Brewery: Boston Beer Company (aka Samuel Adams), Boston, MA
Brewery Description: The first thing one notices in a Samuel Adams® Winter Lager is its color: the deep brown of winter. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The warm aroma of cinnamon and ginger which blends with the roasty sweetness of the malted barley and hint of citrus from the orange peel. And after that first sip the promise is fulfilled. On the palate Samuel Adams® Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with this season.
Brew Style:Weizen Bock, 5.8% ABV
Recommended Glassware: Dimpled mug, Stein, Weizen
The Ugly Truth: Finally, I am back. Alright, Sam Adam’s Winter. I drink it every year when it comes out and this year is no exception. Inviting chestnut brown/amber in color, not sure if that actually qualifies for”the color of winter” that the description implies. If I had to pick a color for winter, I’d go with…let’s see…oh yeah freakin’ WHITE since it snows. The head was white, so I’ll let them slide some. The aroma had a hearty nose of spice and malted barley that was enjoyable. The body was medium to heavy to me, right in the range I like for winter lagers. The taste was good, not great for me. I tasted the spice, but it wasn’t overly heavy and probably could have been stronger.  There was a little bit of bite at the end, and then a rather enjoyable warming after taste that rises up. Overall, solid beer. I’m sure its probably better on tap then in the bottle like a lot of Sam Adam’s products. Not the best winter lager I’ve ever had, but still enjoyable.
Verdict: Old Man Winter is rolling in and blowing at a 7 out of 10 bottlecaps strength.
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I love the Sam Adams winter Lager. Like you mentioned, I would have to agree and confirm, it does taste much better on tap than the bottle. the draft version allows for a nice aroma and really brings out the cinamon and the ’spices’. I fully enjoy this winter beer and is one of my favorites. I would reccomend another winter beer if you can find it around these parts. Sierra Nevada Christmas beer is awesome!
We drank Sierra Nevada Christmas beer during the podcast now being edited (hopefully up in the next day or two). We’ve compared over-hopped beers to eating pinecones before but this was the exact flavor of a christmas tree. “A hint of dark malt and the prominent aroma of douglas fir!”
Given past history concerning hops, I definitely need to try it now.
Well, I think I’m going to stay away from the winter Sam Adams…
However! I am looking forward to more seasonal/ winter beer reviews (i.e. some help to keep me from buying over hyped winter brews).
In the overall scheme of seasonal brews, the winters tend to be my least favorite so don’t expect me to go out of the way to grab a bunch for review.