Samuel Adams Winter Lager

pours a dark but transparent brown with a rapidly disappearing head. No lacing to speak of. Nothing special here. S=very light sweet smell, otherwise nothing. T=trademark Sam Adams taste. Little more going on here than the Boston Lager, and that is not necessarily a bad Thing. M=thin and maybe a little too much carbonation.

Bottle. Good percentage of wheat malt. I would guess less than half, though. The wheat is much less noticeable than in a regular dunkel weizen, but it is definitely there, and adds a very nice touch. Very malty, slightly chocolately. Nice balance and rich, smooth palate. Not extremely exciting, but a very nice beer. Not as nice when I had it on tap.

Pours dark reddish brown with a large offwhite head. Nose is malt and nut. Taste is roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, toffee, and spice. Nice but not spectacular.

Like a fine family tradition, every year Samuel Adams releases their Winter Lager, a deep russet-brown weizen bock of crisp, refreshing enjoyment with just the right amount of dry winter spices to remind you what season it is.

As stated above, she sparkles deep russet rubies with some darker browns holding the light at bay while her soft, coppery head fades into a fluffy blanket. No lace to speak of, but that isn’t too terminal in this instance. Butterscotch and caramel right off the bat, which makes me wonder if Sam Adams uses any English malt. Her butterscotch and caramel leads me right into burnt brown-sugars, dry and crunchy, as they mingle with nutmeg and cinnamon; turtles anyone. A soft bready background reminds me of warm pretzels, minus the salt, as candy apples and unsweetened yellow raisins give the Winter Lager a fruity touch. Not bad, though a thick sugary sweetness will hopefully not be detrimental to her palate. My first quaff is brisk and mildly sweet with just a hint of mouth-coating weight. Far more subdued than her nose, crunchy candied apples finish with a spritz of freshly cut lemon which tingles long into her finish. Soft pretzels provide more weight while nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugars act as a dry rub for both our palates. The only presence in her rather short finish is the lemon zest, though a breath of spice is starting to hang around for the late show. As my glass’ contents diminish, a faint dryness reminiscent of the spongy inside of a lemon skin keeps my palate thirsting for more. As we bid farewell to each other and the wintery season, Samuel Adams pulls off another winner with their Winter Lager.

Samuel Adams is a gateway brewery through and through. Anyone who has supped of some of their more specialty delights such as the Utopias, Chocolate Bock, and Double Bock know that when Koch puts his nose to the broiler, amazing feats of brewing happen. A side note about Sam Adams beers in general; they do have date coding on the side so when getting ready to bring a six pack of their beers home, make sure yours is fresh.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The label has a best before date printed on it. Appearance: The body has a very dark coppery color with a thick off white head on top. The head is thick, creamy, has good retention and leaves some lacing on the glass as I drink. Smell: Its aroma is light with just a hint of spices coming though a modest, sweet dark malt. Taste/Mouth Feel: The flavor has a good layer of dark sweet malt with notes of sugar, caramel and lightly roasted grain mixed with just hint of spices. The spices don’t really jump out at you but they add just enough subtle complexity. The hops adds another level of leafy/spice and some bitterness for balance as well. The hops come out a little more in the finish and leave a slight mineral note behind. The palate is smooth and slick with light carbonation and a solid medium body. Notes: This is a great winter beer with a good balance of flavor, complexity and drinkability.

Dark amber with pale white head. Aroma of caramel. Medium body, tastes of caramel, malt, cinnamon. Not well balanced. Pass.

I remember this beer being way more spiced and fruity then the one I just drank. I decent winter beer but could use more of a warming effect. I loved in the past a noticeable amount of cranberry and nutmeg flavor. Not this year. Bummer!

Hazy amber with medium tan head. A light yet sweet malty aroma with a hint of citrus and pine. A malty backbone with some spice notes. Nothing spectacular.