LongShot Boysenberry Wheat - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

mikesgroove

South Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

hazy with a nice one inch head that faded to leave a ring around the putside of the glass.

Aroma was light, nothing really jumping out at you, but once it settled in was actually fairly decent. Lots of yeasty and grain like aroma, however there was a definate fruitiness to it. Something sweet lingering in the back that you just could not place., it was like a Hefe mixed with fruit, Actually very good. Nice grain flavors making up the bulk of it, however the berry was very evident, not somethign you had to go searching for. Left a nice finish as well. Very sweet finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 02:45:53 | More by mikesgroove

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine April 2007.

This is the first time the employee homebrew contest has been included in Sam Adams's LongShot contest. Boston Beer is a pretty passionate company to be pushing their employees with some hands-on training at home--they all got homebrew kits. Cheers to Ken Smith for the win.

A broad three fingers of head is cradled by the liquid. Great head retention as the lace drops patches of stickiness down the glass. Remarkably smooth and crisp with a medium body. Hazed, yellow-beige color. A fresh, but not cloying, berry aroma; very clean with a crisp grain bite in the aft. One-two snap of mildly tart berry and clean graininess from the wheat. Temperate hop bitterness shows great balance, especially when the berry flavor goes a pinch to the sweet side. Solid malt backbone middle to end, with a good amount of flavor to play with, as the berry character is slow to leave. Semi-dry finish.

Wow, this beer is amazing. There's no doubt why the judges picked this one. Perhaps one of the best new fruit beers to come out this decade. Couple this beer with a tropical fruit tart and some vanilla bean ice cream and you will have bliss.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 20:11:04 | More by BeerAdvocate

Ragingbull

California

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

This review is from notes in my "travel journal." Obviously the beer is now "retired."

Gold in color with some cloudiness and a little prickle. Classic light foam head that looks like a beer should I suppose. Fruity nose of berry. There is some berry in the attack. The flavor smoothes out to leave a clean finish. It is a very drinkable beer, but not what I normally seek out.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2009 17:23:13 | More by Ragingbull

yesyouam

New York

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Feb 26, 2007
This beer pours a cloudy orange with a big-bubbled white head. There are a couple of particles in it. The aroma is full-on boysenberry and a flowery (like hibiscus) aroma from the hops. The bubbles are tingly on the tongue. The body is not as thin as I might have suspected. There is the slightest astringency at the end. There is a nice, light bitterness to the flavor with no sweetness. The fruit offers a soft of tartness. The flavor seems just a bit scattered but I would certainly drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 00:20:14 | More by yesyouam

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kudos to my new buddy who buys good beer to drink for guests and doesn't himself - this must've sat in his fridge forever. Not the greatest beer to sample because it had been stored in a fridge, but it is a wheat and not a stout or something, so it shouldn't be that bad.

Poured into a pint glass (no weizen glass today) and received a very cloudy orange body with a good one-finger head and minor lacings. I am not sure what exactly a boysenberry is, but this had a definite berry smell (much closer to blue than razz) with some minor bread malt or something (yeasty). The berries hit the tastebuds first, but they did it smoothly, not sharp. In fact, the berry is about the only thing you really taste, as this is a fluffy, light-bodied beer with minimal hop and malt presence, but one that goes down extremely smooth and fruity (and a little sweet). I thought this was a grat beer, although I could see some beer "snobs" dismissing it as a dessert beer or fruit beer. I wish this could be put in SA's regular rotation I enjoyed it that much.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2008 13:59:40 | More by clayrock81

jayrod20

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy honey yellow with a 1 finger head that lasted a few minutes. Light lacing that disappears quickly
Smells of berries and honey. Very light sweet smell. Taste is slightly sweet from the special hops, just right. I'm not much of a fruity beer drinker but I like this better than the Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale. It is crisp with very good carbonation and a nice, clean finish. Would make a great "hot summer day" beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 03:46:40 | More by jayrod20

JDV

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle courtesy of ford9719. Thanks!
Pours a rich golden orange color with a nice white lasting head in a weizen glass. Smell is very strong boysenberry, and quite sweet like candy or jam. Nice at first, then even the nose becomes overly sweet. Taste is thinner and milder than the smell. Still some dull boysenberry flavor, and sweetness, but fairly bland with some wheat coming through as well. Average body and carbonation, but could use some more umpf. Decent, but got too be too much by the end of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 00:16:43 | More by JDV

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into weizen glass.
A: Pours a cloudy pale yellow with thin white head.
S: Definite boysenberry. Strong and sweet.
T: Boysenberry with cereal-like sweetness. Citrus hops in the background. Very refreshing and not too sweet for my taste...but nearly.
M: Very light with subtle carbonation. Sweet finish that lingers decently.
D: Very drinkable. Simple, fruit forward, and refreshing. One of the best fruit flavored wheat beers I've come across. A nice brew to have on a crisp, sunny spring day...summer is also nice. I hope they bring this back in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2008 02:04:04 | More by mwilbur

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a cloudy, rustic orange with a off white head.

S: a huge and massive fresh blueberry aroma with light pancake batter.

T: The initial flavor was soft, fresh blueberries for flavor with a clean tartness that ends quickly. Very fruity, and sweet flavor and balanced nicely against a wheat backbone. The flavor was clean and crisp with a refrained fruitiness that doesn't overpower the beer perception.

M: light and thin, but crisp with moderate carbonation.

D: Clean and fairly well refrained for a fruit beer otherwise labeled as a wheat. Still to fruity for multiples but a thirst quencher in the hot summer days none the less.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2008 16:28:10 | More by beerthulhu

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Taken from some old notes.

Pours a golden color, some haze, decent head and retention.

Smell is pleasantly sweet, strong malt backing with a berry aroma upfront, slight wheat scent.

Taste is fairly sour from the berries used, but is a good way, with a good fruit aftertaste. Not overwhelmingly sweet like some fruit beers, but the sourness can be a bit off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 23:20:06 | More by deltatauhobbit

ikats

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light yellow in color, hazy, white head dissipates into thin cover. Aroma and taste are full of boysenberry. Slightly sweet, slightly tart. Wonderful combination. Makes an excellent fruit-flavored wheat ale. Light body. Crisp and very refreshing. Makes me sorry that I am drinking in the middle of January in NY rather than on some hot summer day. Extremely drinkable.

I really enjoy this beer. Wonderful job by Ken Smith, a Sam Adams employee. LongShot proved to be a very interesting series. Nice to see Sam Adams through their weight behind some dedicated and talented homebrewers. This particular beer is my favorite out of 2006 pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 04:46:47 | More by ikats

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled 4-15-2007. I am actually pretty excited to finally have gotten my hands on the Long Shot series. This is the first bottle I tried.

Pours a slightly fogged gold with an amber touch. Almost no head. Nose is basically all berries, but not overpowering in how it comes across. There is also a bit of a floral aspect to it as well. Flavor is kind of interesting really. There is a definite presence of berries,but less so of the wheat character. There is also what I want to describe as a soapy character to the flavor pattern as well. Feel is nice and smooth. Fairly thin on the liquid feel, but not watery by any means. Drinkable, yes. Very well crafted, but seems a bit off balance with the berries. I am very glad to be able to have tried it! Kudos to Ken Smith and the Boston Beer Company.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 04:20:42 | More by RblWthACoz

madjr80

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I was surprised when I poured this into my glass. Not only did it smell really good, but it went down pretty easy as well. The only problem I had with it was the taste of the fruit. This beer was tough to drink another one right after because it was too sweet. I would rather this beer to any other fruit beer that I have tried. I generally don't like fruit in my beer, but this was good for about one glass max.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2007 01:54:51 | More by madjr80

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer parts company with the 12 ounce bottle a slightly hazy golden yellow with a majestic creamy crown of white, as it settles, the lacing forms a tight skirt around the glass. Nose is sweet with malt and the berries provide a candy like backing, fresh and pleasing to the senses, start has a decent malt profile, with the over ripe fruit sweetness a pleasing plus, top is light to moderate in feel. Finish continues the sweetness, the hops light but pleasing, the aftertaste dry, and a fine drinking beer, different, but a pleasure to sample.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 21:32:55 | More by Gusler

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy orange color with a medium thick and fluffy off-white head that dissipates slowly. Spotty lacing. Sweet berry and malt aroma. Light, crisp body with a tart fruit character. Boysenberry is propped up by some malt and wheat flavors. The finish is clean and fruity with touches of wheat and mild hops. Overall the beer is slightly above average, and despite not being a brew I would seek out again, it is nice to see a mainstream brewer introducing unique styles like this.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2007 18:56:29 | More by Dogbrick

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

2.88/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A very hazy darker stroa colored body really shows the beers unfiltered nature. Head is a pillow like fluff at about an inch and a half of off white foam. Nose is very sweet tart like fragrent. Sweet and sour overripe berry notes are present. Up front right off the first sip you get a short sweetness followed quickly by a wheat induced bitter bite. Sweetness is very tart on the mouthfeel. A mineral like wheat hue develops on the mouth later in the palate. Mellows and settles down a bit as you drind it. Probably would go over better with others just a little done up and sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2007 15:58:51 | More by SPLITGRIN

Dukeofearl

California

4.43/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought the Longshot 6 pack last winter and gave to my sister. At the time, I drank one each (3 total). In August, I'm rooting through her fridge to find she still has the other three! Score, because I loved all 3 beers in this set.

This is the best fruit based beer I have ever had, and I'm not a big fruit flavored fan. Rich berries at every turn just make this a delight, but with enough malt and very light hops to remind the drinker that this is serious beer business here. Big berries, fresh berries, yummy berries- I just wish I had a Boysenberry (or even blackberry) cobbler to go with this one.

I had this while also sharing Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and Kona Brewing Lilikoi (passionfruit) wheat, and there was no competition at all- this was by far the best of the bunch.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2007 02:03:14 | More by Dukeofearl

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served cool in a standard shaker pint.

Effervescent pour, good clarity, nice off-white head, no a lot of retention.

Big fruity aroma dominates.

Tastes great, the best fruit beer I've ever tried. Recipe? Technique?

Drinkability is excellent. My favorite of this year's Long Shot ensemble, and I don't even like fruity beers. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2007 22:35:03 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

mentor

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a one finger dirty white head over a cloudy peach-meat liquid (I swirled and poured the sediment in the glass). Smells sharp fruity. Tropical, pineapple, and berry Hi-C. That's about it. Tastes tropical fruity in the pull with berry coming on strong as the beer hits the tongue. Dry malty stands to be noticed in the finish. Strong carbonation helps to clean most of the berry from the palette, but the aftertaste is still mildly berry. Medium body and leaves the mouth quickly amid the slightly acrid carbonation sting. Decent. I finished it, but was glad this was a gift and I didn't purchase it with my own money.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2007 02:13:39 | More by mentor

kkipple

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

As a homebrewer, Sam Adams' yearly LongShot competition holds particular interest to me, and I look forward to trying each of the winning beers each year. This Boysenberry Wheat is no exception, so let's see what all the fuss is about!

Goes into my pint glass with little effort, a white soapy head foams up briefly, then dies to next to nothing. This wheat is very clear, and yellow-gold.

Smell is delicious, possibly the best thing about this beer. Very fruity, and it actually smells like... boysenberries! Who would've thought? A hint of malt and no real hops but a vague citrus presence round it off.

Taste is pretty good, but there's a weird DMS/corn flavor in the aftertaste that hurts this beer for me. Otherwise, it's a sweet, crisp, berry-flavored wheat with a hint of grain and a dry, mildly sour-sweet mouthfeel. The boysenberries are the star of the show here, and are really quite refreshing.

Mouthfeel is crisp, medium-dry, and finely carbonated. Pretty nice.

This is a good beer. I don't know that I'd make it a staple of mine (even if possible) but it uses the boysenberries to excellent effect and is absolutely what is advertised. Drink it on a hot day. Nice going, Ken!

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2007 02:13:19 | More by kkipple

BuckSpin

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12oz bottle (Best By of 6-07) in a Weizen glass

Poured silent & smooth. Incredible crisp, fruited nose, just full of boysenberry & raspberry, reminiscent of most framboise lambics I've enjoyed. Hint of some cider dryness & sweetness as well. With some bloom the wheat qualities rise up. A crazy 3 finger's of tight, slightly sculpted, dull winter white foam comprised the head, and it slowly settled to a pencil's worth of cover that laced in curtains above a hazy, clouded, warm honey amber hue that was brassier near the surface and more golden at the bottom near the slight sediment. A very pretty & aromatic beer.

Mmm..creamy, smooth, fruity with berries in a slightly sour way (again, reminiscent of a good framboise) but not overwhelming. The banana quality usually present with unfiltered wheats is there but equally soft, almost a echo. There is a faint bready quality as well. Overall this is very delicate & soft but full of subtle flavors and qualities. The mouthfeel is somewhat syrupy, but yet again just barely, and not until the palate does it show some dryness, but even then a soggy crunch at best. The hops finally show up, but (again) faintly. I am really impressed at the high wire act of delicate flavors & mouthfeels this walks.

It grows more even & flattened out, thicker, a little hint of caramel sweetness, then fades away in a delicate, just barely (have I used enough synonyms yet?) bittersweet finish that leaves a coating aftertaste of warm banana bread and maybe some sour fruit.

A beautifully delicate, exceptionally well crafted beer. This is easily one of the most simply complex beers I've ever enjoyed. A tip of my glass to Ken Smith for such a full of flavor beer that was so....well...delicate. I enjoyed this very much.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2007 23:47:22 | More by BuckSpin

GeneralZod

California

4.43/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

APPEARANCE
It has a very fresh golden crisp color. Slightly opaque. Had very good head retention.

SMELL
It is a pleasant malty smell.

TASTE
Taste great. It has a very light malty flavor. The wheat and fruit helps the sweetness of the beer.

MOUTHFEEL
Slightly coarse, but very light. Well-Carbonated.

DRINKABILITY
Definitely would have another one. Well-balanced flavors. My overall favorite of the Sam Adams Longshot winners.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2007 23:41:23 | More by GeneralZod

bushbeer75

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle from the Longshot 6 pack

Sam Adams Boysenberry Wheat pours a slightly cloudy golden color with a generous 2-finger white head. Smell and taste is of berries [grape & raspberry]. Not sure the taste of boysenberry. A light/thin mouth feel and a crisp carbonation.

For people that like this fruity style of beer it would be good in the warmer days of spring and summer. Not my personal style though. This is my least favorite in the Longshot series, although not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2007 18:22:27 | More by bushbeer75

mynie

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a pretty hazy pale wheaty color with a nice, retentive head.

Smells wonderful! A grand mix of lush, super fruity berries and distinct wheatmalt. The balance is nearly perfect--the berries taste like actual berries, nothing synthetic, and their sweetness cut into the mild spice of the wheat.

Tastes even better! Huge, ripe fruit. Big blue berries. I don't know excatly what boysenberries taste like but if they're anything like this I'm gonna be buying a bushel. Their interaction with the light spice--which is a lot spicier than most APWA's--yields a perfect balance.

The only way you could dislike this beer is if you absolutely hate the taste of fruit. It's great!

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2007 02:24:44 | More by mynie

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The first Sam Adam's I've ever had. I'm very happy with this. Cloudy orange appearance with a nice, dense white heady that is quite billowy.

Rich, pleasant Boysenberry smell. Faint dry wheat traces in the background. The hops keep the sweetness from running away.

Slightly more sour taste. Even though the boysenberries dominate, I can taste the wheat profile and the hop sourness. Slightly sour aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is a bit odd...it seems slippery but at the same time the carbonation is a bit too tweaked.

In spite of this, this is a very drinkable, sessionable beer. Great in this summer weather.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 03:05:52 | More by BDTyre