan 09, 2022
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Reviewed by imnodoctorbut from Texas

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
got it in the variety pack this year. fairly solid but nothing to write home about. I looked forward to it in the pack as a nice palate cleanser (ha) but it doesn't stick out in any particular area.
cola body with a tan low retention head
aroma was a blip. n/a
somewhat of a brisk taste punched up with toffee and lowkey bakers chocolate along with a dash of holiday baking spice; if all that sounds nice, dial it back about 9 notches. the notes are subtle, really. had to search while sipping.
mouthfeel was relatively smooth, contrasting the taste in an interesting way, but still a little bland.
overall, wasn't bad, but wasn't great. a good middle ground, however.
Jan 04, 2022
 
Rated: 3.19 by sbradley41 from Pennsylvania

Dec 25, 2021
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Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa

4.09/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured cold from a 12-ounce bottle into a snifter. Deep brown in color, with ruby highlights and a long-lasting light tan head that left some great lacing as it settled. This has a nice roasty character, with lots of char and some molasses on the nose and palate. Medium bodied, with a slightly watery mouthfeel. Pleasant bitterness that lingers on the finish, which I appreciate in a roasty porter. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. Well made, quite tasty, and a satisfying quaff.
Dec 20, 2021
 
Rated: 3.81 by PaulMayer from Illinois

Dec 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.89 by Meddwol from Michigan

Dec 19, 2021
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Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.59/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from Shaw's
Dark brown with faint ruby at the edges and a decent sized short lived khaki head. Light roast and chocolate but more darker caramel with a hint of earth and spice. Decent.
Dec 18, 2021
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Reviewed by DavetotheB from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz bottle dated "Enjoy before" April 2022 into a pint glass.

Pours a nearly opaque dark brownish red with about two fingers of light reddish tan head. Great retention and lacing.

Smells of smoke and roastiness and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Roastiness predominates the flavor with some cinnamon in there as well. Touch of bitterness.

Smoke and bitter aftertaste. Medium to thin-bodied. Low carbonation.

Very different than most porters I've had. Interesting and tasty but questioning whether it fits the style all that well.
Dec 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4.8 by shu from Georgia

Dec 09, 2021
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Reviewed by Valdez_Mescalito from Michigan

4.06/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2021 Beers for Cheers Variety Pack - 12 pack
12 oz. bottle dated 295 1 (10/22/21) - 5.8% ABV / 40 IBU
Brewed and bottled in Breinigsville, PA?
Poured into a Bell's branded nonic pint glass

Look - Pours a dense, beige colored head that clings to the glass. Reddish brown to black appearance with a faint amount of light coming through.
Smell - The scent is roasted malt, caramel, toffee, and slight chocolate.
Taste - The initial taste is a sort of caramel bitterness that leads into a chocolate malt aftertaste. The bitterness really dominates and lingers for a while on the tongue. You can taste more of the earth from the hops as it warms.
Feel - Semi-thick body with a crisp mouthfeel and finishes somewhat dry.
Overall - The bitterness kinda overpowers some of the other flavors, but that's not necessarily a problem.
Dec 09, 2021
Photo of Foyle
Reviewed by Foyle from North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. 2" tan head falls slowly with plenty of lacing. Reddish brown color. Aroma of rich roasty malt and molasses. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy with a dry finish. Flavors of chocolate, caramel, raisin, dark roasted malt, and earthy hops. Overall: excellent.
Dec 08, 2021
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Reviewed by Joefromgeorgia from Georgia

2.6/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
This tastes and feels kinda light for a Porter. Slight bitter, very malty, makes you think you took a big bite of some kinda wet brown molasses bread. And I swear to God, maybe I'm having a stroke, but I get this late after tastes of a smokey, kinda cigarette ash. Idk. No one here's smokin. Yuengling has a much better Porter, for a little less money. But I'm just an average Joe, not a beer snob. You want a 6 point profile on flavor go look at some of these ironic beard raters, that's who Sammy brews for
Dec 07, 2021
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Rated by GStone899 from Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
It's decent but pretty thin. Chocolate and coffee flavors but mouthfeel is lacking.
Dec 05, 2021
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 2604 ratings