Longshot Nanzer's Belgian Golden Ale
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

*archived rating*

Consumption date: 04.21.16

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a pretty dark golden/orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of apples. spices. Taste is apples, spices, a bit sweet, a touch of pears, alcohol makes it's presence felt. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

 

This one brings me within two of my massive Samuel Adams horizontal in support of the purge of the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody. Following that, I will be getting in my Christmas/Holiday Ales for the year & moving on to the next series of bottles.

From the bottle: "This Belgian Golden Ale has noted of fruit, clove, and pepper in the aroma, balanced by a subtle malt character, and a clean citrus taste and bitterness from the hops. At 9.1% ABV, this beer should be sipped slowly to savor the delicious flavors."; "Brewed by: Kevin Nanzer, CA".

Yo, Nanz, I'm Pop!pin' the cap, baby! I went with a gentle pour since it never really seems to matter with my Samuel Adams Perfect Pour glass with its nucleation etching on the bottom. A pseudo-cascade gave rise to a massive three-plus fingers of dense, foamy, French Vanilla-colored head that sat there in defiance of me. Fine. The neck label seems to indicate that allowing to warm up is encouraged. I will start a load of laundry while I wait for it to subside. (Pause.) I'm back. There is now enough lacing in my glass that I may make some doilies & antimacassars with it. Color was Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity & if you don't think that it acted as the clarion call for the Gelt Gang of Mammon, Croesus & Midas, you are sadly mistaken! They were in like a flash. Nose had a spicy mustiness and I fully agree with clove & black pepper as well as light apple and pear. Mouthfeel was full, dense, thick, like a dollop of honey on my tongue. The taste was perhaps not as complex as the label on the bottle's neck made it o to be, but it was still very tasty. There was a prevalent Belgian yeast mustiness underlain by a light citrusiness, like tangerine, and then the bite of clove and black pepper kicked in. Phew. The Nanz's yeast really did its part as the finish was totally dry. The peppery mustiness lingered in the back of my throat and the Zephyr winds blew across the Sahara.

Appearance: Cloudy golden, with an off-white head and little lace. The bottle is a wee old, though…

Aroma: Strong Belgian yeasts and spices. Very nice!

Taste: Strong and kicking with notes of fruit, spice, and yeast with a peppery zing and notes of dried fruit and a little funk. Well-done abbey ale here, for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPEARANCE: Very clear, golden/amber. Small amount of mid sized bubbles streaming up the outsides of the glass. A finger of off white head that dissipates pretty quickly down to a thin layer. Leaves a slight lacing down the glass.
AROMA: Smells a bit Saison-ish. Yeasty, green apple, and tart.
TASTE: Tart, green apple, alcohol, nice sweetness on the finish.
FEEL: Medium full body, dry on finish but still a bit of a sticky feel, above average/ pleasant carbonation.
OVERALL: A nice brew, like a Sofie light. No alcohol in the aroma, just a bit in the taste, but it blends in pretty well for 9.1abv. Mild green apple tartness overall. Give it a try.

Part of the 2016 Samuel Adams Longshot Pack - $9.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Served up a burnished golden body with noted clarity capped by a medium-small, white layer of froth.

Smell: Sweetish, candy-hinting nose, a spritz of grandma's very best perfume, half-spent fruity chewing gum, wax lips and cloves.

Taste: A candyish sweet glug of golden syrup edged by a bit of graininess. Same perfumy quality, floral with some orchard fruitskins. A touch of wax lips, chewing gum. Spicy phenols, some alcohol showing. Flavors culminate a bit oddly into the creamy, stickish, warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: A bit heavy-handed.

 

 

Served on tap in a chalice glass

Appearance- The beer pours a beautiful deep golden color with a one finger head of white foam. The head has a great level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a light bit of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is rather strong of fruitiness of orange and pear with some light tropics and a good showing of banana. Along with these aromas comes nice notes of clove and a little bit of bubblegum and yeast.

Taste – The taste begins with a very smooth fruity taste of tropical fruits mixed with some nice thick doughy tastes as well as a little bit of a yeasty and clove flavor. The yeast and clove increase and are joined by some nice flavors a light graininess as well as a strong showing of bubblegum. The sweetness is big in the end, and leaves one with a very pleasant and smooth Belgium flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the medium side with a carbonation level that was very effervescent and bubbly. The feel was quite nice overall for the flavor profile and made for one super nice, and way too easy to drink beer.

Overall – This was one great Belgium golden ale. Tons of flavor and super easy to drink. Dangerous and delicious.

9.1% ABV, 18 IBU's. No specs per the website or bottle.
Pours out to a beautiful and brilliant deep golden, forming a tall poofy white head with beautiful retention and lacing. Carbonation is moderate, about 2.5 carbs or so. They nailed the color, just perfect for the style. The nose smells great...pure chimay yeast here (wlp570)...pears, phenols, cloves, green bananas, a little dust. Gorgeous nose, true to style. The mouthfeel is very nice...densely bodied, but not syrupy or too cloying, finishing lightly dry (still just slightly sweet for the style) with a firm bitterness and a touch of hop flavor in the aftertaste. No off flavors or aromas, the only fault being it's still just a little sweet and heavy for the style, but the firm bitterness makes you think otherwise at first. Alcohol warmth, with a very subtle solventy character

A pretty nice beer, comparable to matilda in many ways.

Completely clear, golden brew, capped with a white head. The aroma is spicy...sugary, fruit, pepper, phenols...lots going on. The taste is sweet, with a nice bitterness and belgian flavors. Soft flavor, with pale malt and oranges. The abv is hidden well, and only comes out after you've had a few sips. Spicy finish and very enjoyable.

Smells of cloves, bubble gum, very fruity. Taste a belgium golden. Spices, cloves, Gum, and bit of bitterness on back of the mouth. Not bad.