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

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

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

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
6% ABV, Best Before JUL 2013 notched on label.

A - Carbonation streams from the glass' nucleation, through the clear goldenrod beer to it's fleeting white cap of foam. Wispy lace remains clinging to the glass after it's departure.

S - New Albion Ale has a mellow aroma with gentle notes of American citrus hops which suggest where our hop head obsession began. White pepper and lemongrass spiciness open up around a pale malt base and herbal undertones for a crisp and inviting nose.

T - The rather timid aroma of New Albion Ale is quickly cast aside for a powerful flavor that I can only imagine was revolutionary for the time; totally unexpected and original. While tame for today's standards, this beer has a full hop flavor of lemongrass spice / citrus with earthy notes and light pine resin on the finish backed by simple pale malt.

M - Lively carbonation dances on the tongue without interrupting the medium-light bodied, dry hop finish that's so crisp and refreshing. Moderate bitterness trails off with a glorious drinkability.

O - "Simplicity" is this iconic beer recipe's greatest characteristic. And by simplicity I mean that it might be tame for today's outrageous hop-crazed standards, but at it's core this hoppy pale ale would have blown people's minds back in the day. Up front and citrusy, this American-hopped pale ale demands you drink another when one full-flavored and crisp pint is empty. And when you do, you'll still be finding new nuances within. I rarely buy 6-packs of beer, but I think I'll be scooping one or two of these up.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 23:21:02 | More by BeerFMAndy

FosterJM

California

2.76/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

1720th Review on BA
Bottle to Woodshop snifter
12oz

Shared by Eric Marshall at Herbies Bday party

App- When this poured out it was a bit of a mix of a golden honey color with a little bit of a pale yellow. The head was maybe an 1/8" and off white. Slightly off color in the center and didnt have much cling.

Smell- This was almost pure malts to me with again more of a grainy lemon, hoppy character. Just smelled off and a bit too "corn". Like a BMC just amped up.

Taste- This really wasnt for me. I know Eric was trying to bring something no one had had before but the flavors of this one didnt come together for me. The malts struggled against the grainy lemon flavor and without a good enough hop character to balance it out, just was a bit rough around the edges and hard to get through.

Mouth- A solid medium body with a medium carbonation. A bit malty residual with some earthy grainy and grassy character to balance.

Drink- Less than average. Much better options on the market.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:51:06 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a simple nonic pint glass.

A crystal clear and super golden crystal clear body. A great mix of rising carbonation, and a big fluffy creating four finger head that is bone white with lots of staying power. A giant cap made and settles without budging at all. A real great looking brew.

A real solid mix on the nose. Light sticky yeast, big dry grain and toasty bread, with a mild sweetness. Faint mild grass like hop just barely gets a whiff. Real interesting nose.

Palate hits with a nice mellow malt backbone. Hits like German style pilsner then sweetens with just a touch of caramel. Finishes with a nice sticky mild yeast component and sense of almost noble like hops, but more grass. Hints of fruity esters. The beer had a wonderful sticky quality to it in the palate, with a nice splash of hops.

Overall this is an interesting spin on an APA, quite a fun and easy drinking beer too. Glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 20:11:17 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce bottle, best before June 2013. Served in a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass, the beer pours a slightly hazy gold color with about a half inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both OK. The brew smells like light grassy and citrusy (lemon peel) hops, bready/grainy malt, and an aroma that smells like adjuncts/corn. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but unfortunately the grainy/adjunct flavor is the strongest. I think it tastes more like a macro lager than a pale ale. There's also a light lingering bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating and has moderate carbonation. It was nice to try this one, but luckily we have a lot better choices to pick from now. If you can find a single bottle somewhere it's worth a try, but at $9.49 a 6-pack I'm not going to buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:07:01 | More by bluejacket74

tdm168

North Carolina

3.56/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - clear, golden orange with a thick, soft cap of foamy, white head that has good retention

S - sweet and citrusy with hints of orange zest

T - very faint malt, citrus, some light grapefruit and orange zest, mild piney bitterness in the finish

M - medium bodied, crisp, a tad overcarbonated

This is a decent, refreshing pale ale. The flavor profile doesn't demand a lot from the palate, but it offers just enough hop character to seem creative. This would be a nice beer to have on hand when you're trying to watch the game and relax, but it'll probably disappoint most in its simplicity.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:12:52 | More by tdm168

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.76/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - clear yellow beer with a white head that thinned out leaving spotty lacing.

S - mainly getting floral and grassy aromas.

T - grain, grass, Euro hop bitterness with some malty sweetness left on the lips.

F - medium bodied, good carbonation, crisp feel.

O - a pretty good/non offensive beer that's easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:40:27 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A very clear bright yellow, great carbonation giving me a 1/2 inch that settles to a thick lace ring.
S - Smell is slightly flowery with some lager yeast and pale malts.
T - Not bad it's very balanced for 6%. Taste of mild yeasts, some hops, and bready malts. Not great just good.
M - Light to medium quite easy to drink.
Overall a pale ale with a lager aspect. Makes it a fairly good beer but not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:31:43 | More by DrDemento456

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

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

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a crystal clear medium yellow with some golden yellow highlights and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall pillowy off-white head that slowly reduces to a couple of small patches of thin bubbles with a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light amounts of bready and grainy malts with some very light notes of grassy, spicy, and floral hops.

T: Light amounts of bready malts with some light amounts of grainy sweetness. There are some very light notes of spicy hops with just a touch of grassy hops. Light amounts of lemon citrus notes and a light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied with just a touch more than moderate amounts of carbonation. Very light notes of dryness in the finish.

O: It is interesting to try this re-creation of the start of American craft beer - strange how hidden the hop aromas are but I'm guessing that was very true to the original which was competing with beers that did not have much hop aroma. I'm glad that beers have evolved and the presence of the hops has really come to the forefront. Definitely worth trying for the historical perspective and pretty easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:32:39 | More by dbrauneis

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear copper-orange with a finger of frothy white head. Fades normal.

S - Citrus, orange, light grassy and floral hops, sweet bready, grainy, biscuit, and light caramel malts.

T - Orange, citrus, grassy, floral, noble hops, smooth bitterness, sweet grainy, bready, biscuit, and mild caramel malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, bitter, dry finish.

D - Nice balanced and smooth APA. Nice hop and malt balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 05:40:45 | More by ngeunit1

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a crystal clear medium golden color with a medium sized white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The aroma is not what I expected. Lots of bready and pilsner malt with hints of citrus, floral, and grassy hop aromas with a touch of chalk. The flavor is bready pils and a sweet light sugar with a hint of grassy earthy citrus hops. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet slick mouthfeel. This was not at all what I expected it was going to be, it drinks more like a pilsner than an ale to me. I enjoyed this, it would make a great lawnmower or gateway beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 22:27:55 | More by johnnnniee

cjgator3

Florida

3.84/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle

A- Pours a pale golden amber color with an off-white head with good retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is faint malt and citrusy hops.

T- The taste like the aroma is malt with a perfect balance of citrusy hops. This beer is not going to knock your socks off but I am very impressed with its balance and drinkability.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, I really enjoyed trying New Albion both for the history of this beer and the flavor. The strength of this beer is the drinkability,, I could drink this beer all night long.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 02:16:03 | More by cjgator3

Mitchster

Michigan

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

$1.59 for a 12oz single @ BevCo. Notched BBF July 2013. 6.0% ABV per the bottle. No info on the website. Pours out to a slightly hazy medium golden, forming a tall white head with excellent retention and lcing, owing in part to it's firm carbonation, ~3.0 carbs. The nose is somewhat non-descript...somewhat crackery malts, a little grassy, very little hop aroma with more of a lager yeast profile with moderate DMS. I suspect 6-row and some corn was used to brew this. Mouthfeel is a little peculiar...lightly tart, medium bodied, with a dry finish. Taste is grassy, crackery, somewhat grainy with some distinct white grape juice esters, a little bit of spicy hops towards the end and a mild to medium bitterness.

A very average beer, somewhere between a MBC domestic lager and a less than average pale ale. Not really offensive, but not interesting either. I'd drink it in a pinch but have no interest in buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 00:23:17 | More by Mitchster

prototypic

Ohio

3/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

New Albion pours a light yellow color. Looks like straw. It’s crystal clear. Backlighting brightens it up a bit. It’s topped with a nice, soft white head. It rises to about a finger and a half before falling back to a surface covering. Holds there for a bit. Lacing was a little sticky, but lighter. Not bad at all.

The nose is not so great. It’s weak and needs more strength in a big way. It smells very earthy and grainy. That aspect resonates throughout each whiff. The malt base smells slightly sweet and has a strong cracker-like scent to it. There are some hops noted. They’re light and smell very grassy. Smells like noble hops to me. It’s not my preference for hops in an American Pale Ale, but it is what it is. Alcohol isn’t much of a factor at all. Needs work.

The flavor is okay. Maybe a little better than the nose. Pretty average in the American Pale Ale class. The malt base is bready and cracker-like. There’s a mild sweetness to it, but it’s not much. There’s a strong grainy, earthy, and grassy aspect to it throughout. It’s a bit much for the style. There’s an interesting salty flavor that doesn’t add much. Hops are definitely in the mix. They’re very grassy and are very reminiscent of noble hops. They do add a light bitter kick, but it’s not too much. More would be better. Alcohol isn’t very noticeable. At 6%, that’s not a huge shock. Finishes earthy, grassy, cracker-y, and dry.

New Albion has a lighter body. Carbonation is active, but it feels rather soft. It feels a bit too thin for the style. It’s not bad, but more body would be better.

I know the story behind this beer, and I have a lot of respect for Jack McAuliffe. I like that Boston Beer Company resurrected and released this beer. Having said that, it’s a very average American Pale Ale. I understand that it probably was a trailblazer 30 years ago, but it’s just okay by today’s standards. It’s an interesting release with good history behind it. In the name of history, it’s worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:45:49 | More by prototypic

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light golden amber with a half finger white head with decent retention and lots of lacing. Light aroma of biscuit malt and grassy hops. Flavor is dry biscuit malt with grassy, almost earthy hops, finishing surprisingly dry and bitter with a slightly acidic element. Light to medium bodied. A somewhat unusual flavor that is drier and hoppier than I expected, but I found to be quite satisfying. I found an empty bottle of the original New Albion Ale which I had purchased in the late 1970's. I wish like hell I could remember tasting this back then, but have no recollection. It must have made some impression because I saved the bottle for more than 30 years. If this is an accurate reconstruction of this beer, it was pretty unusual for its time.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 03:34:08 | More by LiquidAmber

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

My overall impression is that it brought me back to the early days of craft brew. As I drank it I thought, "I've had this before". The hopping was family, as was the balance. It's a hoppy drink for the day, but comparatively for today it's actually pretty tame and rather evenly balanced. The flavors seemed familiar and the body was kinda' light. Seemed similar to Blue boar from Henry Weinhard. Overall bittering is again kinda' on the softer side and light. Smallish head and color is a little unflattering, but no big deal.
I like the beer. It's a steady drinker.
Thanks B-gogs.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:17:50 | More by garymuchow

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.21/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

From the 12. fl. oz. bottle.Sampled on March 15, 2013.

It pours a slightly hazy pale yellow with a fizzy white head that lingers. It looks like it should.

The aroma is mostly of grains and bread with a slight hop ester dancing in the background. It smells more like a pilsner.

The body is about medium and astringent.

The taste is much like the aroma with an immediate grain note that eventually evolves into a solidly bitter finish. The finish does not linger. This is said to be based on an original 1980's recipe. By today's standards it is a rather bland and typical pale ale. I did not start drinking crafts until about 1986 or 1987 but I expect I would have been more impressed when it first came out.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 23:19:57 | More by puboflyons

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

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

Single purchased at Liquor Outlet, Boonton, NJ.

Poured into my Sam Adams Lager glass. Tremendous carbonation streams. Two fingers of snow white micro-bubbles. Pale golden body, good clarity with a bit of haze. Minimal lace.

Grassy hay aroma, more like a helles than a modern pale/blonde/golden ale.

Light sweet malt beginning. Noble hop nip at the swallow. Clean finish.

Light bubbly mouthfeel.

A nice easy drinking piece of history.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:06:21 | More by RonfromJersey

chinchill

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle notch dated "enjoy by" Jul 2013.
Pours light amber in color with a moderate size, sudsy white head. Weak head retention but some lacing.

Appealing grassy-floral-fruity mix includes suggestions of hay, apples, citrus fruit, faint biscuits and spicy hops. The flavor is similar to the nose, but less apple and a clearer tangerine note. Interesting mix of flavors, with some complexity. Appropriate hop/malt balance.

Feel: Light-medium bodied with medium-light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:25:33 | More by chinchill

far333

Connecticut

3.34/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Very clear straw yellow colored with a bright white rocky head full of dimples that lingers long and gradually recedes back leaving legs of lacing around the glass. Very low aroma of honey malt. Flavors of honey malt and grassy notes, some lemony nuances, medium bitterness. Expected more citrus, I believe this is all cascade. Full and creamy mouthfeel. Overall a decent session beer, good gateway beer. Obviously way ahead of its time, it was probably considered rich in flavor in its day, but is merely better than average today. Great to be tasting a bit of brewing history, cheers to Jim Koch for undertaking this project.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:54:24 | More by far333

wedge

North Carolina

3.31/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a bright, sunny yellow color with a small, sticky white head. Wispy strings of lacing. Smell is very clean: cracker-like grain, floral and spicy hops, some dull citrus, and a bit of wood. Husky, grainy sweet flavor over some earthy hops. Somewhat dry and moderately bitter with a decent crispness. Not terrible, but honestly pretty forgettable by today's standards. Nice to try a piece of history though.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:06:49 | More by wedge

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