Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Did not like this beer at all! Very surprised, I thought I was going to like it. The thing that surprised me was the sweetness, come on this is beer, not Kool-Aid! The funny thing is that I can usually tolerate most beers, however this beer I found myself choking down. Although I would like to note that this beer did have a great color.

This brew is very strong, I thought. The fruit flavors overtake the brew and dominate the palate. I think if the fruit tones were turned down, this lambic would end up being alot better balanced. Good aroma, beautiful color, but the body needs some work, it tastes unbalanced, but still decent.

From the 2005 Sam Adam’s Winter Sampler. ABV on the bottle is 5.9% rather than the listed 4.8%. Box says, best before feb 2006. Pours a murky dark orange/apricot hue, makes a fine white head and laces my glass nicely. Smell is slightly vegetal, hint of oak and vanilla beans, just a smidge of funk, but not even close to what I would expect of a ’lambic’. Flavor is all over the place, its sweet, there’s vanilla, some soured wheat, sour fruit but hard to discern that there is cranberry in this, my best descriptor here would be ’interesting’. Medium carbonation, medium palate and leaves a sticky coating, its not bad, but not really lambic-like at all. This is interesting, but there’s plenty of other brews I’d rather have instead. (consumed 11-22-2005)

did sample this beer warm so thats your warning. Had a nice aroma with a lot of cranberry. Not a lambic by any use of the word, so its accurately placed as a fruit beer. Not bad and it is festive, but still not worth another try.

In one word, AWFUL. Fruity lambic is not my brew to begin with, too sweet. More apple than cranberry in nose and flavor with this brew. Discontinue in my opinion.

Honestly I didn’t think it was that bad, at least not for the rating it has. Sweet/tart cranberry flavor, perhaps its because I’m such a fan of cranberry juice that I enjoyed this one.

I found this brew to be quite tasty, full of cranberry sweet / bitter flavor. Very light refreshing quality. Maybe not appropriate for enjoying by the fire, but a good choice if you’re thirsty.

This wasn’t my favorite beer. I like cranberries yet this was a little "too" cranberry for a beer. It was watery yet drinkable for the holidays.