Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red (Barrel Room Collection) - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

HagueBrook

Massachusetts

2.23/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A: Very nice copper/ruby color with a moderate head.

S: Smell is of sour cherries.

T: Taste is strongly sour fruit. This is probably what they were striving for, but not my cup of tea. My fault for not carefully reading the description before I picked it up at the store.

MF: Crisp, but I was really forcing myself to drink it.

D: Very poor, but if you like this style, it is probably good. Again, no offense to SA, I wouldn't finish more than one glass. I used the rest of the bottle to baste a roast chicken (that came out pretty good).

Serving type: 22 oz. bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 21:08:28 | More by HagueBrook

sweemzander

Illinois

2.61/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a pint glass.

(A)- Pours a fairly deep crimson red color. Some minimal pink froth and lacing.

(S)- Quite an earthy oak profile to it. Subtle tart fruits, but mostly a dry earthy oak profile.

(T)- Kind of similar to the smell, but far more fruitier, still plenty of dry earthy oak but with fruit. Not much tartness; does get a touch medicinal as it warms.

(M)- Fruity, with heavy oaky earth. The tartness from the smell is not really present; kind of muted actually. Decent carbonation level.

(O)- This is ok, but a bit disappointing due to kind of a bland body overall. The fruit and oak is there, but just kind of muddled together.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 17:01:32 | More by sweemzander

Casey10

Maine

2.68/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up when it first cam out in about Sept 2009 been letting it sit for a little while.

Even with some time on it this beer is not impressive or even that good. I would not waste my money on this particular beer again.

I can say that it appears waterdown coppery and the smell is not even there. The taste is like a flavorless medicial cough drop.

The feel is similar but harsh.

Maybe I am missing something but with some great sour beers out there this is not my first choice.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 07:21:02 | More by Casey10

crusian

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

pour a deep amber with a finger of head, looks really nice!! Nose also, is very nice, cherries, oak and a hint of sour, not too much sour on the nose though...
taste is actually a bit disappointing. I have been wanting to try this one for a while. a little tart, but not too much, nice smooth oak, hint of cherries and hat is all. Seems like Boston just tried to dip a foot in the sour category and see what it was all about. This has a lot of potential, and so does the brewery in this style... that is obvious in the taste, but the stopped short to try harder to appease the masses so they could say, Hey this sour isnt bad... taste is meh.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 16:32:19 | More by crusian

Rhcp1072

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had been looking forward to trying the line of Sam Adams Barrel-Room beers, and after trying the Thirteenth Hour, I was eager to try another. I poured it into a tumbler.

A - Very nice hazel color, with a hint of dark red. A good inch to an inch and a half of head complimented the beer into making it look very presentable.

S - Once I got a whiff of the SBR, I immediately knew that there was a big tart fruit smell (just like the bottle says). It honestly took me aback at first, seeing as this was my first "sour" beer, but it wasn't too overpowering.

T- Here's when it hit me. I was definitely not expecting this wine-like resemblance to be so prevalent from the get go. And it didn't let up; I was hoping to become acquainted with the newer tastes, but I just couldn't get used to it. To me, the fruit aspect and the Kosmic Mother Funk (the hops used for the Barrel Room beers) in this beer were too overpowering.

M- One of the better aspects of this beer was the way it did feel. I was expecting a thicker feel to it, seeing as the New World has a thicker aspect to it, but it was very smooth. The perfect balance of the carbonation and other ingredients made it a very enjoyable feel, just not so much on the taste. No sticky residue was left either, which was a plus.

O- Overall I think this beer is, well, average. It might be because I'm new to the whole "sour" beer, or it may just not just float my boat. Will I buy this beer again? Probably not, for the $10 it cost me, I could pick up a stout or something more enjoyable to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:28:59 | More by Rhcp1072

jsanford

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours reddish-brown with a thin white head that fades to a slight ring. Aromas of tart berries, oak, cinnamon, red wine vinegar, and a touch of funk. A little muddy. Taste consists of cranberry, raspberry, and cherry, oak, vinegar, and light funky yeast. Much like the nose, the flavors are muddy, not clean. Wish this was either more sour, or more funky, but this in-between mode isn't great. Decent mouthfeel, medium bodied with good carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Decent beer, I suppose, and I applaud SA for taking a risk, but I won't be re-visiting it.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 02:08:40 | More by jsanford

Uniobrew31

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice color and appearance. It tasted more like a barley wine but I could attribute that the the barrel aging. It wasnt what I expected it to be but it was a good beer. I was thining it would have more of a abbey style taste with a big sour punch but the punch was more of a oak aged flavor. The first sip brough to mind a real oaky wine flavor. i might try this again with some friends. I dont think it was meant to be served in a 14 oz. glass. A solid effort by sam, But be prepared it is real real boozy.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 02:11:51 | More by Uniobrew31

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

GLASS: Chimay Goblet
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 50 degrees, allowed to freezer chill for approx 25 minutes before pouring
Thanks to ShogoKawada for the hook-up!
Shared with my friend Rich, who loves Sam Adams beers.

A ruddy brown colored liquid, with some nice ruby highlights. An easy pour produced an almost three-finger head of loose, off-white colored foam which has a slight pinkish tint to it. The recedes to leave a nice, surface covering, film. The lacing is good and sticky enough to stay around for abit.

This nose is kind of muddled. It's hard to pick out the pieces. I get hints of oak and brett funkiness. Light notes of cherries and other red fruits, especially cranberries. An over-all musty quality.

Big red fruit quality. Good hints of oak. Good brett funk.
Unfortunately, I think that the flavor comes across as very thin, at least to me, anyway. It's almost like cranberry juice, blended with a hint of cherry and something else, that's been stored in a barrel, inside a barn, for a long time. The mustiness still lies over everything.

This is light-bodied and has a high level of carbonation. It is very light and crisp.

The 9.00%abv is not really detected. The taste is good, but thin. Oddly, of the Barrel Room Collection, this is probably the flavor that I would like best (except for the mustiness). The thin-ness of it though, just kils it for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 21:38:01 | More by coldmeat23

aepb1

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Reddish brown with an off-white heat the dissipates to a small cap

S- Cherry, wine-like as I get some oakiness in there too

T- Tart/sour cherry. I don't really get a whole lot else...

M- Medium bodied and the carbonation is moderate.

D- If I wanted sangria... seriously though, not bad, it just didn't impress me much. The 9.0 abv was well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2010 03:16:15 | More by aepb1

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Slightly sour cherry aroma with some earthy undertones and maybe a hint of vanilla.

Beautiful deep ruby red in color and perfectly clear albiet a bit dark. There was a slight tan head but it disappeared very quickly and provided no lacing.

Tart right up front, and a bit funky. I taste no hints of a barrel, but I get that it was wildly fermented. It transforms into something slightly sweet, with a nice malty finish. Moderate body, lip puckering, and a medium-low dose of carbonation. I probably wouldn't buy it again. Sad face.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 05:32:09 | More by tlazaroff

Ogre

Oregon

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Discovered this on the shelf next to Rodenbach Grand Cru, and at $9/22.4oz, figured why not give it a go?

Pours a dark caramel brown with a healthy, creamy head. Aromas of bananas and light vanilla are dominated by...cherry throat lozenge?

Tart and sour flavors are on the lighter side. The taste, especially the aftertaste, has a medicinal, sweet-y, yes, throat lozenge quality. An interesting brew, and great to see another American brewer giving a swing at this style, but not something I'll be picking up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:27:04 | More by Ogre

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Deep red-brown ale with a sudsy head. Aromas of cranberry, bread and spices. I can smell the oak barrel's influence as well. Tart berry and spices hit the palate first, followed by nutty whiskey and subtle vegetable flavors. The flavor is complex but a little underwhelming, this one's not as enjoyable as the barrel room stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 20:47:12 | More by keeganfrank

aerozeppl

New York

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up at Julios back in February.

A: Hazy copper color with a half finger of white head. Not the best looking beer we had this day.

S: Musty. Lots of oak with a touch of bret. The weird thing a few people picked up on was the smell of rust. I have never smelled anything like it in a beer before.

T: Oak right up front. It really did dominate. I did get a little bit of coconut though which I enjoyed. A touch of tartness in the back end.

M: Dry and well carbonated.

D: I will say it did hide the ABV well. The bottle itself was probably the best part of this beer. Really nice looking. It was easy to drink but I don't think I would get another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 20:10:43 | More by aerozeppl

mjn5036

New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I struggled immensely with the cork on this one. With a loud pop the cork is finally wrestled out and an eerie dense fog creeps from the neck of the bottle and dissipates into the air around it. I poured very slowly as recommended. It pours significantly darker than I was expecting, a nice looking mahogany with a small off-white head. An abundant amount of carbonation bubbles race to the top the entire time it sits in my glass.

The nose is chock full of oak and tart fruit. Sweet berry plays nicely with a slight acidic bite, a nice earthy aroma and malty backbone. Very interesting and it seems as though there is quite a bit going on in this one.

The taste does not quite live up to the smell this beer emits. The Kosmic Mother Funk definitely plays a big role in the flavor profile of this beer - and that is not necessarily a good thing. I found that particular beer to be weak and lackluster and I am finding the same in pieces of this beer. The initial flavor is a lot of oak and a rush of tart cherry and citric acid. This gives way to alcohol, a mild sweetness and what I would like to consider and very faint malty backbone. The finish is extremely weak and almost water-like.

This is medium bodied and moderately carbonated.
Stony Brook Red is a good attempt by Sam Adams but leaves me wanting more from it. The nose is very good but the taste overall is weak on most accounts. The drinkability is fairly high on this one, if you would want to drink a lot of it that is. This one isn't bad by any means; it just doesn't do it for me. Not for $10.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 03:44:32 | More by mjn5036

ncfranklin

Alabama

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked and caged into a tulip.

A: A muddy rusty red and brown. Small tan head recedes to a light ring and floating froth. Some carbonation bubbles lingering up from the bottom.

S: Feint aroma of tart cherry and wood.

T: Surpsingly light. Flavors are of sweet cherry, some malty biscuit, and heavy oak in the finish. The tartness is very light, hardly present at all. Kinda a "lightweight" Flanders.

M: Medium body, low carbonation, smooth with a little dryness from the tart.

O: I'd call this "Flanders LIght" if i had to describe to to someone. Maybe an okay introduction to the style, but clearly not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 02:11:07 | More by ncfranklin

Nascartailgatefa

New York

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Purchased at Sam Adams Brewery in Boston. Pours a hazy red, minimal head and almost nonexistent lacing. Strong Fruity aroma.

Full flavored, again strong a fruity on the pallet. A fine sipping beer, particularly on a cold winter night.

I enjoyed the beer but it isn't exactly my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 03:34:28 | More by Nascartailgatefa

phideltashaggy

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into a Sam Adam's Perfect pint glass.

The beer is a redish brown color, with a slightly yellowy head and small lacing.

The first word to come to mind when I smelled it was "wine". There was a wine character that struck me, but it soon was replaced with other thoughts. Mainly, fruit (cherries in particular) are very prominent in the smell.

"Tart" is the best single word to describe this brew. The tart along with a slight acidic and alcohol taste soon leave a numb feeling on the tongue similar to drinking grape juice, or somethign similar.

The mouthfeel was a little unexpected to me, it was a little thinner than I would have thought. And the numbing sensation plays into the feel of the beer.

I enjoy this beer a little now, but I'm not a huge fan. I am glad that I had the opportunity to try a bottle of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 21:21:14 | More by phideltashaggy

mbusster88

New York

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from from

A: Pours dark amber color with nice off white head. Tons of carbonation on the glass. Head does dissapate really fast.

S: The first smell is fruits. Lots of apples and plums maybe some dates. Very funky smell, typical of the style, but very nice.

T/M: Very robust flavors up front. The apple flavor really shows through and the plums is noticeable as well. Very wine style flaovrs, but also very nice flavors in the mouth.

D: Decent brew, but definitely not the style Sam Adams is known for, but its alright. Good fruit notes but not overly exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 23:44:32 | More by mbusster88

blakelive784

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a dark, non transparent copper color with a 3 finger head with fair creaminess.

S- pungent sour smell with hints of hoppy bitterness. Some sort of berry aroma, perhaps raspberries.

T- sour taste to match the aroma, but not overpowering. The berry taste rounds the beer out well with a slight hoppy finish. definite alcohol taste on the finish as well.

M- thicker than it should be. Quite wet as well.

D- overall a nice wild ale. A bit overpriced and sour for my tastes but quite good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 02:38:19 | More by blakelive784

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle $8.99, it looks kind of like a flanders red, reddsih color, translucent, short ring of bubbles around the glass. The smell is quite interesting off the bat, a bit of funk, sour fruit, reminds me of the dissident. The flavor doesn't seem to match up with the smell for me, its a little tart but mostly mild with a bit of woodiness, needs more sourness, more funk and less alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2009 03:26:55 | More by ArrogantB

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked & caged bottle poured into a snifter - thanks to tprokop7 for the whole set!

Pours a dark red with some light brown/mahogany with a small off white head. Nose is a bit funky right off the bat, Light sourness and a bit of an oakyness.

This is certainly funky, but after having some of Russian Rivers sours (Temptation, Consecration, etc) this seems a bit tame/mellow. Still good and a nice intro to the style, this certainly makes it more drinkable. Mouthfeel is crisp and smooth, good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 00:38:47 | More by kingcrowing

kojevergas

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1pt 9.4fl oz brown glass bottle with cork served into a Trappist Westvleteren goblet (small size variant) in high altitude Denver, CO. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a three finger head of nice thickness, good cream lacing, and fair retention (especially for the ABV). Dark caramel copper colour.

Sm: Lambic-esque sour fruit ester hops, fermented raspberry, and light bacteria. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Lightly sour fermented raspberry fruit ester hops alongside bacteria over an unobtrusive simple barley foundation. It's simply built, but effectively so. The sourness is not overdone, as with many American takes on the style. The finish resolves to a nicely bright ester that does well at closing out the flavours. Well balanced.

Mf: Smooth and wet, matching the flavour, but a touch too thick for how simple it is.

Dr: High price, relatively high ABV, and good quality make this beer one to try but not to savor. I'd have it again, but I do wish the price was better.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 02:33:01 | More by kojevergas

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stony Brook Red pours a slightly hazy dark amber with a small fizzy off white head on top. The foam disappears almost as fast as it forms and leaves no lace on the glass.

The aroma is tart with notes of cherry and a touch of pale malt.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is watery on the palate with a light syrup feel and mild carbonation. The flavor has a lot of sweet cherry flavor blended with some pale malt, a touch of oak and bubblegum notes. It finishes tart with lingering cherry notes when gone.

This beer almost reminds me of cough syrup. It's easy to drink and sweet with lots of cherry flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 01:21:07 | More by WanderingFool

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in signature Duvel glass (over-sized tulip).

Appearance: Pours a real deep dark amber color, when held to the light bubbles through the body (it already looks appetizing). Has an orangey-white head maybe 1/3" off the body.

Smell: Smells little like bourbon or scotch, but you need top know this...it is light. Has a hard orange/tangerine smell. Believe me it looks better than it smells.

Taste: It tastes better than it smells as well. Has a strong mandarin feel with a little scotch. I mean the barley is good I just want a little more and I know I am not a lone here.

Mouth: I tell you it is definitely medium to heavy carbonation which I do like this particular brew. Goes down awkwardly smooth.

Overall: I really want to like this beer a lot but I can't. I mean don't hate it but I was expecting a lot more. I will tell everyone have a glass, but factoring in price your better off trying something more suit to your style than experimenting on this. If you don't give a Fcuk like me drink up...Salud!

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 05:14:25 | More by BlurryVisi0n

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

More of a Flemish oud bruin than a red, at least by color and malt presence. The American wild ale may be most appropriate, as this is not brewed in Belgium at all. Sam Adams' Stony Brook Red is not as enjoyable to me due to its moderate tartness. This is, however, not overly sweet, and I appreciate this gesture towards not pacifying Americans' sweet tooth. The major flavors and aromas are caramel-like sweetness tempered by modest acidic tartness and cherry-like esters. Not a bad beer by any stretch, one that I wouldn't mind aging for three years and checking on its progress.

Pours a 1cm head of light tan foam, made up of dense, small bubbles. Retention is above average, lasting several minutes before settling to a thin cap atop the body of the beer that remains throughout the entire glass. Head leaves significant, attractive lacing along the sides of the glass: a mixture of large lines and circular clumps. Body is a hazy, dark brownish amber, with visible and modest carbonation. Light brings out a brighter brown-orange hue to the somewhat opaque body.

Aroma opens with caramel-like sweetness and a faintly tart, acidic, vinegary scent behind this. Next wave of scents settles out towards the end of an inhalation, with fairly faint tart cherries underneath and even more modest ethanol. Fairly complex, though perhaps a bit too subtle for its own good; would have liked to notice more of the barrel-aged and acidic qualities of the beer.

Tasting opens with caramel malt sweetness that has been slightly touched by acid-producing bacteria, yielding a minor tartness and cherry flavor. Mid-palate finds caramel malts with a bit of oak character and increased cherry character with tartness equivalent to that encountered upfront; ethanol also appears, though very minor. Back of palate detects cherry flavors with slightly more tartness than found at the front of the palate, modest sweetness, and more noticeable ethanol. Lingering aftertaste of toasted malts with oak characters and a slight, very subtle, tart cherry edge. Tartness is, overall, fairly mild, making this a good introduction to the style, perhaps.

Beer is medium bodied, through and through, with modest carbonation, creating a smooth, slightly foamy mouthfeel. Finishes dry, with very little residual stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:27:05 | More by falloutsnow