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

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

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

On-tap 3/15/2013 at British Beer Company in Walpole, MA, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large foamy white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains citrus, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty malt character. Then some sweet flavors of caramel and citrus come in. The hops presence is on the weak side for the style but brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style, it’s a solid poundable beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2013 17:25:06 | More by TheManiacalOne

patpbr

Ohio

3.64/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is light, a faint amber with not much in the way of head. Nice hop and malt aromas. I noticed malt first but mixed in with a lot of hop. Not a lot of noticeable flavors. A medium body thy finishes clean. I was lead to believe this was a special beer from a different time, turns out Sam Adams makes this one now.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:00:57 | More by patpbr

jmbranum

Oklahoma

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

I remember reading about the original brewery from Michael Jackson's field guide to beer, so I was quite excited to get to try this remake of a classic.

Pours a bright, clear gold liquid with a very generous white head. Lots of grain and spices in the aroma.

The taste is crisp and complex. Sweeter than I expected but very well balanced. It reminds me of either an English pale ale or maybe a toned down Belgian farmhouse beer. Very distinctive mix of hops and spices. I also am reminded of Anchor steam beer.

Despite the name, it is not an APA. Compared to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the hops are much more subdued and seems more like an English pale ale. Nice biscuit-like maltyness.

Medium smooth mouthfeel.

Overall, a very well-balanced beer. I will buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 19:54:57 | More by jmbranum

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

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.49/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A: Light amber with a half finger head that dissipates pretty fast to light bubbles. Not much lacing.

S: Honey, malts

T: Light malts, tangy, honey, caramel. Smooth, easy going. A light, bitter finish.

M: Medium with decent carbonation.

O: Better than I expected. Glad I got to try this springboard for craft beer. For an old guy, this beer went down easy. Wouldn't mind another.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 16:33:53 | More by brewskifan55

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

davey101

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle into a SA perfect pint. Enjoy by July, 2013

A - Pours a golden amber body, quite clear with rising carbonation. Two fingers of soapy white foam with great lacing and retention. So, it looks good.

S - Eh, less impressive. Floral and piney hops, a sweet corn like aroma that I would associate with light lagers, and some weak caramel malt.

T - Floral and grassy hops, a distinct and quick burst of awkward bitterness, then sweet bready malts. Boring and not particularly great. Mouth feel is well carbonated and medium to thin bodied with a lasting bitterness. Pretty drinkable.

O - An interesting beer to try for sure, it was very cool to see what craft beer of the past was like. Thankfully Sierra Nevada Pale Ale came along...

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:01:49 | More by davey101

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours golden with short-lived, foamy white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is of grassy hops, citrus fruit and pale malt. Body is full and crisp. Taste is biscuit malt, grassy hops and some citrus fruit. Finish is long and dry. Nice, easy drinking, session brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 13:14:58 | More by mikeg67

JMad

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a light yellow color with a rocky white head. The nose is light pine and lemon with some metallic grain. It tastes bitter and lemony up front followed by a slight grainy sweetness. The beer is light bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation and a dry finish. I thought this beer was pretty good, I could drink a lot of these but probably wouldnt seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:37:58 | More by JMad

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Yellow/tan and clear, not a lot of head and lacing.

Aroma is a little floral, has some yeast components and some grassiness/graininess.

Flavor follows the aroma. Kinda plain and simple, a good grainy base with some bready malts and a little hoppiness.

Body is very light and easy drinking.

It's not bad but not super exciting either. As a historical beer, it's interesting to try. Honestly I don't think it belongs as an APA, it's closer to blonde ale if anything.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 21:57:58 | More by AlCaponeJunior

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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Awesome. I get to drink a little bit of history.

It's definitely more mild and mellow than what I am used to for the style now. But there is a decent bitterness to it. Malty sweet thing going on. Fairly aggressive carbonation. Easy to drink.

It's funny to think that this was probably a very flavorful beer to many people 30 years ago. I wonder what they would have thought of our present day hop bombs.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 06:03:45 | More by RblWthACoz

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

tronester

Oklahoma

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

Pours a clear golden/yellow with a medium white head with impressive lacing. Aromas of sweet grain and a hint of spicy hops. Taste begins with some acidic twang, followed by some sweet corn, then some earthy, fruity, spicy hops in the finish. Mouthfeel is good. Overall a pretty good beer. Nice to try this historic recipe.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:19:01 | More by tronester

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.23/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottled read enjoy before July 2013. Poured in a pint glass.

A - Pours a crystal clear light golden yellow. Small amount of white head which quickly dissapates. No lacing.

A - Slight floral notes

T - Clean, ceral and crackers, no discernable hops.

MF - A little fizzy, a little sharp, some creaminess in the finish.

O - Hides its 8.0% ABV very well. Not sure I would call this an APA.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:19:07 | More by Sludgeman

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

jondeelee

Massachusetts

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

New Albion Ale opens to a crisp aroma, full of grains and good touches of citrusy hops, offering an immediate sense of balance and flavor. The grains bring toast, floury baguette, rising wheat bread, wet straw, and touches of biscuit, while the hops add an overlay of pine, pink grapefruit, and grapefruit rind, the bitterness here a nice companion to the breads. The ale also features a good selection of light fruit esters, including apricot and orange, with fainter supporting notes of berry and cherry. As a whole, while the flavors in here are light, befitting a pale ale, they’re very nicely balanced between breads, sugars, and hops, offering a wide range of aromas in a nose that has surprising lingering power for its lightness, maintaining most of its potency for at least a few minutes after the bottle has been opened.

On the tongue, the beer brings an immediate grain and hop note, the flavors from the nose translating almost directly, except the dry, bitter grapefruit rind has more potency, adding an astringent citrusy kick to the mixture. The fruit esters also translate well, and even offer a greater presence on the tongue, with more apricot and orange coming through to combat the bitter hops and add body. The flavors maintain their presence throughout much of the mouthful, the sugars slowly dying off. The aftertaste is heavy on toast, biscuit, grapefruit rind, and pine, with almost no sugars left, fading with relative quickness. Mouthfeel is medium-light to medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-heavy, the ale fizzing up somewhat on the tongue.

Overall, this is perfectly good beer, and while it doesn’t offer anything overwhelming or necessarily distinctive, it does feature a very respectable flavor palette that sets a nice standard for any pale ale to live up to, and offers good drinkability at the same time. Certainly worth trying, and not just for its historical significance.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 21:08:10 | More by jondeelee

Zorro

California

3.49/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pale for a pale ale looks like a lager in the glass. Light gold that is almost yellow. Small white colored head.

Smell is light malt and grassy hop. Smells like a lager too. Light toasted grain aroma.

Starts out light in body with a high carbonation level and a mineral water bite to it.

Mildly bitter it in fact again is more like a lager. Floral and grassy hops and a slight wheat cracker malt in the finish.

Mouthfeel is on the light side.

Overall it is better than the sum of all its parts. An incredibly refreshing beer, I could see this become a common visitor to my refrigerator during the summer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:26:32 | More by Zorro

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz.

Pours a mostly clear gold, sudsy white head is thin but retains well.

Smells of light grassy malts with a subtle dry hop undertone.

Tastes of grassy malts mixed with a subtly toasted bready character, hints of citrus, and a subtle dry hop.

Medium to light body with a tingle carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

A nice, drinkable pale ale with pilsner-like characteristics. Nothing special, but solid and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 23:31:44 | More by Cylinsier

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into a tumbler pint glass.

A: Poured a clean, golden straw yellow with a thin head of wispy white foam which had a little clingy lace but had poor retention. Carbonation looked moderate and clarity was good.

S: Some cooked veggies, heated grain husk and a slightly herbal hop nose that grafts to some phenol scents.

T: Pretty underwhelming flavor, but it begins with a pronounced, fizzy malt graininess, almost that of adjuncts including corn and rice, then building a little backbone to support a flash of dry, grassy bitterness that leads to a somewhat boozy or full-feeling finish.

M: Mouthfeel is sort of fizzy and granular at first, but builds a little body and burn towards the end.

O: I kept thinking this was lager the entire time I was drinking it and I nearly convinced myself they got it wrong. That said, it's not a great example of an APA. If it were a $5.99 Trader Joe special, I might consider it in a pinch. Otherwise, head for better options.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 21:14:47 | More by Gambrinus1184

BubalooBrewMaster

Nevada

2.79/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Let me start of by saying I love having my occasional Sam Adams Boston Lager.This is a respectable brew but not one of my favorites by Sam.

It pours a crystal clear light gold color...with a slight white head.

It had reminiscent's of bready malts and a little sweetness.

Medium bodied.

overall a descent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:27:16 | More by BubalooBrewMaster

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

ZAP

Minnesota

3.21/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A-Apple cider colored...creamy white head...a lot of carbonation bubbles.

S-More of a subtle floral/herbal take on the hops...sweetish sugar cookie like maltiness

T-Basic pale ale without a lot of flavor assertiveness...the floral/herbal hops and malts blend into a sweeter type of pale ale...not much bitterness on this one...

M-A bit overcarbonated but firm body..

O-Nothing memorable about this one but nothing bad either....basic easy drinking sweeter pale ale...

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 01:57:28 | More by ZAP

barczar

Kentucky

3.31/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a brilliant medium gold with a foamy half inch ivory had that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving minimal lacing.

Fresh cut grass, grain, and skunk form the initial aroma, with a bready malt base and floral hops at the finish.

Flavor is slightly fruity initially, with bready grain cutting in mid palate and carrying through to the long finish. Orange and lemon zest and a general citrus tinge underlie a fairly malty profile. Slightly metallic. Becomes more bitter and floral as it warms.

Body is moderate, With moderate carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Fairly non-descript brew. More malt and less bitter than most apa's, and not a lot of flavoring hop aside from the initial citrus. A little overly grainy.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 20:19:13 | More by barczar