Samuel Adams Holiday Porter - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

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BA SCORE
84
good
-
1,947 Ratings

rAvg: 3.73
pDev: 12.87%
Reviews: 1135
Hads: 812

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Brewed by:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Massachusetts, United States

Style | ABV
American Porter | 5.80% ABV

Availability: Winter. bottle (1132), on-tap (3).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

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Reviews

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Reviews by ThisWangsChung:

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.6/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Redoing this one because I wasn't happy with the first review I gave. Poured into a beer mug.

A: Has a very dark body, with streaks of dark red when held up to the light. The head is a one-finger mocha colored affair with average head retention, and it leaves little specks of spotty lacing on the glass.

S: The first thing I smell is a bit of roasted malt and some aromatic hops. Nothing outstanding, but it works.

T: At first sip, I don't seem to like the flavor profile, but it just works for some reason. The opening has a combination of roasted malts and coffee, while the finish retains the coffee and replaces the malty note with a pleasant hit of bitter English hops. There is a weird, vegetal aftertaste that I get from it, which is slightly off-putting, but hardly a deal breaker.

M: Creamy and medium-bodied, about right where a porter should be, along with a fair amount of carbonation. The dry finish seems to exacerbate the aforementioned vegetal aftertaste, however.

O: A classic case of the whole being more than the sum of the parts. At first, I thought I didn't like it too much, but it kept becoming more enjoyable the more I drank it...aftertaste aside, this was a pretty damn enjoyable brew. Would I buy it if I saw it in a six-pack? It wouldn't be my first choice, but I would. It's a porter that really grows on you.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 00:36:21 | More by ThisWangsChung

More User Reviews:

ChrisMon02

Ohio

3.5/5 rDev -6.2%

05-22-2013 23:04:10 | More by ChrisMon02

Rdc67

Kentucky

3.5/5 rDev -6.2%

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stella77artois

New York

4/5 rDev +7.2%

05-22-2013 15:25:37 | More by stella77artois

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.75/5 rDev +0.5%

05-22-2013 15:22:34 | More by InspectorBob

Erice78

Florida

3.75/5 rDev +0.5%

05-22-2013 01:45:16 | More by Erice78

HopsConley

Rhode Island

4/5 rDev +7.2%

05-21-2013 21:51:12 | More by HopsConley

jonkerbaugh

Colorado

4/5 rDev +7.2%

05-21-2013 19:26:19 | More by jonkerbaugh

johntfox

Florida

3.5/5 rDev -6.2%

05-21-2013 18:00:16 | More by johntfox

NessaHilling

West Virginia

4.25/5 rDev +13.9%

05-19-2013 21:28:14 | More by NessaHilling

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.75/5 rDev +0.5%

05-16-2013 22:13:35 | More by Slatetank

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.75/5 rDev +0.5%

05-16-2013 11:08:33 | More by williamjbauer

erialbill

New Jersey

3.75/5 rDev +0.5%

05-15-2013 12:57:16 | More by erialbill

carterbt

Virginia

4/5 rDev +7.2%

05-14-2013 03:19:12 | More by carterbt

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

4.25/5 rDev +13.9%

05-10-2013 12:16:35 | More by pcsnyder

Bill235

Ohio

3.5/5 rDev -6.2%

05-09-2013 18:25:39 | More by Bill235

blknikon

Massachusetts

2/5 rDev -46.4%

05-08-2013 00:02:29 | More by blknikon

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.78/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter is a full-flavored porter inspired by the famous drink of London's Victorian era luggage porters. Brewed with generous portions of Caramel, Munich and Chocolate malt, this hearty porter finishes with traditional English Fuggles and East Kent Goldings. Cheers! Brewed in the style of an American Porter, although it certainly does have its roots in the English Porter.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a snifter. Served north of 54º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a medium-thick mocha-white head of a creamy froth texture. Body color is a very deep brown with mahogany highlights. Carbonation is plentiful and active. Head retention is quite nice- it thickens into a thin cream cover but lingers for a significant time. The lacing is thin and streaked. Very nice appearance overall. 4.25

(Smell) Aroma contains traces of caramel, semi-sweet chocolate cream and coffee bean compliment a clean roasted malt backboard. Biscuity malt character with some mild dark fruit accents. Light, earthy hop presence with a mild floral afterglow. Despite the complexity, potency is very muted, even at higher temperatures. 3.5

(Taste) Sweet chocolate malt amongst lightly toasted caramel bread malts. Mild nutty dry finish paired with a mildly bitter floral hop assortment. The flavors are all more pronounced than in the aroma. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Medium creamy, slick texture. Medium+ bodied for the style, medium body overall. Very filling. Not watery or thin taste. Finish is mildly bitter. 4.25

(Overall) Great porter, lots of flavor and depth. 3.75

Boston Beer Company's
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter
3.78/5.00

Vertical Notes:
Winter 2011 (1 year, 6 months aged)

Very little change in appearance- retention is a touch worse than the fresh batch. Aroma is similar, although most of the subtleties are gone, and a mild sourness has set in to the roasted malt character. Flavors are wet toasted bread malts and a pinch of candied sugar with a mild oxidation on the finish. Mouthfeel qualities are the same, albeit a slightly dryer finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:38:33 | More by Jadjunk