Thoughts on Sam Adams beers?

So far Sam Adams has always been a staple in our house. From Boston Lager, Latitude 48 (including the deconstructed pack), Nobel Pils, Summer, and the always loved Octoberfest (Not the greatest or truest but it was the featured beer at my wedding, yes that was the brides choice!). There are a very few that I don't like strictly because of style. Sam is Sam, I don't care how popular they are or become, the liquid tastes good.

 

Can anybody tell me if all Russian Imperial Stouts tastes ESSENTIALLY like S.A's version? Because I regrettably bought a 4-pack of their RIS and I couldn't finish the first two that I opened. All it tasted like to me was smoked soy sauce..

 

As long as you stay away from the Cherry Wheat... I agree with you here, they make good, if unremarkable, crafty beer.

 

Standard Sam Adams are disappointing for someone who loves craft beers, for someone just starting out, they are a great intro beer. But their special beers like their Double IPA are really good. Makes me wonder why they can't put that kind of love in all their beers.

 

Ten years ago, SA's quality was very hit-or-miss. Things are much better now. I have been blown away by most of their "small batch" series. Third Voyage is simply awesome. The IPA hop-ology mix pack was also very memorable. I think it was their first mix pack without Boston Lager, which I have never been a fan of.

 

They make a lot more beers that I like than they do beers that I don't like, and with their variety they probably make more beer that I like than any other brewer. Sounds good to me.

 

The number of people in this thread who said they still like SA beers would seem to contradict this statement.

 

Heh - so then I go to look at the Cherry Wheat reviews and who's the most recent reviewer? lol - you did a great job of making sure I'd never try it - ewwww.

 

I really don't mind it -- though I can get why people would be put off. Especially if they have a bad association with cherry flavoring/medicine as a kid. Though I can easily admit it's one of my least favorite S.A.'s

 

My thoughts on sam adams? I'll buy a mix pack of theirs and out of the 4 beers or so 2 of them i would drink again and the other 2 i would probably never bother seeking out again. There beers are about on par price wise as goose island and new belgium for a 12 pack and for the same price i like new belgium better.

 

Thanks, I do what I can. I just joined not too long ago and I'm going through the painstaking process of reviewing all the beers I've tried, good or bad. My memory's fuzzy on some of them, necessitating a refresher or two, a good excuse to drink more beer but its for an honest review, right?
I saw that you reviewed the Double and Oaked Bastards, I'm trying to find the Double which has been elusive near Seattle so far. Opened a couple oaked bastards to kick off a pubcrawl weekend in Bend, was a good opener to the festivities. Anyhow, good reviews yourself, keep the brews coming.

 

Double bastard is a once a year release, look for it this fall

they make some quality beers but they also made Infinium which is probably one of my most regrettable purchases.

 

Huh, thanks for that bit of info - didn't know that. No wonder it's in short supply.

I'll stay away from the Infinium if I see it, looks like it was a limited release thankfully so I'm probably not likely to see it here on the west coast, thanks for the heads up though!

I think this week I'll stop by the Sam Adams pub they have here in Bremerton. It's been a couple of years and I need some fresh opinions to bring to the forum, besides knocking on their Cold Medicine Lager.

 

Sounds like you might not be too into big stouts yet, I know it took me a little while for my taste buds to warm up to them. Long before I found craft beer, I tried a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and HATED the bitter flavor, oh man it tasted nasty. A few years later I tried an IPA and my taste buds had evolved and I was hooked, I started trying all sorts of hoppy beers. Eventually worked my way into malty beers like scotch ales, barleywines and stouts and after several months grew to love them. My absolute favorite beer on a freezing winter night is a big roasty bourbon barrel aged russian imperial stout. Give it time and warm up to them, starting with stouts/porters, maybe try traditional English stouts and porters first as they are generally lighter and a bit more simple and mellow, rather than a more aggressive take by American breweries which may take a bit getting used to. Then work your way up to baltic porters and imperial stouts and then on to barrel aged awesomeness

 

Very well put. I worked the opposite way, I went from mild malty beers, reds, wheats, ambers, etc. onto porters and stouts then American strong ales then tried an IPA and could handle it, after my buds were reeling from the strong ale assaults. Still trying to warm up to the bitter hop train, but as with a lot of things, you have to get used to it and be in the mood for it. There was a Russian Coffee Imperial I tried in Boise, ID, and man, it was intense. Coffee grinds mixed with that soy sauce indeed. If you approach them like I do heavy IPA's (after a few pints of milder beer) usually the warm, fuzzy drunkenness makes the intense flavors a lot more bearable.

 

Saying "golden age" makes it sound so fleeting and temporary... But you're probably right

 

nah its perfectly ok, my dad used to let my sister drink a taste or two and she is fine.

 

Thing is, Dark Depths by SA is one of my favorite beers by them... :|

 

Samuel Adams is like pokey-mon... or how ever you spell that... any way you have to catch them all! :-) ...they are a great brewry!