Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

A: The pour is a clear, dark amber color with a finger’s worth of off-white foam. S: The smell is caramel malt, mild spices such as cinnamon and ginger. T: The flavors are similar to the nose, but amped up a bit. There is a sweet caramel flavor along with a nice cinnamon and ginger spiciness. There is also a bit of fruit, maybe cherry and orange. M: The body is medium and the carbonation is quite light, but works nicely for the beer. D: This is an amazingly drinkable beer. I’ve never had this beer before and was quite pleasantly surprised by it. One of the better beers in the Winter Pack.

A very unique beer. I've only ever seen this one in the Christmas/Winter selection sampler. Deep brown in color, with odors of strong brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Finishes smooth, with chocolate, spicy, nutmeg, and more malt and nutmeg flavors. A nice holiday beer.

Bottled. Clear, medium copper pour with a well-retained beige head. Christmas-like spices and caramel in the aroma, but it was kinda metallic and artificial. Caramel and spicy malt were all over the flavor, too, along with some chocolate... again with an odd character that was not-so-appealing. Somewhat metallic and sour notes around the edges and at the finish. Decent holiday ale, I suppose, but didn’t much do it for me.

12 ounce bottle courtesy of Alraomon. Thanks! Pours a clear ruby red color with a medium eggshell aroma, moderate retention and nice lacing. Aroma is caramel, citrus and spice. Lots of orange peel and some green apple. Taste is fruity, again with the citrus and green apple, with some subtle bitter notes and caramel malts. Medium bodied.

12 fl oz bottle from Total Wines & More, Clearwater, FL. On January 24, 2011
Clear brown color, big light brown head. Sweet, malty, spicy scent. Sweet, spicy, malty, bread taste. Grain and slightly roasted aftertaste. Moussy mouthfeel, medium dryish bitterness.

Bottle @ home. Dark red/brown appearance with a big tan/brown head. Spicy nose including orange peel, cinnamon, and possibly ginger with a brown malty body behind the spices. Pretty spicy brown malted body but the spices are well-done and not overdone. Ginger comes out pretty well in the finish. After taste is a spicy brown malty taste. Good job not overdoing the spices.

A nice seasonal ale with hints of cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Good for the holidays, but not at the top of my list of winter ales.

Dark brownished garnet, clearish. Lacy light beige head lasts until the end as a large cover, having gone down from the initial thick 2-inch foam. Spicy, malty nose where pumpkin pie elements meet with bolder, dark toast, seedy and rooty earthiness. Orange fruitiness emerges amidst cinnamon, ginger and bark notes. Not juicy though, too darkish for that and without really any dark fruit notes, possibly molasses on the other hand. Remains quite sweet despite the accent put on the earthiness and dark malts which hint at dry character. Limited bitterness. I appreciate how they kept the spices as a backing devide rather than the focus. Adequate medium body and soft-medium carbonation. More than fair. Thank you darkelf!

I really wish this one was available year round, as it is Sammy’s best offering, edging out the Winter Lager. I really had trouble placing the aroma, it was kind of like toasted wheat bread with a hint of orange. The color was rich and so was the taste. Refreshingly complex.

Bottle. Milld ginger, cinnamon and orange aroma. Dark copper color with small head. Chocolate malt and cinnamon/orange flavor. Very nice and reliable seasonal.