In this special edition of the Beer Roster, we will be drinking from the Brewer Patriot Collection crafted by Samuel Adams. There are four beers in the collection that we’ll be taking a look at: the 1790 Root Beer Brew, James Madison Dark Wheat Ale, Traditional Ginger Honey Ale, and George Washington Porter. The Collection sells as a four pack, with 12oz bottle of each beer. (first review follows, see the rest of the reviews after the jump)

Brewery: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company), Boston, MA

Brewery Description: We’ll deal with each individually, but this is the Brewer Patriot website

Recommended Glassware: The various sources list a number of glasses, but let’s be honest: all of these should be drunk out of a stein because that’s what the colonials would have used.

1790 Root Beer Brew (Recipe 4) (#37)

Brewery Description: “This brew is adapted from a recipie from 1790. The intense aroma of this unfiltered beer is immediately evident with spicy, herbal notes of sassafras, wintergreen, and licorice. These are balanced with the with the sweet aroma and flavor of caramalized sugar and molasses. This beer finishes with the subtle compliment of vanilla and wildflower honey.”

Brew Style: Spice/Herb Beer, 5.5% ABV

The Ugly Truth: Wow, this was different. Upon opening, it smelled a great deal like traditional root beer, with some of the hints of licorice coming through. Color was interesting as it poured a luminescent shade of amber that looked very warm and inviting. Light on the head thickness, faintly tan color to it. The initial taste was pretty reminescent of root beer, but the continuing taste and aftertaste were wholly different. The wintergreen comes on really strong about halfway through and frankly overpowers the rest of the taste. It was a change from the ordinary and I found it enjoyable, but the wintergreen was a bit strong and I think may have slightly hurt the overall experience. Sadly, it reminded me of wintergreen Listerine so that kind of took away from things. However, with all that this is a good offering in the pack, just not my favorite.

Verdict: A strong 6 out of 10 bottlecaps, but almost a 7

James Madison Dark Wheat Ale (Recipe 3) (#38)

Brewery Description: “Our James Madison Dark Wheat Ale uses both wheat and rye, making it a very malty beer. It has a dense creamy head with roasted malt aromas and notes of toffee, cocoa, and dates. It is slightly tart on the palate with a subtle smokey finish.”

Brew Style: American Dark Wheat Ale, 5.4% ABV

The Ugly Truth: Jim Koch needs to put this beer out all the time. Its liquid gold. Dear Lord this stuff was tasty. It says on the bottle that James Madison wanted to set up a National Brewery and the country would be in better shape if he had managed to follow through with it. This ale pours a nice deep brown color, with a decent head to it that was pretty long lasting. The description is right, this is a nicely malted beer with the light roasted taste really coming through. It took a lot for me not to down the whole stein of it after the first sip. Great taste to it and very full bodied. The tartness did come through, which was something fairly new to me in a wheat ale and it did a lot for the taste. I really hope Jim Koch does put this out all the time after this collector’s run, because it would be a great addition to the Samuel Adams family of beers.

Verdict: A deserving 9 out of 10 bottlecaps.

Traditional Ginger Honey Ale (Recipe 1) (#39)

Brewery Description: “This effervescent golden brew remains unfiltered, as it would have been in the colonial era. The bright citrus aroma and flavors of fresh ginger and lemon zest are balanced by the subtle maltiness of of lightly roasted malted barley and the floral sweetness of wildflower honey.”

Brew Style: Spiced/Herb Beer, 5.5% ABV

The Ugly Truth: This beer reminds a lot of Fraoch Heather Ale. The color is a strong gold, slightly cloudy due to being unfiltered. The smell and taste of ginger are extremely prominent in this ale, which after a while does start to take away from it. The taste is pretty smooth though, and transitions into a fairly sharp citrus mixed with the honey. I think it was a bit heavier than most spiced beers out there, again probably due to the lack of filtering. It gave it this nice chewy mouthfeel that was enjoyable. The floral taste of this ale is definately one of its strong points, but the strong ginger can get a bit too much by the end. All in all, it was good, but it’s not an ale I would drink a ton of at one sitting. More in the vein of a beer to drink during the summer when its hot out and you just want a refresher.

Verdict: I’m going with a 7 out of 10 bottlecaps for this one.

George Washington Porter (Recipe 2) (#40)

Brewery Description: “Our George Washing Porter is medium-bodied with a deep roasted malt aroma. The molasses and licorice in this brew are authentic to American porters of the colonial era, as is the more assertive hop finish.”

Brew Style: Porter, 5.7% ABV

The Ugly Truth: George Washington Porter is another of the four beers in this collection that Jim Koch should give serious consideration into making a regular offering. This was a fantastic porter, both in its taste and distinction from other beers of this type. It poured a deep black color, with a strong foamy white head to it. The taste was solid and smooth, and the roasted taste of the malts really comes through. I found the finish to be somewhat spiced at first, but after reading the description I could definitely detect the molasses and licorice in the aftertaste. This was a really good porter and was quite different from your typical offering. Definitely one of the better ones in the pack.

Verdict: Giving George Washington Porter an 8 out of 10 bottlecaps.

The Samuel Adams Brewer Patriot Collection is a solid offering from the brewery and has some extremely interesting beers in it. To me, the entire pack is a testimonial to the history of beer brewing in this country. You always hear about the history of German or Belgian beers and its rich traditions, such as the German Beer Purity Law of 1519, but its nice to see someone ressurrect beers from the relatively young history of our country. You frequently hear about how Anheiser Bush’s family has been brewing beer for years, but let’s be honest, their beer sucks. As was recently pointed out to me by a frequent commenter, Russtopher, they brew their beer with rice. That is a crime. My hope is that by Jim Koch reviving these recipies, it will spark other brewers to look to the rich tradition of brewing in this country for ways to improve thier product. I highly recommend purchasing the Collection and enjoying.