Samuel Adams Holiday Porter | Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Brewed by:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Massachusetts, United States
samueladams.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.80%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by DFN on 10-17-2004
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 2,459 | Reviews: 1,185
Reviews by jordanmills:
More User Reviews:
2.29/5 rDev -38.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25
Small bubbly head, with a dark, yet relatively light, color for a porter.
A relatively straight-forward coffee bean smell, with some vanilla sweetness.
A skanky malty taste, with some minor cacao undertones. Has a fair amount of sourness to it. Overall, a quite unpleasant beer.
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look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25
Small bubbly head, with a dark, yet relatively light, color for a porter.
A relatively straight-forward coffee bean smell, with some vanilla sweetness.
A skanky malty taste, with some minor cacao undertones. Has a fair amount of sourness to it. Overall, a quite unpleasant beer.
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3.98/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a deep,rich brown with a fluffy mocha colored two finger head that settles very slowly leaving a nice sheet of lace behind,alot of nice aromas going on roasted nuts and vanilla stick out most to me with a hint of milk chocolate as well.Those roasted nuts are quite noticable in the flavors of this beer as well,along with that vanilla not overly sweet a good almost herbal-like dryness comes thru late.Quite flavorful and drinkable maybe a little different take on a porter with some different flavors going on,well done.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a deep,rich brown with a fluffy mocha colored two finger head that settles very slowly leaving a nice sheet of lace behind,alot of nice aromas going on roasted nuts and vanilla stick out most to me with a hint of milk chocolate as well.Those roasted nuts are quite noticable in the flavors of this beer as well,along with that vanilla not overly sweet a good almost herbal-like dryness comes thru late.Quite flavorful and drinkable maybe a little different take on a porter with some different flavors going on,well done.
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3.3/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A-dark, dark brown to black with a half inch of light brown head.
S- of chocolate, alcohol, a lot of carbonation and a slight hint of coffee and smoke.
T- can definitely taste the chocolate, a little malt and coffee, kind of watery and alcohol tasting.
M- Very light for a porter, has a fizzy carbonation feel. Kind of slick and watery.
D- drinkable.
Notes: A descent porter, a little light and watery feeling for my liking. Good flavor overall and a descent porter.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A-dark, dark brown to black with a half inch of light brown head.
S- of chocolate, alcohol, a lot of carbonation and a slight hint of coffee and smoke.
T- can definitely taste the chocolate, a little malt and coffee, kind of watery and alcohol tasting.
M- Very light for a porter, has a fizzy carbonation feel. Kind of slick and watery.
D- drinkable.
Notes: A descent porter, a little light and watery feeling for my liking. Good flavor overall and a descent porter.
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3.78/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Appearance: Chocolate tan head. Dark brown, like coffee, opaque-ish with red highlights.
Smell: Coffee, roasted grain, bitter (black) malt, slightly smoky.
Taste: Niceroasted, dark, rich. Slightly astringent (dry). Burnt coffee.
Mouthfeel: Nice and creamy, with a slight puckering astringency. Lighter than expected.
Overall: Despite the brevity of my notes, I enjoyed it. It's a well-crafted example of the style; I wouldn't mind seeing it year-round, actually.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Appearance: Chocolate tan head. Dark brown, like coffee, opaque-ish with red highlights.
Smell: Coffee, roasted grain, bitter (black) malt, slightly smoky.
Taste: Niceroasted, dark, rich. Slightly astringent (dry). Burnt coffee.
Mouthfeel: Nice and creamy, with a slight puckering astringency. Lighter than expected.
Overall: Despite the brevity of my notes, I enjoyed it. It's a well-crafted example of the style; I wouldn't mind seeing it year-round, actually.
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3.71/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Quite dark, with hints of brown on the edges. Interesting nose. Not much at first, but the malts and cloves appear with deeper inhalation. Deep, roasted coffee at the start, which turns roastier through the mid point, almost turning smoky. The back end turns bitter with the hops, with a spicy tinge. Want to say juniper, but it's hard to pin down.
Like It? Yes
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Quite dark, with hints of brown on the edges. Interesting nose. Not much at first, but the malts and cloves appear with deeper inhalation. Deep, roasted coffee at the start, which turns roastier through the mid point, almost turning smoky. The back end turns bitter with the hops, with a spicy tinge. Want to say juniper, but it's hard to pin down.
Like It? Yes
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4.01/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed on 01/01/08 - Happy New Year!
Best by April 2008 from SA's Mixed Holiday Pack.
Pours a deep RICH dark red-brown with a lush toffee-colored head. Nice rings of lace.
Spicy hops and roasted malt on the tongue. Very nice! Chocolate and molasses. Excellent. A bit of bitterness and dryness in the finish.
Excellent drinkability. It really sweetens as it warms making it even more enjoyable.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed on 01/01/08 - Happy New Year!
Best by April 2008 from SA's Mixed Holiday Pack.
Pours a deep RICH dark red-brown with a lush toffee-colored head. Nice rings of lace.
Spicy hops and roasted malt on the tongue. Very nice! Chocolate and molasses. Excellent. A bit of bitterness and dryness in the finish.
Excellent drinkability. It really sweetens as it warms making it even more enjoyable.
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3.88/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice deep brown, nearly black with hints of magenta as the light passes through. Nice tan head as well. Bitter chocolate roastiness, molasses..maybe a hint of citrus peel in the nose. Nice.
Big bitter chocolate malt upfront with some burnt, roasted grain notes and hints of spicy hops on the back of the palate. Hints of caramel and a touch of coffee. Quite enjoyable.
Mouthfeel has a nice creamy aspect and good body. This is a nice porter that I could easily drink quite a few of. One of my fave Sam Adams offerings so far. I wouldn't mind seeing some six packs of this.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice deep brown, nearly black with hints of magenta as the light passes through. Nice tan head as well. Bitter chocolate roastiness, molasses..maybe a hint of citrus peel in the nose. Nice.
Big bitter chocolate malt upfront with some burnt, roasted grain notes and hints of spicy hops on the back of the palate. Hints of caramel and a touch of coffee. Quite enjoyable.
Mouthfeel has a nice creamy aspect and good body. This is a nice porter that I could easily drink quite a few of. One of my fave Sam Adams offerings so far. I wouldn't mind seeing some six packs of this.
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4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter tastes a lot like what their Fezziwig would, if it didnt have the orange peel & other spices added.
This is a great looking beer - very dark. Smells of chocolate malt. The taste is mildly chocolatey, with roastiness in the finish. Nicely medium-to-full bodied. Like I said about the Fezziwig ale, it would be great if they sold the Holiday porter by itself, because this one is certainly capable of standing on its own.
This is a fine above average porter from Samuel Adams.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter tastes a lot like what their Fezziwig would, if it didnt have the orange peel & other spices added.
This is a great looking beer - very dark. Smells of chocolate malt. The taste is mildly chocolatey, with roastiness in the finish. Nicely medium-to-full bodied. Like I said about the Fezziwig ale, it would be great if they sold the Holiday porter by itself, because this one is certainly capable of standing on its own.
This is a fine above average porter from Samuel Adams.
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3.95/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A pretty decent beer. Very dark brown/black, with a cafe au lait head that retains well. A nice toffee aroma, with a little chocolate. Coffee/chocolate taste, some hops. Medium to thin mouthfeel. A nice porter, wish there more than two in the 12 pack.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A pretty decent beer. Very dark brown/black, with a cafe au lait head that retains well. A nice toffee aroma, with a little chocolate. Coffee/chocolate taste, some hops. Medium to thin mouthfeel. A nice porter, wish there more than two in the 12 pack.
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3.88/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - A dark brown with a creamy tan head.
S - The nose is mostly the aroma of dark and roasted malts. There are some hints of coffee as well. Overall, though, it doesn't have a powerful aroma.
T - The sweetness from the malts hits you first. Then you will get some bitter coffee flavors and a hint of toastiness from the roasted malts that were used. These toasted flavors linger on the tongue long after the sip, which is very pleasant.
M - The head lasts for a while, which gives the beer a really nice creaminess. Additionally, the medium body also makes it feel really soft to the tongue.
D - Tasty, low abv, and a great mouthfeel make this easy to drink.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - A dark brown with a creamy tan head.
S - The nose is mostly the aroma of dark and roasted malts. There are some hints of coffee as well. Overall, though, it doesn't have a powerful aroma.
T - The sweetness from the malts hits you first. Then you will get some bitter coffee flavors and a hint of toastiness from the roasted malts that were used. These toasted flavors linger on the tongue long after the sip, which is very pleasant.
M - The head lasts for a while, which gives the beer a really nice creaminess. Additionally, the medium body also makes it feel really soft to the tongue.
D - Tasty, low abv, and a great mouthfeel make this easy to drink.
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3.45/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours black with at least three fingers of head. Leaves ome nice lacing.
S - Chocolate malt up front, and a bit of a sweet smell. Unfortunately the aromas a quite subdued, as what was there is pretty good.
T - Chocolate and roasted earthy malt. A bit of sweetness, but not overwhelming. Leaves a slight lingering earthy bitterness. Pretty good.
M - Pretty thin, which takes away from what this beer could be.
O - Pretty good, probably wouldn't have more than one in a sitting, especially with the other options available in the style.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours black with at least three fingers of head. Leaves ome nice lacing.
S - Chocolate malt up front, and a bit of a sweet smell. Unfortunately the aromas a quite subdued, as what was there is pretty good.
T - Chocolate and roasted earthy malt. A bit of sweetness, but not overwhelming. Leaves a slight lingering earthy bitterness. Pretty good.
M - Pretty thin, which takes away from what this beer could be.
O - Pretty good, probably wouldn't have more than one in a sitting, especially with the other options available in the style.
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3.95/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours near black with shimmering dark ruby hues. Think tan head, with a settling lace of ample stick and stay. Roasted malts, blackstrap molasses, subtle coffee, and chocolate. Wonderful complex roasted malt flavor. Burnt, molasses, pleasing acrid astringency, smooth light toffee character beneath, with some chocolate in the finish. A tasty Porter, and another curve ball beer from Boston Beer Co ... keep 'em coming.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours near black with shimmering dark ruby hues. Think tan head, with a settling lace of ample stick and stay. Roasted malts, blackstrap molasses, subtle coffee, and chocolate. Wonderful complex roasted malt flavor. Burnt, molasses, pleasing acrid astringency, smooth light toffee character beneath, with some chocolate in the finish. A tasty Porter, and another curve ball beer from Boston Beer Co ... keep 'em coming.
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Samuel Adams Holiday Porter from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
3.74
out of 5
based on 2,459 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Comes out black with a lot of thick, brown head. Smells amazing - malt, spices, and alcohol, wow. Tastes more realistic. Thick but lacking in flavor. Got Some dark malt at the bottom, hops up top, but nothing in the middle. It's Nice and thick on the tongue, lasting finish. It's a tad thick to drink many.
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