Samuel Adams Holiday White Ale
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Not a good beer. I’m a big wheat fan and love citrus so I thought I absolutely guzzle this fucker. Nope. The color was light with a good head. Unfiltered. Smell was minimal citrus with malt and spices. Tasted marginally citrusy and was mostly a bunch of weird spices that do not blend well. Coriander. Nutmeg? Just not good. Feel was thick and heavy. Extremely disappointed.

Pours hazy light orange with a thick white head that drops away quickly without leaving any lacing. Aroma is fresh citrus. Flavor follows the nose, citrus with some bready yeast and malt. Feel is light and well carbonated. Overall, decent enough but not special.

LOOK: Pours slightly hazy mostly gold with an all white head that
AROMA: Citrus fruit cake aroma with hints of wheat, and spicy hops of clove and ginger.
TASTE: Has a malty element of malty wheats. Not being a wheat person this level is actually quite tolerable for me. More of the floral hops, some lemon zest joins the ginger and clove in the flavor.
Not normally fond of whites, this one I would easily have again.

 

 

 

poured out of a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass, this beer pours a somewhat cloudy/hazy, medium golden color with a nice white head that’s about an inch thick when first poured. Head settles eventually to a cluster swirl of film layer surface foam along with a thick ring lining the inside of the glass. Has some yeasty chunks floating around the glass too. Not much lacing here. Aromas of some bready, zesty malts and wheat along with a some spice notes of coriander and orange peel that's followed by an herbal, grassy, floral hop note. A similar flavor profile, with the aforementioned bready, biscuity, slightly zesty, malt and wheat that's accompanied by coriander and orange peel citrus that I feel are nicely integrated here in just the right amounts. Next up is the somewhat subtle floral, herbal, grassy hop notes that provide a slight bitterness for balance and good measure. Has a crisp, also somewhat smooth, slightly frothy, medium bodied mouthfeel with light to moderate carbonation. Has a clean finish. A solid beer here.

Eric

 

Appearance: Pours a clear, golden color with a white head. SRM of 7.

Aroma: Strong aromas of Belgian bread spice, floral notes, bubblegum, cloves, some peppermint and vanilla notes.

Flavor: Strong flavors of Belgian bread spice, cloves, nutmeg, bubblegum, floral and citrus notes. Yeasty.

Feel: Medium-bodied, Yeasty, dry, and spiced.

Compared to Sam Adams Cold Snap 2/2023: Pours slightly darker. More bread, spice, yeast. Less floral, citrus, coriander. More bready, yeasty and less crisp.

Overall: A pretty decent holiday white ale. Bready, spiced, with classic Belgian flavors including bubblegum, cloves, and nutmeg. Spicy, yeast, but bready and smooth. Nice flavors here and a spiced wit for the holidays. (Rating:

The pour is golden yellow. The taste is orange peel, mild cherry note, medicinal note, and a touch of spices, maybe cinnamon or ginger. Cheers! B

 

Poured into a pint glass from a holiday variety pack; no birth date. Pours golden yellow with minimal foam and head. Tastes of spices - cloves & nutmeg? - and light citrus. Decent hops taste too. Not bad but does taste mass produced.

Look: Looks good enough. Has some decent lacing and head retention. Pours a hazy golden, almost orange hue with a two finger white head of dense foam.

Aroma: Coriander. Plastic/kitchen cleaner like citrus notes. Slight cracker like touch to it.

Taste: Not that spicy. Very light. Slight orange peel / bitter citrus. Goes malty briefly and then finishes on notes of coriander. Very basic and simple.

Feel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Fairly refreshing and crisp. . . which I find odd for a christmas beer.

Overall: This beer is unsure of what it really wants to be. Does it want to be a witbier or a holiday/christmas ale? It advertises itself as a "holiday ale" yet it drinks like a standard witbier, or like something you'd want to be drinking in the summer. This wasn't bad but I'd never go out of my way to buy something like this. There are much better christmas ales and witbiers out there.

This beer can be used to define a mediocre beer. Not too bad, not great.

It was part of a holiday variety pack (mostly purchased to get the Fezziwig). Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Nice hazy golden yellow color with decent initial head and good curtain lacing. Smell and taste of citrus and clove. Distinct but not bright. It is good enough to not be offended that it was included in the variety pack, but I wish Sam Adams would just sell sixes of Fezziwig starting in November each year! (I doubt this identical the the White Christmas of old as I recall that beer to have a more distinct and likable spice profile.)

Pours an effervescent dirty straw color with a thin layer of head. The nose is faintly earthy and yeasty. The flavor is grainy, grassy and citrusy. The body is hearty for the style.

 

 

12 oz bottle served on Xmas 2022.

This slightly hazy amber colored ale is topped by a durable bright white head. The aroma is too dank. The flavor is less dank but seems a bit too bitter. Both are grassy.

Medium-light body that has medium carbonation.

Look: Not much foam to speak of.

Smell: Spicey. Not really any maltyness.

Taste: Mellow with a festive spice. A great background beer.

Feel: Coats the mouth nicely.

Overall: Not bad

Nucleated Pilsner
Look: lightly hazy, Dark straw yellow body pouring a 1 finger head which dissipated into a ring with light sheeting
Smell: Citrusy hops, light wheat, nutmeg esc spice, cinnamon
Taste: Very light bitterness, sweet toasted bread with nutmeg and clove and cinnamon. Finish is really smooth, retaining the same flavor, flamed orange zest came through.
Feel: Light moderate body with a semi crisp finish.
Overall: its good, Really good white ale that isn't overly bitter and carries a lot of complexity that is mellow.