Thursday, December 28, 2006

Sam Adams Winter Classics Mix Pack

I've become something of a beer snob, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Sam Adams (other soft spots include Chipotle, Cal Ripken Jr., Bob Dole, The X-Files, Steve Francis, and my mom), as it was the beer that first started me on the transition towards enjoying good beer. So even though I don't really find the beers in this mix pack to be anything especially wonderful (though my first sip of a fresh cold Boston Lager still makes me weak in the knees) , I'm always excited to pick up the Sam Adams Winter mix.

A few years ago I rated the Winter Lager as probably my favorite beer, but while I still enjoy it, it has fallen far down that list. I really like the Old Fezziwig ale, and would probably now call it my favorite in the mix. I'm always weirded out by the Cranberry Lambic. Sam Adams describes it:
Samuel Adams® Cranberry Lambic is a Belgian-style fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it is brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by a rare, wild yeast strain. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries, bananas, cloves, and nutmeg. A subtle cereal note from the malted wheat reminds the drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it is still very much a beer. It is made with native cranberries and tastes delicious with traditional holiday favorites such as roasted turkey.
Maybe I'm missing the subtle cereal note.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you tried other lambics? I really like the fruit lambics, especially, and I'm interested to know if the Sam Adams version is any good. But if that was your first one, then I can see how it might be weird. Try Lindemanns.

chuck zoi said...

Yeah my first and only lambic. Lambic is defined by the wild yeast, right? This one doesn't make me think I'd especially like the style, but I'll give this Lindemanns a try if I see it.

Cara said...

Sam Adams lambic is nothing like real Belgian lambics. No american lambics taste like belgian ones, at least none that i've tried (and that's a bunch).

chuck zoi said...

All beer is better in Belgium is probably the lesson here.

Anonymous said...

hwong14 and cara,
how about starting a "chicks and beer" blog with me? horny men perched at their computer scouring the web will be surprised when it's not close-ups of Jessica Alba's divine ass and Flying Dog reviews, but instead critiques of beer by chicks. for some reason i get sadistic pleasure from killing some random dude's boner.

what? that was a weird thing to say.

-sal

Anonymous said...

Hmm, OK. Except, I can't really describe why I like the beers I like, which might make for limited reviews. I just know that I like certain ones, or I don't. Or maybe I've just never sat down and really thought about the adjectives I would need to use. In any case, sure; I like your vision for the project. Email me (linked on my blogger profile) if you're serious.

chuck zoi said...

ps- that was my wife

Anonymous said...

Ah. Makes more sense now :) Still, if she's serious, I'm all for ruining sexual pleasures obtained from the internet :)

chuck zoi said...

y'all do whatever you want, but i'm pretty uncomfortable with having any role whatsoever in "ruining sexual pleasures obtained from the internet"

Anonymous said...

-sal
"serial adspar lover"

and i'm semi-serious. i like the idea and i think you two are perfect for it, i'm just really lazy when it comes to blogging regularly.