Samuel Adams I.P.A.
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

 

 

 

 

 

 

fourth and final day of NERAX 2009

classic deep amber. almost clear. bubbly, sudsy ring recedes to ring that stays around, but no lacing sticks.

aroma: fruity grapefruit flesh, with hints of citrus zest and pine. sweet caramel foundation. whiff of diacetyl. resinous pine hint has a fusel note.

taste: caramel and gentle citrus and pine, but a bit overpowered by diacetyl. moderate bitterness, clashing again with the diacetyl and... DMS? almost gives an acidic character.

almost thin, light syrup, but some hint of texture in the finish. mild carbonation, which unfortunately just brings out all the off-flavors. did i mention this thing is full of diacetyl?

what happened? it started out nice in the aroma, but even then got bogged down with diacetyl and off-flavors...

Aside from the winter seasonal gift cases I’ve seen in a variety of places, I’ve never run across Sam Adams IPA. Surely, had I seen it before now, I would have given it a try or at least remember having tried one. Or maybe not, as this was a subdued version of an IPA, at least as compared to a lot of the ones I’ve had so far.
Sam Adams IPA poured a clear amber hue with a richly foamy white head and nice lace. Lots of carbonation was visible rising to the surface to sustain the head. The smell had me wondering if this was really and IPA. There was a biscuity malt aroma but what was lacking was any kind of hops in the nose. The taste quickly followed the form of the smell. A sweet malt flavor immediately greeted the palate and left a lasting candied sweetness. Again, the hops profile was muted throughout. Overall, the taste was rather restrained. The feel was medium-bodied and a bit overcarbonated. Still, it was quite easy to quaff.
In general, this seemed like a subdued attempt at an India Pale Ale. I certainly expected more hops. S.A.’s Boston Lager, which I had earlier in the day, had a bigger hops profile than this beer. Maybe I’ve developed a certain “west coast” bias due to some of the “big” IPA’s brewed out here but I don’t find this IPA to be much above the average.

Poured a amberish with tinges of gold and brown.. quickly disappearing head. Smell was of malt with floral and pine notes from the hops. Taste was OK. It was wierd as i usually love IPA's but this one just did not do it for me. I think it was a bit heavy with the malt. More of an english style i believe. The mouthfeel was Ok, but it did seem a bit carbonated as i turned into a belch factory after drinking this. Drinkability was average. I would drink it if offered but i dont think i could make it a session beer.

Poured a lighter shade of amber color with nice rocky head,really nice balance on the nose floral hop backed up by nutty,fruity malt.Very hoppy and the begining but there is some nice malty nuttiness that comes through in the end.BBCcontinues to put out for the most part quality beers even in ever expanding size.

Poured a shallow and short-loved head.Left some thin white lace but nothing special.Had a good hoppy and malt aroma.The color is a gold to amber.A long bitter finish that lingers in the throat.Has a strange taste of leather.A crisp and refreshing IPA.Not the best IPA I've had,but not the worst.I don't think I could drink these all night before wanting to switch.

Sam IPA pours a medium clear golden, with a nice rocky white head. The head quickly receeds, leaving some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is malty (caramel, bread), and lightly hoppy (pine, citrus). Flavor is lightly malty (caramel), and finishes with a weak hop bitterness. Body is on the lighter side, carbonation is as well. There are too many superior IPA's to bother with this one.

[Where DID my wincing littlle childhood tastebuds go?]

Light and fluffy. One of those deceptively innocent-looking beers (like your first couple of IPAs. Remember?) What-EVER about the "aged in American Oak," line of crap. I guess it works in the mix somehow.

Big estery/phenol puff from the pour--rather un-appealing...this evening. Soapy-Sam suds pervade the foretaste. Squeaky esters squish sideways with grassy-green aplomb, to unleash a very good hop FLAVOR. Couldn't tell you which hop was which, but one of them tastes older [in a characteristic way] than the other one which provides more of a fruit flavor.

Minor paste of hop bitterness and banana peel lingers on the back of the tongue, but strong flavor aftertastes are easily sought out instead.

Clear, copper-orange pour with substantial head that is creamy in both color and texture and laces impressively. Carbonation is active and persistent. Crisp, hoppy nose complemented by detectable esters. Malty sweetness reminiscent of Scotch ale greets the tongue from the start, quickly yielding (though not completely) to hops bitterness. Finishes a bit warm and dry. Taste is more complex than one finds in many IPAs, though I would prefer more crispness and a lighter body. Mouthfeel is quite smooth but somewhat sticky, though this doens't particularly affect this beer's good drinkability.

What a big disappointment this was. A friend gave me a six pack. Bland, with barely no hop taste. It lacked even the basic characteristics of an India Pale Ale. It pretty much tasted like a mass produced lager.

Pours a slightly chill hazed dark golden. Wonderful, white rocky head builds and lasts most of the way down.
Smell is not bold, but has traces of the english hops and toasted malts.
Taste has the aforementioned toastedness, with some decent carmel sweetness. This balances the spicy floral hops. I would prefer a little more hops presence to help clean this one up. A touch grainy too. Still pretty good.
Relatively light bodied for an IPA. On the thin side. But quite easy to drink. Mine was gone in a flash. Good session material.

Another brew (along with their double bock) that Sammy doesn't send to WI. While the DB is one of my favorites, I can live without this one, but I'd grab some every now and again if I could.

Many thanks go to Bighuge for sending this my way.

Most IPA's I don't find anything bad about them, but I was dissapointed in this particular one. It had a very bad aroma and for a Boston Beer Co. brew I was dissapointed. Didn't have the hoppy taste I expect from and IPA in fact not sure what tatse it had, I do not recommend........CHEERS

Great IPA. Foamy, floral, great hop balance. Rates with the best of em. Extremely drinkable. Another great beer from the Maestro of brewers.

Coppery-colored brew, with a big white, long-lasting head. Body was just too clear and lager-like to be truly beautiful. Light floral hop aroma, with a bit of fruit that I can't quite identify. Flavor is dominated by the English hops. It's pretty hoppy, but the English varieties used are not nearly as prominent as American hops would be. Malt becomes noticeable on the front as the beer warms, but the hops still take the finish. Body a bit thinner than I'd like, but not bad. Overall, a nice easy-drinking ale that really quenched my thirst after a good workout.

A strong pour creates a crazy three finger head that sticks until you scrub your glass with a brillo pad. Biscuity hop nose. Smooth and creamy with a mild caramel spine and earthy English hop flavor. Well balanced and tasty, Boston Beer Co. once again proves you can be big and profitable, yet still brew good beer.