Samuel Adams Summer Ale - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

DrewsBrews450

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bright Orange cloudy color with a thing ring of white head with spotty lace. Smell wheat bread and lemon maybe a banana in there. The taste is wheat with a pepper bit up front and a tart bitter lemon on the end, a litte spicy. Mouthfeel is thin with a touch of medium but perfect for what a summer beer should be to me. Overall this beer gets called plan and boring but its awsome for summer and I love it for sitting out on the deck. I think it has nice flavor for a beer that needs to be thin and drinkable during a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 23:14:58 | More by DrewsBrews450

digitalflood

New York

3.43/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Sam's Summer Ale (2013) - Sam's Seasonal brews vary oh so slightly year to year as they continue to perfect and evolve the brew to keep things fresh. So it is with this fine Summer beer. Smells of wheat grass, lemons, and orange citrus. Bright cloudy yellow body reminiscent of a Heffenweizen or a thick fruit beer. Low lacing and small head on aggressive pour. Good mouth feel for warmer weather. Light. Crisp. Smooth and not too dry. Refreshing to say the least. Skunked hops lager like front taste. Hints of coriander, limes, and lemons throughout. Mid-palate it goes fruity and there is a mild spice. Almost cinnamon though they claim pepper from Grains of Paradise. I can see that. But it's not a hot pepper, it's a gentle bite transitioning the last taste where everything goes all copper hoppy as any true ale should thus revealing its real origin. Slight lemon and orange after taste. A little ale and alcohol. Very full and complex. Yet so drinkable despite all those flavors and transitions. The citrus and slow roll off of the hops to a mild malt works well. Creates a real Saison session feel to it. Good with poultry or on its own to refresh. Nice job Sam's. Definitely moved up a notch on my list-- no longer overbearing of citrus to the point of turning my stomach after more than 2 in an evening. I remember hating this beer a year ago. Clearly I was not alone and someone noticed; progress is sometimes a good thing! Cheers. 3.5 out of 5. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 01:36:55 | More by digitalflood

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.24/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Light orange to yellow, almost unfiltered in appearance, there was a light, airy head that dissipated immediately.

The scent so very weak but soft, sweet malt and a tinge of fruitiness is present.

Nice simple taste and feel. Light summer, sessional like malt flavor with some orange, lemon and hoppiness.

No more no less than expected it's nice for a hot day on the porch but not for a tasting with friends.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2013 01:32:29 | More by KYGunner

bbluemzbeer

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It is not my favorite style of wheat beer. I prefer Germany Wheat Beer but this is pretty good.

Appearance: orange with a large white head and nice carbonation

Smell wheat, , lemon, grains and spices..

Taste: It is a smooth tasting with plenty of wheat and grains. Has strong spices and lemony citrus. A slight hop bitterness and finish is a little dry

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied and creamy.

Overall: A good refreshing summer beer. It is a winner!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 15:11:18 | More by bbluemzbeer

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured a single into a standard pint glass.

A=Cloudy, golden yellow...a bit too close to urine for my liking. Nice yellowish head.

S=Lemon with perhaps a bit of fresh cut grass.

T=Creaminess, with a solid mix of malt and lemon and a hint of floral. I was looking for a refreshing beer, and this fit the bill.

M=A bit light, but probably necessary for this style.

O=Reminds me of a cream ale with lemonade...I've never had Leinie's Summer Shandy, but this is sweet and creamy enough to keep me from trying Leinie's...may buy again...want enough to try the tap version.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 22:52:20 | More by dhannes

Tundruth

New Hampshire

3.14/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Its a tasty beer for what it is. Nothing worth really paying for. Drink it if you're offered one, I guess. There are quite a few better beers from the BBC but this one is much easier to find, quite to my dismay. This tastes of lemon peels and citrus fruits. Its good for people who dislike beer with any distinct flavor and enjoy the flavor of a sweet, rounded, juicy beer-like concoction instead.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 04:18:11 | More by Tundruth

Mitchster

Michigan

2.53/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Brewed with 2-row Harrington and Wheat malts, lemon zest, and grains of paradise. Hopped with Hallertauer, Spalt Hallertauer and "HHA" (Hallertauer-Hersbrucker?) hops, fermented with ale yeast.

OG=1.050, 5.2% ABV.

Pours out to a murky light amber, forming a soapy white head with excellent retention and very nice lacing. Carbonation is moderate. Aroma is of american macro twang with adjuncty corn notes (DMS), strong nose of cat urine, very light caramelized sugar and honey, faint white pepper, and if I close my eyes and I concentrate really hard, perhaps some lemon or orange. Mouthfeel is smooth and clean with a medium body. Taste begins with adjunct macro taste, a bit of bubblegum, then is followed by a very brief, but nice note of honey and pale malt complex sugars, then quickly replaced by cat pee, a herbal sourness, then DMS in the finish. I don't know what grains of paradise taste like, but it's not grains, and it's not paradise. Tastes more like coriander, but not a very good coriander.

Not very appealing..probably the worst brew Sam Adams is making right now. Stay away. I never look forward to this in the seasonal 12 packs.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 01:02:13 | More by Mitchster

Mavigo

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served in a pint.

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow color with a short white head that dissipates quick leaving little lacing.

S: Light smell, like wheat, grains, grass, lemon peels

T: Tastes alright, mellow, wheat, grains, citrus tones to it, a bit lacking, very smooth though

M: Has a light body to it with medium carbonation, its smooth but not very interesting

O: Overall it's just another wheat beer to me. I guess it's got a summer thing going to it but I felt the lemon and other "summer" characteristics were a bit faint if not barely noticeable. Still, its an A-OK beer that I could see me consuming large quantities during a barbecue and I'd buy it again if there was nothing better, not to hate on it but Sam Adams has some much better beers you could drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 20:55:08 | More by Mavigo

Big-Dog

Florida

4.29/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I poured a 12oz bottle into my glass mug, I saw a great amount of foam. This beer stays well carbonated.

The initial taste is great! It has a strong, but not overbearing beer-y flavor. Since I'm a slow drinker, my beer starts to get warm after leaving it out for so long. This beer starts to taste funky after about 20 minutes of it sitting. The last inch of beer is, well, yuck. It leaves a bad impression.

The color is great, the initial feel is great. Overall, I would buy buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 23:19:57 | More by Big-Dog

stevoj

Germany

2.75/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Pours hazy golden with minimal head. Aroma of grain , bread, with a slight lemony nose. Taste is very hefeweizen (bready) without the banana and bubblegum notes and other sweet accents. Finish is chalky dry and abrupt, not much of an aftertaste to remember. So-so, not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 20:37:27 | More by stevoj

hdf561

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Had it out of a bottle in a make your own 6 pack at my local grocery store

Can smell the lemon peel right off the bat as it is very strong to the nose, a little hint of the wheat as well but the lemon really over powers the nose.

Taste is smooth no bitter, no real after taste and a very drinkable beer. This to me is a great summer beer and I recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable summer beer to drink. It is not as light as a bud light coors light etc. but if your looking for a lighter beer with some flavor then this is the beer for you

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:44:36 | More by hdf561

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

3.54/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Totally decent wheat beer for summer. Had this poured from a bottle into a pint gass. I've always liked the soft hazy yellow-gold of a Sam Summer, I think it has a color that is less pale and hazy than a lot of wheat beers, but isn't too gold. Just a somewhat unique appearance. The lemon flavor is...a bit strong, but not so bad as to be a turn-off.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 18:50:06 | More by MarkQ617

ppvora

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Appearance: This beer was on tap at a local restaurant. Got myself a 16 oz. glass. Nice gold color, but hazy, with plenty of bubbles. One finger of head that took a couple of minutes to dissipate.

Smell: Mostly malty smell. No hops and no complexity.

Taste: Malty taste. Refreshing summer ale. Very little in this beer that harkens to what made Samuel Adams famous. No hops, no complexity.

Mouthfeel: Very consistent with the taste of the beer -- no big change.

Overall: Refreshing malty beer. No hops, no complexity. It appeared inviting, but...c'mon...I expect greater things from the brewery that brought us Sam Adams!

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 14:35:02 | More by ppvora

mjurney

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance:
Golden color, some amber highlight, hazy. Lots of bubble rising up. Thin frothy head.

Aroma:
Lemony, spicy, bready, crisp and clean.

Taste:
Grainy, grassy, hay, bready. There some black pepper and lemon zest. Bitterness is mild. Finish is very dry and chalky. Medium bodied, dry, wet.

Overall:
It's mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:09:47 | More by mjurney

andjusticeforale

Connecticut

2.81/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Hazy yellow gold in a Duvel Tulip. Soapy head that dissipates and has moderate stickiness.

lemony bread in the nose, some citrus fruity characteristics, spicy yeast , faint malt and vanilla scented alcohol.

the first sip reveals a light body, a crisp finish, wheat bread aftertaste. There is a nice spiciness, a very nice lightness to the body, no cloying sweetness. Obviously this is a ubiquitous summer beer, usually served in a pint glass. the swirlability in a tulip improved this beer tremendously. Its a nice summer offering, a party beer sure to please those looking for a not too imposing wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:53:43 | More by andjusticeforale

Punky_Brewster

Ohio

2.36/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Relatively complex for a "summer" ale. Orangish cloudly look. Decent mouthfeel. The smell was very lemony and the taste followed suit. It just had too much lemon taste for me. I was expecting more from this beer, but the lemon flavor overpowered everything else.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:32:42 | More by Punky_Brewster

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.64/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - murky golden orange / yellow. Head quickly dissipates with no retention or stick.

S - lemon zest, wheat, orange peel, spices

T - Wheat, grains, lemon peel, citrus notes, spices, nicely balanced with a creamy mouth feel.

O - Solid summer ale that I could enjoy on a lazy summer day. I'd get this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:45:01 | More by andrewjraab

mnrider

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. Can. The lip of the can is larger than most I've seen.

A: Pours cloudy orange. Large white head. Nice amount of carbonation bubbles.
Thin retention and almost no lacing is visible. Still the color is very nice.

S: Wheat, sweetness, lemon, grains and spices. Nothing special, kind of weak. Still
promising.

T/M: Medium bodied and creamy. Smooth with plenty of wheat and grains. Interesting
mixture of stronger spices and lemony citrus. A slight hop bitterness comes through,
but overall the beer has more of a grainy malt feel and taste. The finish is a little dry
and on the sweet side.

O: A good refreshing summer Ale. Has an interesting and distinct taste as the spices mix
well with the grains and lemon flavors.

Cheers!!

Serving type: can

05-13-2013 21:45:18 | More by mnrider

gr0g

New Jersey

3.16/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz pour, a one finger head with average retention. Lacing is minimal and all but nonexistent. Aroma is floral and just a bit citrusy. A faint wheaty twang. Nice but hardly inspiring.

Light, dry flavor profile with a lemon zest note. Not all that flavorful but light, refreshing, and quenching. This would certainly do the job on a hit summer day. Well carbonated and not too prickly. Dry finish with hardly any aftertaste.

While nothing I'd actively seek out, this is a nice light ale that balances decent flavor with great drinkability. Good when fresh and on tap. Big upgrade over a macro pale lager.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 17:40:06 | More by gr0g

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present, but the label is notched on the side at best before July 2013. Another beer from the Samuel Adams summer sampler & another seasonal Samuel Adams beer that I wasn't aware existed. Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours one finger of bone white froth that disappears within seconds. Body is a murky orange lemon color with some bubbles rushing to the surface, and some sediment floating down to the bottom. No lacing whatsoever.

S - Nose is boring and uninspired. Wheat, earth, grass, & some tart lemon peel, but not enough to keep me interested. A dusty, grainy smelling beer.

T - Taste is of pale grains, with a fair amount of crisp carbonation. Lemon taste is virtually nonexistent though, and I am not really detecting any peppery notes from the grains of paradise used. Pretty lacking in flavor, in my opinion.

M - Goes down smooth & clean, nothing really notable, no lingering flavors, no pervasive dryness.

Overall, a pretty generic and simple tasting beer, not very much unlike the Samuel Adams Porch Rocker, if I am remembering correctly. Inoffensive, and highly drinkable on a hot day, just not bringing anything really new to the table here. I won't have any trouble finishing this beer, but I would only get this as part of the summer sampler pack.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale ---3/5.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 20:44:23 | More by mfnmbvp

delta490

Virginia

3.61/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams glass.
A- Poured a nice slightly cloudy dark straw/light gold with a short-lived creamy white head that lingers around the circumference. Visible carbonation.
S-Has fruity and malty notes, with a small bit of spiciness.
T- Similar sweet fruit and malt notes, with just a little bit of spice underlying it all and some hops on the finish. The fruit is mostly citrusy.
M-The beer is thinner, as befits a summer ale. There is a good bit of carbonation
O- Another solid entry from Boston Beer. While most of their beers don't blow you away, they are all well-made and solid craft beers and I've never had a bad one. This year's Summer Ale is better than those I've had before (which were underwhelming and very bland), so kudos to them for that.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 05:46:46 | More by delta490

screamking

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

This pours a murky golden straw color with a nice sized white foamy head. There's a lot of citrus in the aroma, orange and lemon are the main culprits. I must say its totally one sided but the aroma is very pleasing.

Yup, taste is a wheat pale ale. There doesn't seem to be that big of a distinction between these wheat ales. This is just a typical everyday refreshing beer. This won't blow anybodies socks off but is perfect for sitting on the beach. If found for the right price this is totally worth it on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:29:29 | More by screamking

zac16125

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft into a pint glass

A: apricot orange, hazy no head or lacing

S: clove and white pepper spice, sometime citrus notes, very tame aroma

T: wheat, spice, clove , banana very tasty

M/D:medium body, higher carbonation, refreshing , good drink ability

O: I really like this beer. Refresher ing for a summer's day, but flavorful and drinkable. I think this is a case of the Sam Adams hate bringing the rating of this one down.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 00:04:16 | More by zac16125

JG-90

New Jersey

3.24/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Can poured into glass gives a large fluffy head that is creamy and rocky on top. beer is a vibrant and hazy yellow with golden and orange hints. Head has nice retention, settles down to a small cap with moderate lacing

The most noticable smell is a very flat wheat/breadiness, also spices with a bit of lemon. The lemon and spices overtake the wheat for the taste. Has a slightly grainy taste/aftertaste. Medium carbonation with a thin body.

Its nice and drinkable on a hot day, I seem to remember last years being fuller bodied and less grainy, though.

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 16:15:44 | More by JG-90

CorvetteMike

Rhode Island

3.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

From bottle to glass orange color with 1" head.
a: Orange color, 1" head
s: Light citrusy and wheat smell
t: Smooth sweet bitter lemon taste
m: Light bitter body
o: Not a bad beer. Do prefer other Samuel Adams offerings.

Not my favorite Sam Adams beer

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 00:17:51 | More by CorvetteMike