Sam Adams Winter Classics Pack 2013?

a little off topic here but what is the big bottle called this year? merry maker or merry mischief because the website makes it kinda confusing
http://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/merry-maker

 

Where's the fn' Holiday Porter? It was that with Old Fezzie that made it worth buying.

 

I had the Chocolate Cherry Bock a few years ago on-tap and it was sublime. Sorry to see Holiday Porter gone; it was a solid, if not quite remarkable porter. White Xmas is the throw away here; I wish that would have gotten the heave-ho instead of the porter.

 

I was not a fan of White Christmas so that would be my throw away..

 

Seriously. In my nine years of drinking craft beer, I've drain poured just a few beers (literally two or three) and the White Christmas last year was one of them.

Why do they CONSTANTLY push witbiers at Boston Beer Company? Who is giving them feedback that their witbiers taste even halfway decent?

 

Same, I wrote them about that and Bonfire... Both were outstanding. That Maple Pecan had a great balance of both flavors without being syrupy sweet.

 

How long before people stop bitching about IPAs?

I mean damn, its only one IPA with FIVE other beers.

 

the other five includes sam adams boston lager which every mix pack has of theirs..
i still havent tasted this winter pack looking forward to buy it

 

I won't be buying it for the first time this year. I don't want an IPA in a winter sampler. I also protest Holiday Porter being gone without an equal or better replacement.

 

I'd be ok with it if they didn't directly replace a PORTER in a WINTER mix pack with an IPA. Especially a popular porter such as theirs, which is evident all throughout this thread.

Yes, I realize Celebration Ale works fine as a winter seasonal for Sierra Nevada. But a porter is more a winter style than an IPA is. That being said, if they replaced the White Christmas with the IPA, I'd be all for it. As a witbier makes even less sense in a winter mix pack than an IPA.

 

Its nothing personal against Sam Adams but yeah I am not a fan of Witbier either. Would rather kept the Porter,ditched the Wit and had the Juniper IPA(or that COFFEE One from a few years back!)

 

I was looking at Otter Creek's winter sampler and 2 of the 4 beers were IPA's and another was an APA. You'd think at least they'd squeeze the Stove Pipe Porter or another winter themed beer in there like they did in the past but nope not anymore.

 

i just picked up my variety pack along with the merry maker and the first one i opened is the cherry chocolate bock and i dislike it
i tried all the beers now
harvest variety pack is better imo
if i can make a pack out of the two i would make
hazel brown
old fezziwig ale
octoberfest
winter lager
ruby mild
and i would replace boston lager with cream stout because its better

white christmas tastes wierd imo

 

Well judging by what most people are saying the porter will be in 6-packs so you won't have to worry about that. If it was any other style of beer you wouldn't be bitching that next they are going to change the whole variety pack to only that style. A porter is no more of a winter style than an IPA....these are fake labels you are coming up with in your head. Each are equally "winter" it just depends on what the individual person wants to drink.

 

I have yet to see concrete evidence that the Holiday Porter will be in six packs. I'd still prefer it in a mix pack though, as opposed to having buy a separate six pack. Admittedly I haven't checked in awhile to see if this is true, it's better than not having it all though.

I'm honestly not trying to anger you any further, but why are you defensive towards IPAs?

As far as porters go, from years on this website, most consider porters and stouts cold weather brews. Anything that is malt forward and heartier (especially darker malts) and higher in alcohol is generally considered a winter beer. How many summer mix packs have porters in them?

 

Tired of seeing people cry every time an IPA shows up in a variety pack. IPAs are also considered cold weather brews (Celebration), so that throws out your argument that they can't be a winter style. Sam Adams remade the holiday porter label so it would be very likely they have something planned for the beer. I don't see why you wouldn't buy a sixer of it if you love it as much as you are saying.

 

Some people are just sick of seeing IPAs infiltrate everything and there are PLENTY of IPAs to choose from year round so we'd like to not have them in winter packs, especially when they replace a beer that is NOT offered year round. Do you see a lot of Stouts, Porters, Oktoberfests, Pumpkin Ales year round? No you do not, because they are typically seasonal beers. Maltier beers have been considered cold weather beers for a looooong time and your, "Since there is Celebration then IPA = cold weather," logic is flawed at best because 1. SN was one of the few for quite some time to release an IPA as a winter seasonal 2. Celebration is quite malty and I would not classify it as a regular IPA, so now we can back to the maltier beers = cold weather theme if we'd like to.

You have plenty of IPAs to choose from year round so I don't know why you would even be concerned with a once a year offering anyway?!?

 

Please see ESHBG's post, which is very clear, despite you not understanding his point. To quote him, "Some people are just sick of seeing IPAs infiltrate everything and there are PLENTY of IPAs to choose from year round...especially when they replace a beer that is not year round."

I'm not sure how much more clear he could be.

3 out of Sierra Nevada's 4 seasonals are IPAs.

 

Merry Maker

 

Did they give any reason for why the changed the name?