Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Wheat Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Boston Beer Company--Samuel Adams--Summer Ale 1998 12 oz. Bottle. 5.06% ABV. (3.0 / 5.0) Golden Ale--Slightly amber rich cloudy golden color. Nice mild spice front. Good malt body. 1999 12 oz. Big Sam Bottle. 5.06% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Golden Ale--Clear light golden color. Hints of spice in pour and aroma. Wheat spice flavor with a hint of lemon opens up unfiltered, but rich wheat body. Finishes with rich special spice overtaking wheat. Sampled 4/28/1999. 2000 Big Sam 12 oz. Bottle. 5.02% (3.75 / 5.0) Pilsner? Slightly hazy light amber golden color. Light refreshing wheat coriander spice front. Belgian White Ale with malty body. Hints of sediment flavor. Delicately tasty with nice flavor and clean maltiness. Sampled 8/10/2000. 2001 Big Sam--Signature Series 12 oz. Bottle. 5.06% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Fruit Ale--Spice--Clear golden color. Big head pour leaves good lace. Mild hop front with malty hint of lemon. Mild smooth body with light malty crisp sweetness and hint of wheat flavor. Light clean lemon hop wheat end. Sampled 10/15/2001. 2002 Big Sam--Signature Series 12 oz. Bottle. 4.75% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Slightly hazy rich golden color. Light lemon aroma finishes mild floral light malt front introducing crisp light malty wheat body. Mild sweetness. Refreshing flavorful taste. Clean light lemon wheat end. Sampled 7/23/2002. 2003 Big Sam--Signature Series 12 oz. Bottle. 5.20% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Wheat Ale-- Light loose sediment .Hazy dark golden color. Medium lacy head. Floral citrus mild hop wheat spice front. Creamy malty wheat lemon citrus mild sweet fruit body. Clean lingering lemon mild hop end. Malty. Sampled 9/23/2003. 2004 Seasonal Brew 12 oz. Bottle. 5.20% ABV--20 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Lemon--Mild lace head. Hazy bright lemon orange color. Floral mild lemon wheat spice hop front. Zesty crisp mild wheat spice citrus butter "Paradise" body. Clean refreshing mild hop spicy citrus end. Nice. Sampled 7/27/2004. 2005 Seasonal Brew 12 oz. Bottle. 5.20% ABV--15 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Lemon--Foamy mild lace head. Bright cloudy dark lemon color. Tangy wheat spice coriander grains of paridise mild hop front. Crisp dry sweet malted wheat body. Refreshing tart citrus spice mild hop end. Nice. Sampled 8/17/2005. 2006 Seasonal Brew 12 oz. Bottle. 5.20% ABV--15 IBU’s? (4.5 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Foamy lacy head. Bright cloudy lemon gold orange color. Mild heat ester hop front. Creamy crisp tart wheat malt body. Tangy clean lemon citrus spicy Grains of Paradise clean fresh tasty dry end. Sampled 6/16/2006. (4.25 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Mild lacy head. Cloudy bright lemon orange color. Mild banana clove wheat front. Creamy tangy mild sweet citrus banana wheat malty body. Refreshing mild citrus tangy Grains of Paradise end. Nice Hefe! Sampled 6/18/2006. 2007 Summer Styles Sampler 12 oz. Bottle. 5.30% ABV--15 IBU’s? (3.75 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Foamy lacy head. Bright dark lemon color. Mild Grains of Paradise lemon hop front. Crisp mild sweet tangy wheat spice lemon ester body. Refreshing clean mild hop mellow end. Tasty but a little bland. Sampled 4/9/2007. Samuel Adams Summer Ale Seasonal Brew--Ale Brewed with Lemon and Grains of Paradise--2008 12 oz. Bottle. 5.30% ABV--15 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Wheat Ale--Spiced--Foamy lacy tight white head. Clear bright rich yellow color. Floral Wheat Grains of Paradise mild lemon hop front. Crisp clean mild citrus tangy crusty hint wheat body. Refreshing easy mild hot pepper hop smooth clean quenching zesty end. Sampled 4/24/2008. 6-Pack $7.49.

Like most of the Sam Adams seasonals, this one is different depending on whether I have it on tap or from a bottle. Usually the bottle is a much lighter flavored beer with a faint lemon citrus flavor with a watery aftertaste. From the tap the citrus flavor are much more pronounced as well as a medium spice flavor.

A descent summer ale. Hazy yellow color. Smells of malts and citrus. Has a nice citrusy taste. I usually don’t like this style, but this one is pretty good.

(br-btl yw/bu-lbl, mix pack)

opq-hazy-straw, smooth and wheaty with a slight macro flavor but overall good and flavorful, great "summer" patio beer.

Bottle, tap. Hazy dark yellow pour, white head. Yeast, grain, and citrus nose. Grain and lemon on taste. Decent summer beer.

Pours golden with a fluffy white head that didn’t last long and a toffee aroma. There is a substantial caramel and wheat flavor with some hop bitterness and a spicy finish. A pretty average beer.

THOUGHTS: So, so beer. It would probably be nice in the summer. Not really much to it. Decent thirst quencher, though. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a hazy light to medium yellow with an average to large, white head that kept a nice sheet and left good lacing. It also had small particles of a thin density in the body. The aroma was light to moderate hay and cereal; light to moderate yeast; wheat and slight citrus. The initial flavor was acidic and lightly sweet; while the finish was rather acidic, slightly bitter and slightly sour with an average duration. There was citrus, wheat and yeast. The light body was somewhat dry with lightly fizzy carbonation and a chalky and light to moderately astringent finish.

I must have gotten the last 6 pack of this one on the shelf. Pour out of the bottle into a long flute. poured a hazy gold with a minimal lingering white head. Aromas of straw, graininess generous amount of lemon citrus. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of straw, light earthiness and citrus with a crisp lingering finish. I had this with grilled salmon what a great pairing. Ipm glad I have 5 more to drink.