What's with all the Samuel Adams hate?

You make a good point, however the problem is, is that Samuel Adams needs to take a look at the market's they're introducing their season brews into. If Texas weather is in the 80s then maybe the Summer Ale is necessary, but there should still be winter brews in RI. It's like they skipped spring here because the spring pack was available for purchase in December.

 

I like Sam Adams but I don't buy anything by them very often. I like the Imperial series alot and find it very under rated on here (Imperial Stout/Wee Heavy/Imperial White/Double Bock). Their Barrel room collection were all solid, but nothing they do is very exciting for the price. SA is almost always $8.99-9.99/6pk, $9.49-9.99/4pk and I can find a slew of other beer that are far superior in taste and abv for the same price or less. It's fine if I'm out at a restaurant and that's the best they have, but I'm not going to pass up 100's of other great beers in the same price range just to drink Sam Summer, Oktoberfest or pretty much anything else they brew. Nothing they do is really bad, but nothing they do is really great either imho.

 

Always loved Sam Adams and their product. Its one of the few mass produced beers I was a fan of and still am, from my early days of discovering good beer

 

My "dislike" for them comes from them suing a small brewery here in AZ over a glass. San Tan still uses them so they won I guess. But it was rediculous of them. I have used the Sam Adams glass and use/own some of the SanTan ones. They are different enough that you know when looking at them. San Tan does beat it though. They don't feel like i
They are going to break just buy looking at it.

http://archive.azcentral.com/commun...lass-dispute-sam-adams0304.html?fullsite=true

 

Sam Adams has a very diverse set of beers that are widely distributed. They are typically solid...they're not going to blow you away and are pretty low risk. In my opinion they are almost always overtly malty.

Not something I would typically buy, but also not something I would turn down if offered.

 

I agree Sam Adams in many cases in delicious. Easy to buy, fairly inexpensive, and a wide variety what's not to like?

 

Was going to post the exact same thing.

 

"Because if everyone likes it, it must be awful." - things a lot of people say today, for some stupid reason.

No, Sam Adams isn't the top option in 9 out of 10 American cities, but that doesn't make it terrible. Boston Lager is an enjoyable enough beer, and to me at least, Noble Pils is one of the better pilsners on the market. Plenty of redeeming qualities about their regular and hop-forward offerings, too. The hate you're seeing isn't warranted at all.

 

While the "hate" for Samuel Adams is not an entirely new phenomenon, it's really too bad to see it it continues in the Craft/Specialty/"Better Beer" (etc) hobby, as it's a solid portfolio all-around.

For what it's worth I'm not a big fan of Boston Lager, but I'll gladly try BBC's new offerings and seasonals whenever I see them on draught. Likewise, I worked at a packie for long enough to know that their 12-packs are are always priced well and are definitely solid recommendations for those who are cutting their teeth -- variety packs or single-style. Oh well! Like any other specialist's hobby, the 'haters' will hate.

 

I'm a big fan of their Octoberfest. Their commercials have a tendency to be pretty annoying, which is why I had some vitriolic thoughts towards them in the time before I starting drinking beer

 

I think that is a large part of it. God knows I gave up on R.E.M after 1989, and totally ignored U2 after 1992.

I drank Sam Adams as a splurge 20 years ago when no one knew what "craft beer" meant. Now, my real concern with Sam Adams is that there is just so much more better stuff out there. They are solid, no doubt - only a total snob would say they can't brew. But they are the "safe bet," "last-ditch saving grace, emergency backup plan" for a beer purchase - and to be honest, I NEVER shoot for that. Ever.

 

I've yet to have a beer by SA that I liked I do not think Boston Lager is good at all, yet I will keep trying them on occasion because they make so many beers. I just have yet to drink one single beer that they brew that I didn't think better suited cleaning my drains.

 

i don't think that most people here would disagree that boston lager is a good beer, it's just kind of boring, and so accessible, that craft beer drinkers aren't likely to pick it up compared to other beers, on top of the general disdain that craft beer drinkers tend to have for such common beers, and for breweries that make so many, less-then-impressive styles (there seasonal and holiday beers are usually pretty terrible) it's not hard to imagine why sam adams wouldnt get so much respect, in this beer community.

 

Sam was my gateway to the better beer world. I still love an occasional Boston Lager. I get a seasonal mixed 12 each fall and winter along with at least one sixer of Octoberfest. Cream Stout, Black Lager, Irish Red, Winter Lager, and Summer Ale will always have a soft spot.

No hate here.

 

It may just be me, but I don't want 20 variations of basically the same damn wheat with tweaks. There is still much I like about them, but 25 years ago, they wowed me with their beer. Now most of the time, they some what bore me.

People can tell me the recipes or the same, but I used to love the lager, Oktoberfest, & doppplebock, now they seem watered down to me. I now drink them at places where they are the only craft beer on offer. I appreciate everything they've done for the craft beer scene, but see them at best as a safe/timid choice when shopping or out for a beer. I would never turn on down, but may not get too excited about that beer at the same time

 

I don't hate them but I do actually hate their Summer Ale. Awful beer, not sure why some people like it. It tastes like a really light lemon juice but not like what you get out of an IPA or Pale Ale.

I think craft drinkers and hipsters are going to continue to dislike them because they've gone "commercial" and aren't considered craft anymore but they are certainly a big reason why I got into the craft beer. I always recommend their stuff to new people.

 

It's because Sam Adams is the craft beer for bud light drinkers, their stuff is very mediocre. 2 craft beer drinking friends and I bought a summer variety pack last summer and tried one of each and we couldn't even finish a single beer except for the boston lager. Their beers are weak and low in abv. They are like the red headed step child of the craft beer mommy.

 

No hate from this guy: I pick a sixer of Boston Lager occasionally when I'm feeling like a solid, balanced, simple brew (Fat Tire and other ambers are in this camp too). I also buy a few sixers of Octoberfest every year.
Truth is, Sam has carved it's niche in the market as a huge gateway-to-craft brewer making okay to good beers (curse you though, cherry wheat) and they do it well. None of their stuff is going to wow you, but a lot of it is tasty, priced reasonably, accessible, and just plain dependable when the situation is right.
If I were to take a stab at where I think the hate is coming from, I'd say it's the set of folks who think Sam is boring (no bourbon barrel aged vanilla bean imperial coffee chocolate stout), or think they've gotten too big and "sold out".
Ultimately, there may not be much reason to love Sam, but their sure as hell isn't much reason to hate Sam.

 

They're good for the industry but none of their beers are any good. At least none of the dozen or so I've tried. They seem to half-ass every style.

They also had to change the definition of craft beer so they would still fit in it.