Samuel Adams Reunion IPA
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

Reddish tinged amber color, white head, goid retention & lacing...
Not too malty at fridge temp; malt came through as it warmed a bit...
Very bright hop character, with nice notes of citrus, pine, and grapefruit zest...
Good carb, medium bodied, crisp and clean finish...
Pleasantly surprised with this one. The sample was rather old, but held up nicely.

A very mild IPA; from its look to its mouthfeel, the taste was mild as well when it came to the bitterness. Quite possibly one of the more sessionable IPAs I've had, without being sessionsble to begin with.

12-oz bottle into VooDoo Ranger glass

A - 2 fingers of off-white foam over a somewhat cloudy body of golden amber

S - floral, tropical fruits, bready malt

T - floral, sour tropical fruit, tart, citrus (bitter lemon)

M - has a bite to it; medium body; medium/high carbonation; tart

O - not much to say; pretty good, not great

 

Poured from a 12oz bottle a month past best by unfortunately I'll adjust ratings.

On the pour a 1 finger fine head forms that dissipates to a 2mm cap on top of a dark golden hazy body. Lazy but plentiful carbonation wanders to the top. No lacing.

Aroma is quite nice but a bit mild light floral and tropical fruity hops are right up front with a very balanced fermentation character balancing it in the back no malt on the nose.

Taste follows the smell with a bit of a tartness. This is a bit more of a NEIPA in my opinion less bitter and more fruity in the hops. Very dry hopped amd not a big boil I'm assuming. Lemon flavor but not too heavy. Almost sour but not quite. There is a distinct bitterness that creeps up as you sip but it isn't as strong as most IPAs. Very lemony with slight pine.

Feel is quite nice. A decent about of bite balanced by a creaminess from the proteins in the grain. Quite drinkable, and not too watery. Mouthfeel is a bitiddle of the road in terms of bite to smoothness but this is more of a year round feel than a winter ipa feel.

Overall a lighter ipa with no off flavors even if it's been sitting a few months and quite decent. Good to get people not big on IPAs into IPAs. Quite refreshing and bright.

 

 

 

 

Slightly cloudy, mostly clear golden color, well carbonated, topped by a 1 inch+ tall, thick, white, creamy-appearing head with excellent retention, leaving thick, sticky lacing.

Aroma of citrus, pine, lemon, and bread.

The taste does not follow the nose. Yes, there is the pine, and perhaps some citrus, but the initial flavor is dominated by an unusual earthiness. Once I start drinking, I then also pick up this earthiness in the aroma as well. By "earthiness", I mean like freshly plowed earth. It's not an off-putting flavor, just unusual and unexpected. The beer is nicely bitter, with the bitterness beginning in the middle and carrying through to the aftertaste, building in intensity as I drink, but never reaching the classic WCIPA level of bitterness. At the half-way point, the earthiness does seem to recede a bit behind the citrus/pine combo. The finish is dry.

The body is moderate (for an IPA), with an enjoyable level of carbonation.

Overall, an unusual flavor profile, but it is growing on my as I near the bottom of the glass. I'm not sure what is "reunion" or "holiday about it, but at least it is not YACCIPA (yet another copycat IPA)

 

A - Clear, pale orange body, thin white head cap, small bubble lacing.

S - Pine and lemon, with a sharp hop hit of dank resin.

T - Follows the nose, with citrus bright in the open, a pine hop core, mild malt sweetness, and a bitter punchy finish.

M - Brisk carbonation, mild resin build over the course of the pour, but a fairly quiet, quick close otherwise.

O - A decent, but slightly sloppy feel to this pine forward IPA.

 

The last of a holiday 12 pack poured in to a Sam Adams Ultimate Beer Glass. Pours a gold color with a modest head. Smell is citrus and pine aromas. Taste is more pin than citrus, with a subtle bitter malt presence. Clean finish. A drinkable IPA.

pours a hazy amber-tinged gold body with a fluffed up cream colored froth head that has moderately high retention and leaves sheets of thick sudsy lacing behind as it slowly settles to a murky cap with thin defined halo

aroma is light but bright with citrus and allusions to pine

taste is ripe with citrus; lemon, pineapple, orange mashed up against an evergreen piney earthy fruit peel bitterness. quite bright and spritzy with a decent weight to it

mouthfeel is medium-light body with high carbonation that runs spritzy and juicy before fading to a dry finish and a sweet aftertaste that fades to piney earthy bitterness

overall:
surprisingly decent, the sleeper hit of the variety pack they snuck it into. I feel like it belongs more along side a summer cast of other bright and spritzy characters, but this works too. the only one in the group i'd be interested in a full pack of. the lemon was really *in* that groove here.

A: crystal clear; deep gold in color; 2+ fingers finely pored ivory head that receded to a thin cap; very nice lacing;

S: predominantly mushrooms; a bit of pine and malt in the background;

T: an undercurrent of lemon throughout; otherwise, follows the nose; mild to moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish;

O: a different take on the style;

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden color with a one finger head of white foam. The head has a great level of retention, fading slowly over time to leave a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is rather strong of a grapefruit citrus smell mixed with aromas of pine and earth. At the same time there is a big showing of lemongrass and an odd stale bread smell.
Taste – The taste begins with a nice crisp cracker and light bready malt mixed with a little bit of herbal and grapefruit hop. At the same time that there is a little bit of sweetness, being predominantly of a light harvest fruit, but also containing notes of peach, apricot and caramel. As the taste moves forward the hop increases a bit with more herbal and some pine and earth coming in at the expense of the grapefruit. Toward the end the lemongrass, yeast, and spice of coriander and clove come to the tongue, leaving one with a rather crisp and slightly more dank taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel- The body is medium to slightly lighter with a carbonation level that is a bit on the higher side. Overall, the feel is great for the tastes and makes for a nice easy sipper.
Overall – While the smell is a bit off putting the brew is quite nice and easy to drink with a good flavor and feel.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, yellow-bronze body with an inch of near white foam.

Smell: Toasted, crisped-up grains with present albeit not particularly vigorous notes of florals, pine shavings, pithy citrus.

Taste: Gently toasted grains, rock-hard stale bread and rather dry. Hop character comprised of tangerine rind, light pine and florals. Medium degree of bitterness. A little bit of rustic grain showing on the backhalf. Floral, citrus with a faint honeyed hint on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It'll do.