Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

tronester

Oklahoma

3.23/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden orange in color, with a thin off-white head. Smells of a hint of blackberries. Taste begins with a hint of ghost blackberry sweetness, then following is an interesting pecan flavor, and then some bready, toasty flavor. A hint of tart blackberry in the finish. Mouthfeel is sort of light. Overall a decent beer, though a bit more fruit flavoring than I typically like in a beer. I really wouldnt want more than one 12oz serving in a session.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 23:21:07 | More by tronester

TheSixthRing

California

3.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a somewhat hazy, golden straw color with a finger width white head, decent retention, and leaves behind a spotty lacing.

Smell - True to the name. Smells of wheat and blackberry. Also, a faint bit of milkiness as well.

Taste - Starts with a milky wheat flavor, then the blackberry kicks in and breaks it up midtaste before the wheat comes back and leads into the aftertaste. The flavor is simple, but effective.

Mouthfeel - Light. A tad watery. Decent carbonation leads to a fair, tangy bite, but I'd like to see more.

Overall - An interesting take on a witbier. I'd like to see a bit more aggressiveness with the flavors, but that's not necessarily true to the style. Regardless, I love the wheat and blackberry pairing.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 02:40:30 | More by TheSixthRing

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.16/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Into a nonic pint glass (also had in a regular pint glass, nothing changed):

A: light orange colored body into a nonic and had a small white one finger head. Very little lacing was left and no rings were left either, some light carbonation was seen rising.

S: blackberries and wheat. Some malts were in the background.

T: pretty much the same, nothing new from the smell.

M: medium and the carbonation was moderately felt on the mouth.

O: this isn't a bad beer. I've had it before but wanted to put out a fair review while I've had it recently. I'd have this again, preferably on tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 11:14:20 | More by kangarooAdam59

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Minimal head on a light orange body. Hazy throughout. 3.0

Wheat malts and blackberries. The pairing has that aspartame-sweetened carbonated fruit water smell. Can't pick up a particular hop aroma. Some snarls of minty-ness and herbs. 3.5

A very tangy wheat element, which is a tad attenuated. The fruit flavor is better than the aroma. Fresher and not as pushy. This is a one-note song. Mild hop bitterness in the finish, but mostly wheat malts, Belgian yeast musk, and blackberries. 3.5

The carb is a little weak, and the beer a little sticky. Has okay body, but sugary. Surprisingly, not a cinch to throw back. 3.0

Few American-made witbiers impress me, this is no different. Not sure if blackberry is a fruit I'd add to one. But, it has a pleasant aftertaste and grows on you as it warms. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 05:17:46 | More by thecheapies

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours to a creamy white head and generous lace. Color is deep gold with very little haze (I did not roll the bottle). Aroma is a combination of creamy malt and berries. Flavor is fruity and sweet mix of wheat, coriander and blackberries. Mouthfeel is light and CO2 is strong. Overall, I think this is a tasty refreshing beer that appeals to those who like fruity drinks.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 23:59:21 | More by EagleTalon

kdawg105

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pretty good flavored brew! Not really much on the fruity blends but this was nice. The appearance bout what you would expect from a wheat brew, anyway the taste is very basic with lots of fruity flavors perfect to introduce to a lady friend maybe. Mouthfeel is light and overall I would pick it again in a pick six!

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 01:40:59 | More by kdawg105

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear golden-orange hue with a thin, 2-finger, white head that quickly dissipates into a wispy lace.

S: Fruity blackberry aroma with a zesty

T: Sweet tart fruity ale. Dominant flavors of blackberry and other dark fruits.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: This is a solid fruit beer. I like the blackberry flavor – refreshing and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 03:45:26 | More by ckollias

bluHatter

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I'm not usually a fan of fruity beers, but I'll try anything once, and Sam Adams rarely lets me down. Let's see what we have here...

A: Cloudy golden colored. About a finger of head.

S: Smells like blackberries, though that's probably no surprise. There's not much behind it other than a little malt. Smells like it might be sweet.

T: I've never been a fan of fruit beers simply because it usually ends up tasting like somebody left some ripe fruit in a sweaty sock and soaked it in beer for a few days... some beers do it better than others and actually manage to make sweet and bitter coexist in harmony. Unfortunately, this is a little closer to the former variety. It is tolerable, but the berry flavors simply detract from the beer itself, and makes it difficult not to ponder, "I wonder how much happier I would be if I were drinking something else?"

M: Really foamy. More than I expected. It almost detracts from the flavor a little because it seems to evaporate as soon as it touches the tongue. I think if it weren't a fruity beer I would enjoy this sort of carbonation a lot more.

O: This is not the worst berry beer I've had, but it's certainly not the best, either. If you really like blackberries, I suggest having a blackberry flavored vodka. Stop putting your berries in my beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:23:26 | More by bluHatter

DasPuma

Virginia

3.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First time I tried it was straight from the bottle and the blackberries were definetely strong.

Poured into a Weizen glass

Appearance - fairly typical wheat beer appearance...slightly hazy golden yellow with a slight orange hue. Pours with below average head that dissipates quickly with no lacing.

Smell - Definite smell of blackberries with little else coming through

Taste - Does have a slight fruity taste but I didn't really taste blackberry per se. Not much above a basic wheat taste that finishes fairly clean with a slight after taste

Mouthfeel - I thought it was a little light for a wheat beer.

Overall - A decent beer that is a break from the norm. A middle of the road brew from a quality brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 21:02:38 | More by DasPuma

lwillitz

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12-oz bottle into weizen glass

A - transparent starw yellow body with a slight cloudyness, 3 fingers of white foam, moderate carbonation bubbles rising

S - candy sweetness, blackberries, grain

T - blackberries and sugar sweetness, grains make their way in; slight hint of hops; grainy aftertaste as the sweet blackberries fade away

M - light/medium body with medium/high carbonation, oily and sticky

O - This is about what I expected it to be: an average witbier overpowered by blackberries.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 22:29:44 | More by lwillitz

ZenAgnostic

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into a Shock Top weizen glass. Label notched Best before MAY 2012.

Appearance - Hazy gold body. One finger soap suds head with decent retention and stick.

Smell - Reminds me a lot of an MD 20/20. Kind of weird. Faint grainy musk.

Taste - Candy sweetness dominates. You can pick up the grainy musk of the witbier underneath it all, but it seems like it's trying too hard to get your attention. Mild stale musk in the finish. A little too sweet and thick to be refreshing.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied. Somewhat spritey. Almost sticky. Fluffy.

Overall Drinkability - I'm not sure there's really a good way to make this beer. Having the flavor any thinner would make it seem weak and watery, but having it as strong as it is sort of drowns out the wheat and makes the concoction feel over flavored. There's no good way to balance it. If you don't like

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 21:40:30 | More by ZenAgnostic

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a 2 finger white head with small bubbles. Carbonated throughout. Straw gold color that is almost 90% filtered. 10% wheat haze.

S: Blackberry, lemon, orange and bread.

T: Malt breadiness upfront, blackberry in the background, missing Belgian witbier phenolics.

M: Medium body, carbonated with no alcohol present. Malt backbone adds to body.

O: Good session beer. Not too heavy on the fruit so it goes down really easy. Still just a fruit beer. Although at least it doesn't taste like extract.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 22:06:30 | More by JerseyKirk

TownDunkel

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier - it was sitting next to a berry wise and so I figured I give the lower priced beer a try.

Appearance - a beautiful amber brown with just enough clarity to let you know it was filtered. Silky and smooth looking.

Smell - I was hoping very a strong blackberry with hops smell but I was let down by this Adam's. It smells vaguely of hops and a very light scent of fruit, but to me it was more of an apple smell than blackberry.

Taste - A very normal beer taste, with a good after taste of blackberries. I was thinking the berries would be more pronounced but it was very subdued, like the smell. The beer tastes like a good wheat though.

Mouthfeel - average mouthfeel, not much carbonation but enough to satisfy.

Overall - a very average beer. I was a little disappointed with the lack of flavor but it still is a decent beer. A good drinker for the spring.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 00:47:49 | More by TownDunkel

bobhits

Kentucky

1.38/5  rDev -58.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

This is just not beer!

It looks like beer. Golden color, well carbonated though the head doesn't stay. A hint of hazy body but fairly clear.

It smells like some kind of fruity kids beverage. Just straight blackberry and sugar aromas.

It tastes like some awful mix of that kids drink and beer. Fruit adjunct flavors with a rather poor tasting grainy base beer.

It feels like a beer. Well carbonated and lively on the tongue. Rather drinkable if you can get past the flavor part.

Sam Adams cranks out more styles and more beers than just about anyone so I suppose we can give them slack for making a few bad ones, but this one just is down right terrible.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 21:37:43 | More by bobhits

Brunite

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A two finger white head that dissipates in a minute or so. The beer is a clear orange-yellow color.

Smell: strong berry smell

Taste: The blackberry taste is a bit too overwhelming, some weak malt/grains...not much but subtle.

Mouthfeel: Medium...smooth. An excellent level of carbonation and drinkability.

Overall: Pretty middle of the road. Not a fruit beer fan. This is tame...just OK.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 08:40:58 | More by Brunite

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Another of tone77's bottles to keep me from just becoming a total CANhead and since I had precisely nothing else going on tonight, this seemed like a good time to try it.

From the bottle: "Only a specific blackberry could bring the subtle flavor that we wanted for this brew. These Marion blackberries from Oregon give a hint of blackberry in the aroma and taste and perfectly complement the refreshing and crisp flavors of the witbier. Cheers! [undersigned] Jim Koch"; "Wheat Ale brewed with blackberries and spices and natural flavor added".

I am going with one of my S. Adams' Perfect Pint glasses since that seems like a perfect idea to me. The two foamy, fizzy fingers of eggnog-colored head evidenced decent retention.Color was a deep-yellow with a lot of suspended floaties which I imagined was the spices. Nose was rich in blackberry, no doubt, but it was also kind of sweet for my liking. Mouthfeel was on the thin side and the taste was less sweet than what I had anticipated. Instead, the tartness of the wheat gave a nice counterbalance to the fruity sweetness. Finish was semi-sweet and while it was refreshing, one would be plenty for me. It might be nicer in the summer heat, but I just was not feeling it on this chill rainy evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 01:49:08 | More by woodychandler

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a glowing, hazy gold with a puffy, soapy white head.

S: Aromas of buttered wheat toast, cream, and blackberry are present on the nose. It's exactly what would one expect from a so-called 'blackberry witbier.'

T: Notes of blackberry, cream, butter, wheat toast, lemon, and coriander can easily be detected. The finish is short, sweet, and straight-forward with a combination of wheat toast and blackberry notes.

M: Light bodied, grainy, and crisp with decent carbonation. It's drinkable, but is a little harsher than many other witbiers I've tried.

O: I recall trying this beer very shortly after it was released and being blown away by it. My intial impressions have changed in the past year or so. This beer seems to have become grittier and the blackberry flavor now seems a bit artificial. For what it is, it's not bad, but I wouldn't reach for it on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 20:25:01 | More by mrfrancis

160Shillings

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Aroma: The aroma is wheat beer, blackberries, coriander and the faintest hint of citrus.

Appearance: almost no head is formed without any appreciable lacing. The color is yellow and the beer has a light wheat protein haze.

Flavor: The flavor is tart without any lactic acid. Wheat is definitely present. Blackberry flavor is dominant throughout, beginning to end. Coriander makes an appearance and citrus is very faint.

Mouthfeel: Thin body with appropriately high carbonation.

Overall Impression: This beer falls short of being true to Witbier style on several counts. The blackberry works well in this beer and adds to the total experience. Although this misses the mark as a Witbier, it is a very enjoyable beer and drinks well. It is one of my favorite Sam Adams beers.

Comments: Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier may miss the mark for a Witbier, but it is a tasty, very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 18:27:12 | More by 160Shillings

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.43/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with almost no head that is reduced to bubbles quickly

S: Blackberry, spices, and wheat are all the standouts

T: Same as the smell, starts off nice and fruity with notes of spice and the wheat. An almost artificially sweet blackberry finishes it off

M: Light bodied with moderate carbonation

O: The blackberry taste is too artificial for my tastes, even if they did use real blackberries. Definitely a beer for beginners or women who enjoy sweet fruity beers

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 17:10:44 | More by BEERMILER12

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: hazy/bubbly light purple /amber color, trace head,
very little lacing

S: blackberry and malt

T: blackberry, light lemon zest, malt,
mild semi-dry finish

M: light/med body, big carbonation, semi-dry crisp mouth

O: This beer surprised me. Thought it would
be nasty, but quite nice.

GOOD, WORTH HAVING!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 19:55:27 | More by BeerLover99

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-hazy ochre color with about a finger of head that faded quickly

S-blackberry is the predominant smell along with a little malt

T-some light blackberry taste with not much else

M-good carbonation and finish

O-very drinkable but not a lot of complexity in this one

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 01:24:04 | More by tvv375ia

ommegangpbr

New York

3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I feel like I had this as part of a sample pack once upon as time but don't remember it. Having it now I can see how this would be pretty forgettable. The blackberry flavor in this has a bit of an artificial tinge, or what I associate with artificial flavor; the fruit flavor in sugary fruit candies. The witbier characteristics in this are pretty weak; inoffensive but weak and thin. I might give this a teeny bit more credit if this was listed as an American pale wheat ale but only slightly. There's a hint of coriander and orange peel if you're digging for them, but they're buried underneath the ineffective blackberry stuff going on.
Not interested in getting this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 04:50:06 | More by ommegangpbr

JohnnyP3

Alaska

3.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle with an enjoy by date of Oct 2011. Pours a pale gold--clear with no haze and about one finger's worth of white head.

Aroma is blackberries, vanilla??, spices, pepper, and a grass/hay mixture.

Taste is kind of like blackberries and cream. Sweet malts and blackberries with cream that finishes with a little bit of a peppery kick. Interesting.

Mouthfeel is smooth, yet punctuated with some lively carbonation.

Overall, very respectable. Not a huge fan of fruit flavor beers, but no qualms with this one. Maybe a bit on the sweet side, but that's quibbling.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 05:16:47 | More by JohnnyP3

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

2.78/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Golden blonde, clear, with a 1-finger head that quickly dissipates

S: Mild odor of caramel malts and berries, but not very strong

T: The overwhelming majority of the flavor is sweet malt. There's a background of wheat and blackberry (I don't like my fruit beer to be too fruity, and the amount of blackberry is probably about right, but the power of the malt is not well-balanced), and just a touch of hops that lingers on the palate.

M: Good crispness and carbonation, about what I've come to expect from this class of beer.

O: Pleasant, and good with a savory meal, but not good enough to drink on its own just for the pleasure of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 17:36:13 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Sammy A Blackberry Wit is very nice and I am not normally a fruity beer type. The beer pours a hazy golden color with a 1 finger white foam head that dissipates into a thin foam film then ring. A medium amount of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Nice lacing left behind. Smells of blackberry and wheat with the blackberry very dominate. Has a sweet smell. Tastes of blackberry that is not nearly as sweet as the smell would indicate. A nice wheat taste on the backend really help balance out the sweetness. The mouthfeel is Medium to light bodied with a slighly creamy mouthfeel. Probably one of my favorite fruit beers. I would highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 01:46:14 | More by WoodBrew