Boston Lager Remastered

Discussion in 'Beer Releases' started by gyorgymarlowe, Sep 12, 2020.

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  1. officerbill

    officerbill Pooh-Bah (2,228) Feb 9, 2019 New York
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    Not according to the US Patent Office
    http://rreu.11net.com/yuengling/new...ww.pottsville.com_pub_1998_Nov_11_D584431.htm
     
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  2. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,023) Sep 1, 2004 New York
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    I prefer not to talk about it.

    Of course, but merely because citizens of the US of A have decided this to be the case. Common usage.

    North America, it does get complicated quickly.
    Canada. USA. Mexico.
    But Greenland too. Well Greenland is not Europe, right? But Iceland, closer to North America than continental Europe, that is certainly not North America.

    And Central America is not a continent, so where does South America begin and North America finish?

    Discuss among yourselves.
    Cheers
     
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  3. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
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    Panama canal is the border, panama straddles the continents
     
  4. jzeilinger

    jzeilinger Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,213) Dec 4, 2004 Pennsylvania
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    Or maybe Sam Calagione is having an affect on Jim Koch? :grin:
     
  5. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (4,073) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
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    Thank you both, I will try to find your recommendations down the road, especially Old Fezziwig.

    I'm sort of in the same boat with Dogfish, though I scored 90 and 120 as very good / excellent, respectively.
     
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  6. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    :thinking_face: So that controversial 1970 hit song, "American Woman" by the band The Guess Who from Winnipeg, Canada (the "meaning" of which is much in dispute, apparently - go figure) was really about the girls they went to high school with? :smiley:

    No wonder Pat Nixon nixed the performance of it at the White House.
     
  7. eldoctorador

    eldoctorador Pooh-Bah (2,096) Dec 12, 2014 Chile
    Pooh-Bah

    Ohh man, palates do differ. Their Octoberfest is perfection. Enough said.
     
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  8. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
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    So best By and count backwards should be no more than 5 or its past their date.
     
  9. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    More or less. It gets confusing because of their wording of "Enjoy Before" and then just notch a month. So, before July 1st or 31st? (I forget how their toll free number reps explain it).

    Me? My personal preferred shelf life for domestic beer is no more than 3 months old, so if I was shopping SA beers today, I'd only buy labels notched NOV, DEC or better (but would I find it?). No counting backwards necessary. :grin:
     
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  10. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,088) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
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    I think strip clubs.
     
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  11. ESHBG

    ESHBG Pooh-Bah (2,099) Jul 30, 2011 Pennsylvania
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    Another Old Fezziwig fan here but it's annoying that you can only get it in mixed packs and the singles section if the store broke the pack down. The Winter Lager can be purchased on its own when in season and I think that one is worth trying also.
     
  12. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (4,073) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
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    I posted my list of Octoberfest beers previously tried in the Oktoberfest thread.

    My top three tried entering this season are:
    • New Glarus' Staghorn
    • Spaten's Oktoberfestbier
    • Ayinger's Oktober Fest-Marzen
    Is Sam Adam's version the best in your opinion across the versions you tried, and what aspects of the beer stand out vs. others?

    The local craft bar has SA Octoberfest on draft for $3.25 tomorrow, and I can see if I overlooked some of your favorite features of the beer. I can also compare and contrast to the selection I plan on getting (Hofbrau - my first chance at this offering), and perhaps a third (Great Lakes - which places in the Very Good section of my Oktoberfest ratings).
     
  13. eldoctorador

    eldoctorador Pooh-Bah (2,096) Dec 12, 2014 Chile
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm pretty partial to Festbiers and Marzens. I like them all. But yes, Sam Adam's is my favorite. It's got a great mouthfeel, pretty malty and just the right amount of sweetness. It may be too sweet for some people but you can drink gallons and not get tired of it. This is what I remember, I haven't tried one in a year, as they don't distribute in Chile :slight_frown:

    It's also a beer with many copycats. I've had several Marzens from local breweries (when I lived in the US) that were pretty much Sam's Octoberfest clones. Last year's Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest was pretty close to Sam's too (although not as good IMO).
     
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  14. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    You really must be getting different beers in South America, because last year's SN Okto was nothing like Sam Adams' Octo in my area, no matter palate differences.
     
  15. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I am personally not a fan of Sam Adams Octoberfest (too sweet for my personal palate) but this beer is very popular with lots of folks I know. My guess is that for them the sweetness aspect is a preferred feature. I once read that this beer is a big selling beer for Boston Beer Company.

    It would be interesting to know what the sales numbers are for the various Oktoberfest beer styles. I would be willing to guess that Sam Adams Octoberfest is the best selling beer in the US of this beer style. @jesskidden

    Cheers!
     
  16. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
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    ...
    You are remembering correctly. Reading all of these comments, I was thinking to myself: "If SABL sales are down this summer, they have internal issues that a recipe change won't begin to correct." The most recent Stone thread with the article link mentioned that SABL sales are up 9% this summer. Of course, this doesn't mean that their sales weren't slipping earlier (I don't recall), or that they won't dip this autumn, or that they don't want sales to be even better, or that this alteration wasn't planned for a long time ago, yada yada yada.
     
  17. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    That's was the claim last year in the BBC Press Release to announce the 30th anniversary release of the beer:
    Gee, I never really noticed that they capitalize the "F" in the official spelling of the brand name...
     
  18. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Here's a pic that shows it. A bit ago, I think someone was complaining in a thread that BBC didn't put a year on their Octoberfest and it couldn't be determined if it was old stock. I found that odd so I took a look in the store and took this pic. Octoberfest on the left and Boston Lager on the right. No year indicated on the notch system for the seasonal.

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Alexmc2

    Alexmc2 Pundit (784) Jul 29, 2006 New Hampshire

    They did! In a year we'll all be drinking Boston Lager Classic!
     
  20. Frankinstiener

    Frankinstiener Initiate (0) Jul 28, 2009 Illinois

    I first tasted one of my dads Boston Lagers when I was about 19 it was immediately my favorite beer I had ever tasted (all the others were BMC). I didn't know what the flavor in it was that I liked but of course it was hops and more specifically noble hops. Once I was able to buy beer on my own I started buying it and trying to find other beers like it. That winter ('08) I bought Celebration Ale and that what started me on this adventure.

    But for years I said that Boston Lager was perfectly balanced and any beer maltier than it was on the malty side. Then a few years ago I began to think that Boston Lager itself was a bit malty, but I still like the beer. In a fresh Boston Lager the slight hop flavor plays perfectly off the malt sweetness and gives me this synergistic sensation that I cannot explain and have only usually noticed in a well made ESB. I think this beer could also use a price decrease. I would happily buy 12 packs for about $12.99. But at the current price point there are too many other beers I prefer.

    Last year or the year before when they changed the recipe of Summer Ale, they said it was their first recipe change in 23 years which implies that they have never changed Boston Lager. But, I think the recipe could of slightly degraded over time without any major changes. IE their labels used to say that they hand selected only the finest noble hops from Hallertau Germany. Maybe there was some slight truth to that and they became less picky over time or maybe the malt blend changed a bit. Wouldn't mind seeing them modernize it into a slightly more crush-able lager while restoring some of its former glory.
     
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