Samuel Adams Boston Lager - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

355ml bottle, poured into Leffe chalice. Bronze colour, clear, one finger head, poor head retention but kept some lacing. Very hoppy aroma, detected some kentish style hops plus the noble hops Hallertau and Tettnang. Tasted fruity, hints of apple, had some sweetness which was balanced out by the long bitter finish. Crisp mouthfull, smooth texture and was well carbonated. Can't add too much more to what has already been said but it was refreshing, interesting and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 13:02:06 | More by jonb5

ronin926

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-20-2013 04:57:18 | More by ronin926

GinDC

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +25.3%

06-20-2013 03:09:32 | More by GinDC

glock267

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-20-2013 02:39:45 | More by glock267

Riik3

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-19-2013 22:47:58 | More by Riik3

cofeeguru

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

06-19-2013 22:30:25 | More by cofeeguru

Fargrow

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-19-2013 20:33:17 | More by Fargrow

Docrock

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-19-2013 02:14:40 | More by Docrock

Hanby

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-18-2013 20:48:30 | More by Hanby

Bonis

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

06-18-2013 15:58:17 | More by Bonis

pjkelley82

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-18-2013 06:04:45 | More by pjkelley82

LukeH

Minnesota

2.79/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 2.75

I remember trying--and not liking--this beer years ago, before I got into craft beer, so I thought it was time for another go at it. Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A: Poured with a nice 3 fingers of head. Coppery-amber in color with some streaming bubbles. Appearance is good, some lacing.

S: Mostly caramel, a little pine.

T: Caramel malt, a small amount of biscuit, then some hop bitterness that quickly dissipates, finishing clean, but then oddly, the bitterness returns and lingers with a pine aftertaste that isn't very pleasant.

M: Full bodied, almost a small amount of stickiness but not in an unpleasant way, a good amount of carbonation, just enough to feel on the tongue.

BBC puts out a lot of good beers and doesn't always get the respect it deserves in the craft beer world. Oddly, however, and unfortunately, their iconic, flagship beer is one of their least impressive. The main problem is that it is just a little too bitter for the style. I like an aggressively hopped IPA or DIPA, but this beer enters a level of hoppiness that is just a few IBU's higher than it should be for what it is, and leaves me with an unwelcome and unwanted aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 23:53:16 | More by LukeH

NastyNate11

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-17-2013 22:02:18 | More by NastyNate11

JohnTurano

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-17-2013 17:15:48 | More by JohnTurano

ryutheblade

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-16-2013 22:38:17 | More by ryutheblade

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

For this review I will pour a little into a taster, and sip the rest from the can. I will provide a side by side comparison of the two drinking experiences except when it comes to appearance, as the can is not see through… From the can the beer pours a crystal clear, amber-orange color with a beautiful head of creamy, medium sized bubbles. The head leaves a lacing of sticky thin lacing that leaves spider webs on the glass. From the glass, the beer graces the nose with a clean, crisp, fresh cut grassy smell with a light biscuit smell wafting beneath the grass and giving a warmth to the nose. From the can, the smell is slightly intensified to provide slight citrusy notes with the grassy hops, alongside slight hints of wet dog and metallic can though those might just be me. The glass has the better smell. From the glass, the beer tastes cleanly bitter with a warming bready sweetness that balances out the beer. Acids are very light in the mouth, only providing a slight wetting to the tongue. From the can the beer tastes slightly sweeter, mellowing the bitters into a more manageable taste. In flavor from the glass the beer begins as medicinal bitters, but quickly blooms into wet, bitter grass with a warm backed biscuit dough and a touch of caramel. The beer finishes grassy bitter with a touch of lemon citrus. The aftertaste is very light with bitter grass. From the can, the taste carries some slight citric lemon from the start, mellowing out the grassy bitters and bringing the caramel malt more onto the palate. Doing this review, I am a little surprised that I am liking the can more than the glass. On the mouth, in the glass, the beer feels on the heavy side of light with a heavier carbonation of fluffy bubbles that blanket the tongue nicely and provide a slight scrub. From the can, the carbonation scrubs the tongue slightly more, perhaps due to the smaller hole. After the beer leaves, the mouth is left slightly damp with saliva. Overall, this beer is quite similar from the can and the glass, which is surprising since I have had several of the cans now, and actually thought it tasted a little different… That being said, this is a terrific simple lager with light complexities that make it interesting, while at the same time inviting you to drink more and more. Boston Lager is nearly sessionable, and is a great lawnmower beer in my mind. A true classic.

Serving type: can

06-16-2013 22:31:46 | More by Maxwell

Justinn13

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

06-16-2013 17:18:12 | More by Justinn13

swinyeju

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-16-2013 15:37:10 | More by swinyeju

adityashekhar

India

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-16-2013 14:17:23 | More by adityashekhar

ValpoExpo

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-16-2013 04:05:10 | More by ValpoExpo

Satsuma

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-16-2013 03:51:00 | More by Satsuma

azathot

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

06-16-2013 02:57:50 | More by azathot

horsecorosous

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-16-2013 01:12:43 | More by horsecorosous

MarkGutz

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

06-15-2013 23:11:55 | More by MarkGutz

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Yellow-orangish; slightly hazy; huge, frothy head, long lasting, good lacing

Aroma: Malty; bready; grassy

Taste: Juicy, malty on start; light hop bitterness in the mid; finishes a little thin, but smooth; slight tortilla chip flavor in the end

Remarks: Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:13:54 | More by IchLiebeBier