Sam Adams? Any hopheads like their products?

The new Latitude is still pretty lame, but Double Agent is really good, and I for one really enjoy Whitewater.
Third Voyage isnt so stellar, and I really detest Grumpy Monk, Tasman Red, and Dark Depths are OK

 

They have nothing left that is original not even artwork! If you do not see the similarities to rebel here you are in denial. They even copied a particular IPA for this beer, but not the one in the link. Sorry cannot figure out picture posting just yet


http://www.brewdog.com/product/punk-ipa

 

Sam Adams sells more beer than the next 2 largest craft breweries combined. What boat do you think they missed?

 

Speaking of, I've always loved SA black lager. Not deep in the smoky spectrum, but a fine drinking beer. I really agree with you too. If you aren't enjoying the full spectrum of beer, you're really missing out. I love a good IPA, but I can't imagine drinking nothing else. Obviously a big step above only drinking AALs, but in the same vein.

 

I knew yemenmocha would appear sooner or later with something positive about SA.

I'll chime in. I enjoy a lot of things by Sam, and although I'm not a "hophead," I do like beer with a strong hop profile. Noble Pils and Double Agent fit that bill, IMO.

 

If I'm out in a rural area and I see a Sam Adams tap I'm always grateful, but under normal circumstances I skip right over them. I've had all of their major line of beers and I'm just not into them the way I was 12 years ago or so. Its not bad beer, but if I can find almost anything else, I will take it over Sam Adams these days.

 

They had a "Hopology" 12 pack out early this year and some of those beers were very hop forward and quite delicious. Forgive me if this was already covered, I didn't read all of the comments word for word, just skimmed them. I've seen a few comments regarding the mosaic hops and I think this really kicked up the hop profile in their beers. I, too, tend to a hop hound - it's not a "trend" for me its just what I like, though I appreciate other beers, too, especially stouts. Also being in a rural area I don't have access to most of the crazy stuff discussed here, but there are generally 4 brands that I drink depending on what's on sale and what's new - Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Saranac, and Southern Tier (which is somewhat local for me)- occasionally I'll get something different but this is 90% of what I drink and I'm OK with that these guys make pretty much anything I'd be interested in. Old Rasputin being one exception!

 

Wanted to add that we shouldn't assume "Hopheads" only drink hoppy beers. Then again, maybe these labels change over time to suit some viewpoints over others. I say that because now that I think about it, many self-described Hopheads I know are incapable of enjoying any style that has a low hop presence. If that is an accurate generalization, or a growing one at least, then there's a lot that BBC makes that they won't even be capable of appreciating.

 

for you, absolutely not. tbh, 98% of the beer you could ever want or need comes right of cali. we can't get new glarus or brews from michigan which is a drag.... i was drinking a lot of the Citra Extra Pale when it came out... it was 6.99 a bottle. then one day i realized it was 9.99 and i have never bought it again. what happened?

only the coolest most dedicated, finest mustachioed, beer aficionados in volvos and vw's wearing ski gear, drink the best beer ever made: it's called Hill Farmstead, it is Crafted (more... it is really born of men's will) in some green verdent pasture in vermont. if you are hip enough you can go up there and get yourself a beer treasure, but sometimes.... they roast a pig and invite over their most worthy patrons to eat the pig and imbibe their newest wild ale brewed with the mold of a certain poisonous mushroom found only in the vicinity of the brewery serving as the yeast, aged in a former compost barrel made from an extinct type of pine tree that grew only in a secluded location in northeast vermont along the canadian border. artisans of the highest order, monk like in their quest to make the best beer on earth.

gather a case of pliny my man, and if you are very lucky you might get a trade for a year old half full growler of edward. it is the kind of beer you drink wit a spoon. it is that good.

when you see Hill Farmstead listed as the top 20 beers in the world, you will get my drift! enjoy BEER ADVOCATE!

 

I love craft beer and I love Sam Adams.

 

Hopheads vs. Maltheads...Let's rumble.

 

Their IPL smelled great, but the taste was a huge let down. All that upfront bitterness smell, for a watered down taste, no thanks. Used to love their Boston Lager, but there are too many good beers available to bring myself to buy it again.

 

Hop in Marty's Delorean and find the Decon IPA 12 pack. That thing went for close to $20 and I'd buy plenty more given the chance today.

 

Wish they'd bring back Hallertau. That beer would change some minds.

 

They do not excel in hoppy beers. It's not that they couldn't, I just don't think they want to go that route. They are a solid brewery though and they get shit on more than they deserve.

 

Don't beat yourself up over this. I bought Sam Adams Harvet variety pack and really enjoyed it (except for the IPA). The Ruby Mild was outstanding. Last time I had a mild that good I was in Northern Ireland. I am a huge hophead (my wife calls me an IPA snob). I haven't had a single IPA from Sam Adams that I like. No worries. I will grab something else.

 

Like them or not they make some fine beers.

 

Can't say I've ever had a hop forward beer from SA that I've been a fan of. It just isn't their niche. Tasman Red is probably my favorite.

Lattitude 48 is acceptable.... but really isn't anything special. I will never buy that beer as long as Torpedo and SN Pale Ale are available (which is always). They're just that much better.

 

I like Sam Adams..... their IPAs, not so much.

 

So glad I picked one up when it was brewed a few years ago. I knew something was wrong when I saw a Sam Adams beer for 3.50 for a single 12oz. bottle. What was wrong was that it was AMAZING! If Jim Koch loves Hallertau hops as much as he says he does then I don't understand why this hasn't been brewed again.

 

They make some good beers I buy year after year, but would say no on IPA brews at least on my part.

 

Simple answer...NO

 

Great points. Right now the popular beers are IPAs in America, so true. All I have to say is, what's next for popular beers in America...sours? Perhaps. (I am sure some of you have noticed there is a forum on BA about sours being the next popular beer).
Sam Adams puts out some crafty brews as there is nothing wrong with a malt forward brews. Malt forward, as well as hop forward beers, have room in my fridge side-by-side.

 

Rebel IPA comes to mind.

 

Have to disagree (but to put my remarks in context, I am a total hop head). SA Whitewater IPA is lame, very little hop bite and way to sweet.

 

They make some solid hoppy beers.

 

Never had a SA IPA worth trying. The Imperial series are all fantastic though as well as some of their seasonals.

 

Latitude 48 a year ago was a disappointment for me - if they have changed the hops they are using maybe I should try it again. Sierra Nevada easily wins for the most available good hoppy beers nationwide.

On the broader issue of Sam Adams and craft brewing... I have found them to be the McDonald's of craft--reliably OK and available wherever you are. Still, compare them to New Glarus: NG has at least as wide a range of styles (certainly over time), and in almost every case they are some of the best examples of the style. And it isn't just a volume thing - while NG is certainly much smaller than Boston Beer, they are still one of the bigger craft breweries in the country. The one thing I'll give Sam is that the biggest volume beer Sam has (Boston Lager) is better than the biggest volume beer NG has (Spotted Cow).

 

Like-wise their Czech Pils...

 

I really have enjoyed the Latitude 48 IPA and some variations. But if you are after hops, hops, and more hops, this still may not cut it for you. Different strokes...

I also really like the Noble Pils and Alpine Spring. Old Feziwig too. My most recently consumed Sam Adams was the winter lager, which I also liked.

Boston Beer is big, and they have made some beers that have been heavily criticized by craft beer lovers (cherry wheat, cranberry lambic, and triple bock come to mind), but they also make some really nice ones.

 

Sam Adams used to brew an imperial pilsner that was absolutely the best. I haven't seen it in several years.

 

I forgot all about that beer, stellar!

 

I will buy plenty of Sam Adams beer in the future, but I won't buy any thinking I'm getting a hops fix.

They used to make several that would qualify. I would like to see that Tasman Red again, but a little more hops please. Schlafly's TIPA blows that out of the water...

I won't get in to how much I think their Oktoberfest & Dopplebock have backslid over the years. That would require its own post...

 

And the Third Voyage DIPA. Too many narrow-minded "craft" beer drinkers think that anything that isn't loaded with Citra or bourbon barrel aged is garbage.....these are the type of people that give craft beer drinkers a bad name.

 

It's a DIPA, but I Really Enjoyed Third Voyage, just mentioned by TTAmod above... only comes in bombers, but definitely give this one a try.

 

Latitude 48 is pretty good.

Double agent is good too but it's and IPL

 

yes. Big heavily hopped beers are cool but i like to dabble in the full beer spectrum. Reason being is that sometimes simple beers are rewarding enough, and I don't feel like I have to focus on it/let it be an experience. SA is a less is more brewery for me who makes solid renditions of simple brews. The OP seems to be asking if SA makes any more is more type beers. I didn't like the whitewater or lat 48, but haven't tried the other IPAs. That Tasmanian Red is pretty decent, but not on the level of say hop head red or something. I look forward to trying the juniper IPA. I like their winter lager, old fezzi, boston lager, cream stout. I don't like a lot of their stuff, but when you make that many styles it's inevitable. I can't find the stout or double stout at all and i really want to try them. I digress. You may get annoyed trying to find a west coast style beverage from them. But you experiment won't set you back any significant amount of money.

 

I love Alpine Spring as well but it has been discontinued for some other [I'm assuming will be overall meh due to the style] Spring seasonal called Cold Snap, which is "a Belgian-style white ale with a hazy golden wheat color and contains a refreshing mix of fruit and spice. One of the unique tastes found in Cold Snap, says Koch, are Valencia orange peels, which lend it citrus notes. The beer is brewed with a total of 10 fruits and spices. - See more at: http://philly.thedrinknation.com/ar...can-Beer-Festival-Brunch#sthash.cij5Gx7t.dpuf

I'll keep an open mind and who knows, I could be surprised, but I enjoyed Alpine Spring so much that I am already a bit bitter.

 

Hadn't heard this. I'll grant you that BBC does seem to make some marketing decisions that are not so popular with most craft beer lovers, and this sounds like one of them.