Samuel Adams Alpine Spring

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring (2012)

Seasonal (January – March) New Brew!

22 fl. oz. /$2.99 USD / 5.5% ABV

About: "Brewed especially for the season, this bright citrusy unfiltered lager is both satisfying and refreshing. It’s the perfect transition from winter’s heavier brews to the lighter beers of summer. This hazy golden brew is brewed with only pale malts (Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland) for a crisp maltiness and honey malt for a slight sweetness. The beer is brewed with 100% Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops (from original hop gardens in the foothills of the Alps), a half pound per barrel, to produce a unique, bright orange-citrusy aroma and taste of orange blossom honey."

Thoughts: Poured a very light yellow. Nice puffy white head that stuck around for a while. Somewhat transparent with a lot of carbonation bubbles rising up.

Well this smells pretty good and not light at all (a concern of mine among Sam Adams beers, scent and taste-wise). Major citrus, honey, wheat and floral notes for the most part. Nice mix of hops and malt present, with the hops really standing out in the scent.

It's got a very nice mix of the hops and malts. They obviously made a nice choice with what they've used here, and by the looks of things, it was really simplistic. It really comes together quite well and leaves a distinct flow. Those blistering cold hops hit first and then slowly fall back while the pale and honey malts rise. The hops never fully retreat though, and their taste lingers throughout the entirety of the brew. It gets a little musty after a while. A bit like lemon rind and grapefruit, but not sour at all... pretty sweet actually. Like edible flowers. I've got issues with balance when it comes to beer. I tend to lean towards the extreme and prefer dominance in certain areas depending on the style and ABV. Perhaps it's because quite a few balanced beers I have tried simply seemed bland. This one however, is not one of those. Maybe it's the one-two punch of pure ecstasy that this beer delivers, but I couldn't stop thinking about it for the next few days.

Mouth feel is a light medium and very drinkable. Very good for a sipping beer as well, ladies.

This is pretty crisp and a little bit grassy, but a sweeter grassy. Very flowery. Like running through a grassy field full of wildflowers while burping up pale ale. I really enjoyed this beer and picked up another bottle after work to do some non-review drinking. This is an astonishing release by a company that I haven't had the best track record with, and I can see why it's a seasonal. Why spoil your customers with the good shit! Huh? The price is just right for a 22 oz. as well.

Southern Tier Imperial Krampus Helles Lager

Southern Tier Imperial Krampus Helles Lager (2011)

Winter Seasonal  (Limited Release)

22 fl. oz. / $7.29 / 9.0% ABV (Their website states 9/3%)

 About: "Santa Claus is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ‘the list’. European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children. Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for no less than 30 days. This Imperial Helles Lager will warm even the darkest hearts. This season, replace the cookies with a bottle of Krampus. If he happens to pay a visit, toast to him with this devilish brew. Merry Kramp-mas to all, and to all a good pint!"

Thoughts: Poured a dark hazy amber orange that ended up looking blood orange in the mug. The frosty head was like a cheesecake off-white.

Smells of sweet and spicy hops, and melted caramel.

Warm, malty caramel flows. Getting dark fruits like plum and a little blackberry mixed with dried sugared apricots. Pretty spicy with a zing of alcohol fume. There's some very slight piney hops coming through at the end and on the back of the tongue. The main way to describe this brew though? Sweet Sweet malts! Total liquid candy. How's it taste once it warms? I couldn't tell ya. I downed this like Krampus beats down an evil little girl: fast and with abusive glee.

Very tingly, frothy, thick and prickly. Coating, syrupy and not easily forgotten.

The great taste of this doesn't fade away man, it just stays with you for a while. That's one of the things I really like about Southern Tier, they coat the mouth and linger. Aftertaste is like a chocolate oatmeal. A little woodsy, and once the glass was empty I could really smell the hops. Oh, hi hops.

Sierra Nevada 30'th: Imperial Helles Bock and Imperial Stout

Sierra Nevada 30'th Anniversary: Charlie, Fred and Ken's Bock - Imperial Helles Bock (May 2010)
Extremely Limited Release
25.4 fl. oz. / $10.49 USD / 8.3% ABV

About: "Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhart are the men who launched a thousand breweries. Their writing on the art of home brewing and steadfast promotion of beer culture helped propel the craft brewing movement. Charlie and Fred agreed to work with us on this special ale in honor of our 30th anniversary. This Imperial Helles Bock is a testament to the ever-evolving brewer’s art. Bold yet balanced with distinct toasted malt character, moderate sweetness and clean and floral hops."

Thoughts: Well this one certainly poured lighter than the others. A golden straw-yellow color, almost a little bit orange once it's in the glass. Big foamy head as usual.

Smells citrusy. A little light, especially after the other 30'th brews there. Getting some lemon. Tangerine peel. Low creeping malt and hops.

It's got a zesty sting. Tastes a bit of floral hops. Sweet and bitter are both on the same level, with quite a well done balance overall. Somewhat tart. Not overwhelmingly tart mind you. But that's the main backdrop in flavor one it goes down. Doesn't really have the bite of an 8.3%.

A little fizzy, smooth and very easy to drink. Not terribly exciting unfortunately though.

Overall a very, very mild Imperial. The lightest I've ever tasted so far actually. For all that it's worth though, it still does taste damn good. And the warmer it gets, the sweeter is gets.

Sierra Nevada 30'th Anniversary: Fritz and Ken's Ale - Imperial Stout (March 2010)

Extremely Limited Release

25.4 fl. oz. / $10.49 USD / 9.2% ABV

About: "First of the series. Fritz Maytag, owner of San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, is regarded as the founding father of the craft brewing movement. Frtiz agreed to guest brew this very special ale with us in honor of our 30th anniversary. As a nod to the dark ales and stouts that seduced both Fritz and Ken in the early years, we bring you this pioneering stout, a rich and roasted ale, perfect for aging, and worthy of your finest snifter."

Thoughts: Poured a midnight pitch black, with a dark chocolaty head that appeared to lighten into a soft fluffy whipped topping.

Heavy on the chocolate and coffee. It's not leaning towards one or the other. Both seem to be represented quite well.

Bitterness, alcohol tinge, major coffee... gonna let it warm a bit. Very malty, strong and runs through the sinuses. The alcohol notes are pretty strong in this one. It's not affecting the mouth feel, but rather the taste a bit. It's definitely more coffee than chocolate, in fact, the chocolate seems to all but disappear after a while. Only a peppery cocoa lingers. It's still there if you stop and search for it, but tangy coffee alcohol pretty much sums this one up. I'm getting some earthy tones on the finish too. Bitter, grassy and a little bit smokey.

It's a little bit thick, but yet again, just like the rest it goes down smooth. Not really a sipping brew though as it's a bit filmy, your best bet would be to chug this fucker down and run for the hills.

This one is a little bit more funky than all the rest. A lot of smoke aftertaste. A lot of smoke period. It's kind of like drinking a few shots of coffee brandy after eating some Chocolate Rice Crispies while standing over a bonfire and breathing in some of the embers. Yeah, kinda like that.