Samuel Adams New Albion Ale - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

SerBennett

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Everything about this beer is fantastic!

It poured a beautiful deep golden color, great carbonation with a one finger head. Lacing stuck around for a while, head dissipated somewhat quickly.

The smell of this beer is delicious. Hints of citrus, hops, wheat, grass, and malt all hit the nose at once to make for a fantastic and powerful aroma.

This beer tastes amazing. There are so many things going on with this brew that it is a pleasure to just let it all play out. The mouthfeel is great, with a pretty medium body. As I drank the beer, the flavor profile slightly changed. At first I got a lot of wheat and citrus and bread, but as I continued to drink and the beer got slightly warmer, I got more hops in my taste.

This beer is also at 6.0% ABV, which is really great for a session or non-session beer.

I'm actually honestly surprised that the ratings for this beer aren't higher. This is definitely one of my top favorite brews!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 21:53:01 | More by SerBennett

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, a bit of hops are present. Taste is also mild, malts, some hops, a bit of a strange taste at the finish, something herbal and different. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 16:33:21 | More by tone77

brentk56

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color capped by two fingers of foam; both the retention and the lacing were notable

Smell: Really unusual grain bill - smells of bread, corn and a hint of caramel; grassy hops in the back

Taste: The malt bill is even more unusual on the tongue, bringing bread, caramel, corn syrup and a load of diacetyl; although the beer is malt forward, there are some grassy hops that arrive in the mid-palate and linger vaguely into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: The sweetness of the beer gets to me after a while and though I am enjoying the history, this is not a beer that I would want to try again

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:27:56 | More by brentk56

Michigan

Michigan

2.54/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

A- Drank from the bottle around a fire with my BMC bros.

S- Grainy. Apparently it's a "pale ale" but smells like an adjunct lager.

T- Macro brew. Grainy. Bland. Just a bad metallic taste. Not exciting.

M- Thin. Fizzy for a bit. Expected

O- Eh.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:03:16 | More by Michigan

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.46/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz beer poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint at fridge-cellar temperature.

L – Deep gold color with a 2-finger bubbly, white head. Decent retention but not much lacing. Clear with lots of bubbles.

S – Grainy, cereal malts with grassy, herbal hops and maybe the faintest scent of citrus. The aroma isn’t very robust but it’s pleasant.

T – It starts off with a grainy malt and then progresses to bitter grassy, herbal, and mild grapefruit and orange hops.

F – Light-to-medium-bodied with good carbonation, a creamy but crisp mouthfeel, and a bittersweet and mildly dry finish. Citrus hops and grainy malt flavors linger for a bit.

O – This is a decent pale ale. The aroma and taste are pretty weak but they’re not offensive. It’s decently tasty and drinkable, but I can’t say that I wasn’t expecting a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:55:36 | More by BlackBelt5112203

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

"Jack McAuliffe's pioneering spirit paved the way for the American craft beer revolution. We're rereleasing his original Pale Ale, with it distinct American hop character, for the first time in 30 years in honor of Jack and his contributions to craft brewing. Cheers!" Brewed in the style of an American Pale Ale. Best by Mid-July 2013.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Samuel Adams pint glass. Served north of 56º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a light, frothy near white head over a mild pale amber clear body with a moderate carbonation. Clarity is very high. Retention is average+, with medium sticky, spotty lacing. Despite looking to be on the lighter end of the spectrum in color and depth, it's a pretty enjoyable appearance for a Pale Ale. 3.75

(Smell) Malt is characterized by some mild biscuity malt character, lightly toasted grain, and chased by a light dose of grassy American hops for a mild bitterness. Aroma is very clean, almost to the point where any off-characters are right in front. There's a mild smell of some unusual grain choices, perhaps even adjuncts. Also notable is the mineral-heavy water, plus mild yeast strain that imparts a lager-like quality and dryness to the beer. Aroma is very light but decently balanced. 3.25

(Taste) Malt character is much sweeter with a biscuity, bready grain character and a grassy, floral hop finish with a common bitterness. Some mineral-like notes are notable on the lasting finish, but not as sharp as in the aroma. Sweetness is overall quite forward, much to the disdain of the hop character. I'm not sure that I like this over the aroma, it has a bolder flavor but sacrifices a bit of balance in the process. 3.25

(Mouthfeel) Texture is very smooth, mildly slick, lesser sticky with a very subtle carbonation presence. Sweetness is notably far over bitter qualities for an imbalance. Body is medium+ for the style and light/medium overall. Alcohol presence is very light. Overall, the slick, thick texture intensifies the sweetness and doesn't draw much attention to the subtleties of the hops. 2.75

(Overall) This beer was anticipated to be light and drinkable, but turned out a bit too heavy in sweet malt character and too light in other characters. Overall, I'm torn between finding this beer as decent or just passable. Perhaps it's just a slice of history poured into a glass, but our expectations in regards to balance and intensity have fine tuned our palates to look for bigger and better. This one may have fit the bill in the 1970's, but is merely a small mark on what craft beer has moved to today. 3.25

Boston Beer Company's
Samuel Adams/New Albion Brewing Company's New Albion Ale
/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 20:39:11 | More by Jadjunk

gusdabrew

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One simple malt 2 row pale, one simple hop cascade, one simple beer. The beauty of it all is the simplicity. Nothing better for a hot day. Just clean and refreshing. Better than any macro - there is no corn in this. I also found it for a steal price slashed to $3.99 a six because people looked at the reviews before they tried it.

a- yellow straw, soapy head, some lace curtain lacing

s- light grain malt, fresh hay, faint cascade hops

t - sweet light malt with nice hop edge

m- medium to light, refreshing with a clean dry finish

o - just a simple throwback beer, limited release I'm snatching up all I can, also nice throwback label

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 06:10:52 | More by gusdabrew

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, golden colored with a large white head that dissipates leaving some lacing, clear

S: not much, grass, grain, light hops

T: sweeter up front, light hop flavor, corn

M: thinner with high carbonation

O: not noteworthy, sweetness is overpowering

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 00:26:26 | More by M_C_Hampton

nickfl

Florida

3.01/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a clear, golden body. The head fades quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Earthy, spicy hops with some meaty notes.

T - Malt, some spicy hops, butter... Yeah.

M - Mdium body, moderate carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Not very good. If this is what new Albion beer tasted like I'm not surprised it faded away.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:53:26 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Very thin head on a clear bright golden body. Aroma is very musty pale malt and grain dominant with hints of honey and herbal hops. Flavor is bland at first and then has a very strange herbal almost funky finish with some honey, club soda and butterscotch. Light body and light to moderate carbonation with semi dry finish. Very odd beer. Not sure if I have ever tried anything like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:52:03 | More by kylehay2004

BWED

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a tumbler. I picked up a sixer at Jungle Jim's, in Fairfield, OH for $3.99, which was a steal. I'm not sure if this had anything to with the quality, but I wanted to note that in this review.

A- Light straw yellow, not quite crystal clear, but close. Foamy one finger white head, that leaves a little spattering of lacing.

S- Sweet malt, subtle. More subtlety coming from the hop end, a slight orange citrus. Mild, but a pleasant aroma.

T- Straw, slight hop bitterness. A little stale? It tastes similar to a Miller Lite.

M- Light body, light carbonation, clean, with a slightly bitter finish.

O- It tasted stale. I'm not sure if that's how it is, or I purchased a poorly stored product. Jungle Jim's is usually good with beer though.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 19:53:25 | More by BWED

screamking

Ohio

3.39/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

Poured hard this beer is clear straw color with a thick three finger white head, with some nice lacing already showing up. It has a very sweet banana and bubble gum aroma. Very pleasing but nothing out of the ordinary.

A very mild pale ale taste that is pretty even throughout. Not too much going on, a very drinkable pale ale. Mouthfeel is nice and refreshing. Would make a good session beer especially at the 3.99 price tag I got a sixer at. I doubt I would pay the regular price but at this discount i couldnt loose.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 21:15:35 | More by screamking

ubenumber2

Arkansas

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass , a hazy golden color with a 2 finger head that disapears very quickly leaving no lacing

The smell is kind of just bland , a slight earthy malty smell but not much else going on

Kind of a week bodied beer , would be okay for mowing the yard in 100 degree weather

The flavor just isnt there for me , slight hint of hops to start then almost tastes like a BMC , like there is adjucnts in it ,I'm not sure if they are in there or not but it just doesnt taste that great to me

Overall I wouldn't purchase this beer again , it might be ok like I said on a hot summer day when you are very thirsty

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 14:07:37 | More by ubenumber2

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.31/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Seen this one lurking around for a while, best buy Jul2013 so it should be fresh enough.

A- Poured from the 12oz bottle into a goblet with a clear golden body with a hint of orange in the hue. A fizzy white head forms to about a finger in size but doesn't stick around for that long leaving a small bubbly ring behind. Not much lace in my case.

S- Not a whole ton going on for a 6% ale. I get some apple, grape sweets and citrus notes at first with some cracked grain and bread beyond that. It reminds me of Narragansett Lager in a way. Slight floral hops.

T- Not as tame as the nose but pretty laid back with light cracker malts and citrus hops leading the way. Floral, herbal and spicy hop notes also present. Yeast bread, apple, grape and light sweetness also present. Still reminds me of some lagers in a way.

MF- Creamy light body with carbonation present at a high level. Foamy overall feel with a light bitterness finishing things off.

Yes this beer has a major place in brewing history but it is one of those things that seems like you had to be there to really, truly appreciate it. It is good and I can only imagine what impact it had back in the day. I do have to say it is nicely balanced and that might be the best characteristic of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:42:07 | More by cbutova

justincolts

Indiana

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours very golden. Has a thumb's length of head. Nice hoppy aroma, has a typical mouthfeel or a pale ale, nothing great, nothing awful. Has a decent hop filled taste, nothing else I really detect. A solid beer that is very drinkable, inoffensive, and something I would drink again if presented the opportunity. It wasn't something that I think I will rush back and buy another sixer of right away, but I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:34:48 | More by justincolts

plumasgoldrush

California

4.71/5  rDev +39.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I am trying to compare this with the original from 1978. I have fond memories drinking this brew while walking down Denmark Street in Sonoma. There was always yeast sediment in the original bottom, always not quite clear, this one is somewhat hazy. I hope this brew continues, not just limited release, or how about a California Brewery taking a try at it.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:16:17 | More by plumasgoldrush

Mister_Falcon

Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured a vaguely cloudy, glowing golden color into a pint glass.

Smells like a good amount of decent hops with some malty scent poking through.

Bitter with the taste of hops with a nicely fruity flavor poking through as it washes over the palette.

Decently crisp with carbonation and warm with alcohol before it washes down leaving a nice bitter residue on the tongue.

If I had to characterize the overall taste and mouthfeel of this beer off the top of my head I would characterize it as part Sierra Nevada, part Wheat beer. It's really quite good. Much better than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:59:44 | More by Mister_Falcon

adxss

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This is my first review. While I tend to be analytical, this review is based on history and what this beer really means. I read about it in business week. You owe it to yourself to learn about this beer. Back at the dawn of craft brewing, this was a pioneer. All the major brands' adjunct formulas were about all that was available, along with a few very similar european imports. Peter Hand's Old Chicago was driven out of business. Sam Adams didn't exist yet. Schlitz "original formula" was about the best there was in those days. So within this bleak context, along came New Albion!

It has a deep yellow color, and a slight head, although it can be a bit fizzy. The texture is thicker than its "contemporaries". The flavor is clean and balanced- a little hoppy, but not too much. A little sweet, but not too much. A little bit of malt. Try it next to what the major brands offered back then (and now)... WOW! This stuff seems nearly perfect in comparison. Unfortunately the beer drinking public didn't agree, and it would be 10 years before anything this advanced was widely available.

Fast forward to today- overly hopped beers, concoctions of every imaginable kind, heavy, dark porters and stouts (I like them all)... then along comes New Albion. It is a refreshing break from the popular craft beers and prevalent styles. It deserves some attention. Thanks you Mr. Koch for reviving a real classic that I didn't get to try the first time around.

I hope you don't mind this unconventional review, but this one is as much about beer archeology as it is about the technical review, and I'm glad this beer got a second chance.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 00:45:17 | More by adxss

steveh

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally got my hands on some of this special release -- oh no, am I now an Ahab?

Best by July 2013 notched on the label.

A -- Clear, very pale yellow with a very long-lasting white head.

S -- Spicy, slightly earthy hops, but not overblown.

T -- Great balance of bready, crackery malts and spicy, bitter hops up front that blends into bitter hops then finishes with a distinct bready yeastiness. The bitter hops linger through the aftertaste without becoming heavy.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft to crisp with a light-medium body.

O -- A very nice throwback to the days when Pale Ale wasn't trying to be more than the sum of good hops and malts in a great recipe. Not sure if BBC will keep this around, but it's worth being an annual specialty.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 20:36:17 | More by steveh

dogfishandi

New York

2.93/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. Best Before JUL 2013

Pours out a very clear golden to light golden color with 1-2 fingers worth of fluffy white head. Pretty good head retention and lace.

Not much to the aroma, almost lager like in a way. Light cereal grains, some fruity esters, and pretty much no hops detectable

Again, not full of flavor, but it sure is drinkable and refreshing. Definatly nothing off about it. A lightly sweet lager like cereal grain with just a hint of citrus from the hops, hops are once again nearly undetectable. Just a bit of fruity ester. Doesnt have much of a finish to it.

Very light in body, but not at all watery.

This is not really a beer I'd ever come back to, but everyone should try this considering its pretty much the first craft beer ever made in America. Its crazy to think that this 30 years ago was considering new and extreme.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 18:59:03 | More by dogfishandi

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

2.81/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Ba Review #268
Served On: 4/15/2013
Glassware: SA Perfect Pint
Labeled ABV: 6.0%
Date/ Code: July 2013

This was from a 6-pack I picked up at Evergreen Liquors in Frederick ($8.99).

Look: Was a crystal clear golden straw color with a thick fluffy head of whipped egg whites. Carbonation bubbles were very sluggish and sparse. Lacing was fairly constant and sticky.

Smell: Aroma was very grassy and grainy. Some skunk was present. Sweet malt notes with some grassy hops basically summed it up.

Taste: Upfront was a soapy character that gave way to some citrus and herbal notes. A biscuit note came through in the middle. The finish was fairly clean with the biscuit hanging on. Aftertaste had that saccharine funk often found in diet sodas.

This was not the greatest brew. I can appreciate Boston Beer trying to revive this iconic brand, but It was just not on pace with so many other offerings with similar objectives. I suppose if it were the only alternative to fermented corn water - I'd feel a little differently.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 16:12:38 | More by CraftBeerTastic

buschbeer

Ohio

3.89/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle
Served in a Samuel Adams perfect pint glass

A - It is light amber in color with golden highlights. It is capped with two inches of off- white head.

S - It has a refreshing scent. I get some lime which I think is from noble hops. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

T - Now in the taste I get some lemon zest. It is crisp and has a clean finish.

M - Thin to moderate

O - This is a nice spring tasting beer. I like the lime and lemon aspects of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 16:15:16 | More by buschbeer

BucannonXC5

California

2.96/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Lagunitas mason jar
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $1.99
Purchased: March 28, 2013
Consumed: April 12, 2013
Misc.: Best by June, 2013

Poured an orange amber color with two fingers of long-lasting white head. Nice looking foamy lacing on the sides. Very good retention on the top all the way down.

Smelled a skunky malt to start. Also some hay, cereal and grass. Some faint lemon late as well. Pretty earthly overall.

Tasted better than the smell. Still earthy, grainy and heavy, but more citrus notes. Malts were grass, hay and skunk. Some hops, maybe resin and faint citrus.

Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Average-to-lively (above average) carbonation. Abrupt finish.

Nothing special about this pale ale. Not even worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 00:36:01 | More by BucannonXC5

Billolick

New York

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle with best before dating notched onto the side of the label.

Pours lightly hazed, near golden amber, looser bubble lite tan head, bubbles rising to the top and leaving some moderate sheeting and slippery lace.

Grassy hop nose.

Easy drinking and moderatly hoppy APA. Nothing really blowing me away here. Decent every day sorta creation. Worth a try but not something I'm dyin to go out and get more of.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 16:51:27 | More by Billolick

Tone

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear, gold color. 5/4 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, strong pale malt, slight hop, hint of rice, hint of lemon, and a hint of sugar. Fits the style of an American Pale Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, pale malt, slight rice, and slight hop. Overall, great appearance, decent aroma, feel, and body; light and session-able.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 13:43:24 | More by Tone