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

TheSixthRing

California

3.88/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Final Gravity in Roseville, CA

Appearance - Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow, served in a pint glass with a white, finger width head. Great retention. Leaves a good amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell - Light citrus, with lesser notes of sweet, bready malt character.

Taste - Follows the nose. Notes of citrus backed by a sweet, bready and slightly grainy malt backbone. A touch of light toast near the finish. Simple, but clean and with awesome balance.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with moderate, crisp carbonation. Super smooth. Silky. Goes down without effort.

Overall - The history behind this beer is pretty awesome, and the beer itself is pretty damn solid, too. Sessionable as hell. I wasn't alive when this was originally brewed, so I can't vouch as to just how close they nailed the original, but if this is it down to a 'T', then Mr. McAuliffe was a true visionary, and I tip my cap to this 'granfather' pale ale of his.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 18:49:22 | More by TheSixthRing

ktblue22

Vermont

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had this beer in a flight of 5 other of my favorites - this was the one I hadn't tried, and it was extremely surprising!! Most of the surprise came from the fact that I was expecting an APA and it tasted very very similar to a Saison or Farmhouse style....so it was a shitty APA but I thought a very pleasing beer, which is sometimes why I try to blind taste beer - its crazy how much pre-conception can hinder or alter our first-taste perception of craft beer.

A - milky, cloudy banana yellow
S- yeasty and banana - very pleasant
T - so saison/hefeweizen! Yummy, lots of banana and slight clove. Milkiness and sweet banana hop were the leading flavors. Would totally order this on tap on a summer day
M - medium bodied with a grittiness that I appreciate in a hefeweizen - again, not sure why this is labeled as an APA -but I liked the beer overall

O - I love the story about this beer and continue to appreciate what Koch does for his community and the craft beer community as well, if you don't know it you should look it up!

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2013 19:38:00 | More by ktblue22

mactrail

California

3.61/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A flowery, resiny, sweet fantasy of a Pale Ale. So user-friendly I was three-quarters down the pint glass before I thought to make any notes.

Starts out lemon-tinged pale golden color, with a modest head. The carbonation dissipates, however, and ends up nearly flat before you've finished. On the plus side is the prefumey hop note coupled with a pleasant malty sweetness. A little sctratchy note of hops with just a touch of bitterness. Aromatic nose of grain and gardenias.

Get one of these for Tinker Bell. On tap at the recently opened Fathom in San Diego.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 05:49:57 | More by mactrail

JupiterJesus

California

4.08/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at RRBC, the day after the Younger release and a few weeks after the New Albion Ale release party at RRBC. After 3 pours of PtY, I needed a palate cleanser!

I enjoyed this a whole lot more than the negative buzz made me think I would. It is very nicely balanced and quaffable, with a surprising complexity of flavor. Dry, with a firm bitterness. There isn't an enormous hop flavor and aroma, but what is there does its job nicely. The best part is what I think is an an english yeast-driven character that adds a complexity missing in most APAs, and is what really takes this from generic pale ale to something I'd order again.

I scanned the other reviews, and see complaints that it is 'thin' or 'boring'. Even that it has 'lager-y' flavor. That is borderline retarded. The recipe for this beer is freely available and uses pale malt (no crystal or other specialty malts), cascade hops ("the" American craft hop - SNPA, Mirror Pond, etc) and the New Albion yeast. Nothing lager-y about it. It is an American Pale Ale at its most prototypical (fitting, since it was the prototype for all APAs to follow). It is supposed to be light-bodied, drinkable and not overwhelming on the hops or malt. I wonder if BA reviewers' taste buds have been burnt out by too many IIPAs, and their brains burnt out by the BA groupthink that says anything below 10% ABV isn't worth drinking. </rant>

I've never had a Sam Adams beer that I would recommend. I don't know how this is in the bottle, but I have no reservations recommending this on draft while its still available. It is interesting to note that only two other reviewers here had this on draft, and also had above average ratings. Tasty, balanced and quaffable. Definitely an above average brew (for what it is), though my opinion might be tainted (for better or worse) by all the Younger I had before it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2013 17:36:32 | More by JupiterJesus

Damian

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank on-tap at J. Timothy's Taverne, Plainville, CT
Served in a mug

Brassy yellow in appearance with a slight haze. The beer was topped by a thin white film that dropped to a clingy ring.

The nose was subtle. Buttery and slightly sulfury. Some grassy hops were noticeable. A touch floral.

The flavor profile was much punchier than the aroma. Biscuity malts appeared on the front end. Crisp, grassy, floral hops soon took over. Slight sulfur notes. Dry and piney on the finish.

The mouthfeel was lighter bodied. Frothy with a fine, lively effervescence.

Without knowing anything about this beer, I initially pegged it for a Czech pilsner and a pretty respectable one at that. As an American pale ale, however, I can understand how people might be disappointed by it. The story behind this beer is pretty interesting but the product itself is a bit odd.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 19:37:34 | More by Damian

flagmantho

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I had this on-tap in a Sam Adams perfect pint glass at Special Brews in Lynnwood, WA.

Appearance: light orange hue with a hint of haze and a strong effervescence. Head is a thin finger of creamy white foam. Pretty nice!

Smell: light, sweet malt aroma; appealing but rather indistinct. Not much more to say here.

Taste: lightly tangy right up front with a fruity flavor reminiscent of like a perry or cider. Hops are bright and citrusy. There's a bit of farminess to it. It is good, but it feels muddled and a little bit funky for the style.

Mouthfeel: medium body with decent carbonation and a rocky creaminess. Pretty good.

Overall: a tasty and drinkable, if imperfect, pale ale. I would probably have it again. I bet it would pair excellently with stinky cheese.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 18:17:12 | More by flagmantho

auxiliary

Rhode Island

4.3/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

appearance - Almost a clear golden color. Nice offwhite head, and had some nice lace.

smell - Hints of hops, but mostly wheat here.

taste - Wheat overwelmed the taste, but had a little bitterness at the end, but not much from the hops.

mouthfeel - Medium body.

drinkability - Bottle and sell Sam Adams. I'm guessing the ABV was maybe a 6%-7% it seemed to me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2007 04:28:24 | More by auxiliary

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