Miasmatic Review

Samuel Adams Winter Lager.

Tonight I’m reviewing a beer by another company I’ve never reviewed before, Samuel Adams. I’ve never been a huge Sam Adams fan, but when I went to the store they were the only winter beer they had that I hadn’t already sampled. Thus leaving us Samuel Adams Winter Lager as the choice.

It comes in a 12 oz brown bottle. This one has the signature of Samuel Adams cast on the bottle where it starts to narrow into the neck. The main label is done in blue and white with the name of the beer taking up much of the label. There is a small picture of Samuel Adams hoisting a stein at the bottom. Four snowflakes also grace the label.

When poured into a glass you can appreciate the nice dark amber color. Light passes through the body easily; there is no cloudiness at all. It poured almost no head at all. I even tried to pour it so as to create more head just so I could discern the color. What filmy head that did form quickly faded to nothing. There isn’t even a ring around the edge of the glass.

There is a nice caramel malt scent to the beer. It’s not very strong, but it is the only prominent scent you can get. If you concentrate you get a hint of prunes or plums. The scent of alcohol can also be detected. When drank, the flavor is much like the scent. Caramel malts are the primary flavor with just a touch of prunes and a slight hop bitterness that finishes well. The aftertaste is very mild and doesn’t last very long.

It is a medium bodied beer with a light carbonation to it. It’s very easy to drink and would probably go well with most holiday meals. At 5.8% alcohol by volume it’s surprising at how mellow it really is.

Overall this beer pleasantly surprised me. I thought it was well worth the drink and wouldn’t mind drinking another. Overall I’m giving this a 6 out of 10.