Samuel Adams and Weihenstephan Infinium

Samuel Adams and Weihenstephan Infinium (2011)
Brewed and Bottled by The Boston Beer Co., in Boston MA and Hammondsport, NY. USA.

Limited Release (Yearly - December)

25.4 fl. oz. / $18.99 USD / 10.3% ABV

About: "Our brewers worked for two years with the world’s oldest brewery, Germany’s Weihenstephan, to create this unique new beer style. A groundbreaking brew, made with only the four traditional ingredients: malted barley, hops, water and yeast. Infinium is dry-hopped with Bavarian Noble hops for a light citrus flavor. Its then bottle-conditioned with a traditional Belgian yeast and fermented in the champagne-method to add another layer of flavor complexity, a bright clarity, and a fine carbonation to the beer. Malt Varieties: Custom blend of two-row malted barley, malted spring white wheat, and malted oats / Hop Varieties: Hallertau Mittlefrueh, Spalt Spalter, Tettnang Tettnanger and Hersbrucker Noble Hops / Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast, Belgian yeast."

Thoughts: Major smoke as I popped the double-logo printed cork. Poured a pale light straw yellow that settled into an orange hue, with a huge white puffy head full of small rotating bubbles. Lots of carbonation coming up from my Sam Adams glass. It's quite a beautiful looking beer.

Getting some nice malts and hops mingling together. It's a bit yeasty too. There most surely is going to be a yeast snap in this one. Overall the scent is fruity and sweet. Like soft apples, sweet green apples or white grapes.

First taste note is very fruity. Spices come through afterwards and tickle the tongue. Low alcohol zing around the end while breathing in. This is a well balanced beer with that zesty yeast just almost creeping in a little too much but it falls back accordingly. Flavors seem to roll around in circles, and overall the taste is quite nice. A little heavy on the yeast side still, but not as bad as some of the other brews I've reviewed. It's not overdone. For this beer, I think that they stopped and bottled it at just the right time.

Frothy, bubbly, with a little bit of bite.

I poured two glasses for the first time, but my girl couldn't get through five sips of the stuff so I got to drink all of it. And no, I didn't mind that at all. It reminds me of this old André Wine that I stole from my folks' cabinet when I was young, only not as drying. For me this one has a bit too much of an apple taste though. The strong alcohol is nice, as is the balance and even the yeast, but overall the taste isn't the most satisfying in terms of expectations. I guess I'm lucky that I got this for nineteen dollars as opposed to the one and two dollar jump-ups these bottles got just after I bought mine. It should be fifteen at the most but I'm not dwelling. It was an OK experience, but it's time to move on.