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

riored4v

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip. Semi-hazy, red/amber body. 1 1/2 finger, tan head that faded quickly to a thin layer.

Smell was tart, cherry aroma. Some hints of vanilla, oak and caramal malts.

Taste had a good, tart, cherry flavor that you could feel in the back of your mouth initially. Caramel and brown malt flavors. Tart/sour flavor is mild but still the highlight of the beer and is pleasant.

Mouthfeel is light/medium body with high carbonation. Dry finish.

Drinkability is very good. Sour/tartness was nice and no hints of abv.

Very good beer. Nice level of tartness while still being "soft" enough to really enjoy. Probably my favorite Sam Adams beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 03:33:23 | More by riored4v

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Rocky cream-colored head that settles to a single foamy layer of bubbles. Light brown color with a mild haze.

Strong caramel aroma with some notable alcohol smells. Very rich nose.

Strong sourness to the initial taste, similar to Belgian gueuze. This has many of the elements a strong cider, including a green apple element. No notable hop. Low carbonation with a full body. Too rich to drink regularly.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 19:27:58 | More by smcolw

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a rich mahogany with a dense, off-white two finger head.

S: Raspberry, pomegranate, fresh pressed apples, grapes, slight tart. Smells effervescent and refreshing, like a wine spritzer.

T: Tart raspberry, light hints at other berries and chocolate - like acai, sugar free grape juice, mellow funk.

M: Light bodied, crisp, and dry.

D: A nice, solid wild ale, perfectly enjoyable right now, but not something I'll go out of my way to seek out again. Not as complex as some of the European counterparts, but a nice take by Boston Beer Company.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 01:51:17 | More by phantomwyse

bilyboy65

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: No head, but a very clear reddish brown color. Not a lot of carbonation to be seen.

S: Slight alcohol scent, but it is heavily masked by a sour raspberry coated in caramel nose. Wild grain scent as well.

T: Pretty much mimics the nose only the wild grain seems to come to life and give it a bready taste.

M: Smooottthhh!

D: can't get enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 01:18:08 | More by bilyboy65

BostonTriggs

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First review
!

750ml bottle poured into pint glass.

Appearance: Medium to dark brown w/ hints of amber and orange in the light. There's a slight haziness to the beer. Head pours thick and dissipates after a few moments.

Smell: Typical of a Belgian Ale. There's malt, candy sugar, Belgian yeast, and no hop scent. A slight tartness also came through, and a little bit of a wild yeast smell (might be from the oak aging).

Taste: This wasn't what I expected based on the smell. The oak and tartness come through a lot more in the taste. I expected a traditional Belgian ale based on the smell. I got a tart acidity right up front, and there was a little bit of a funk to this. The oak flavor comes at the back of the palate/end of the sip and it balances out the maltiness nicely. Like the smell, there isn't any noticeable hop taste. There is a faint alcohol taste, but not anything that upsets the balance.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation comes on strong, but smooths out quickly. The beer is medium bodied.

Drinkabilty: Considering the high alcohol content and oak aftertaste, I found this to go down very easily. I think this might be unique to me, though. I could go through a couple bottles before I wanted to stop. The beer was surprisingly refreshing.

Overall: A very enjoyable beer, but one I'll only reach for on occasion. I love funky flavors, and I wish that came through a little bit stronger.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 11:40:57 | More by BostonTriggs

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a limited edition bottle into a Belgian Tulip glass.

A-red-amber body, off-white head, thick

S-strong, acidic raspberry-like smell, faint Belgian yeast smell.

T-tart, sour front with a malty finish.

M-medium mouthfeel yet spritzy carbonation.

D-Not at all what I expected. The notion that its a red throws me off. I expected something more malty. Its interesting. Worth a try, but I don't think I will have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 18:45:26 | More by jneiswender

Borgs

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark in color. Light carbonation. Thin head has almost no retention. Clear. Looks inviting, because continual rise of bubbles from the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Tart & sweet... similar yet different to a sweet tart. My tongue immediately watered with ever whiff.

Taste: Tasting the same sweet & tart from the aroma. As for balance, the sweet & tart are almost too much. They slightly trick the mouth into thinking you're drinking something other than a beer. I am a hophead by nature, but love tasting everything at least once, so I can't really say this is a negative.

Mouthfeel: It has an almost syrupy feel to it. I would consider this medium-bodied, & the taste/tartness lingers on the tongue for a few seconds after swallowing.

Drinkability: I can foresee comparing this to an IPA as being similar to comparing a dessert wine to a zinfandel. I definitely had no problem finishing the 750 mL bottle, but it's not something that I would want to drink on a regular basis... well, maybe not quite that, cuz I would never drink a 750 of a dessert wine, but you get the point.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 19:26:23 | More by Borgs

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

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jared for the bottle. From notes.

Pours a ruby red color with a light head, little to no retention or lacing, but a very nice color.

Smells of stewed and slightly soured fruits. Oud Bruin qualities. Raspberries and cherries come to mind along with other fruits. Some yeast character lends a spiciness along with a splash of red wine vinegar and an allusion to funk. Flavor follows suit with a nice tartness as prefaced by the aroma, combining with sweet fruits and soft oak.

A bit above average carbonation initially, but after some time in the glass, it subsided and became more pleasant. Low to medium body is aided by this carbonation. Very drinkable for it's ABV.

This is really not what I was expecting, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely the winner for me out of the 3 recently released barrel room beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 00:26:20 | More by Ineedabeerhere

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

boatshoes

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up at Total Beverage on a recent trip to Denver. Had a small sample of this at the BBF but couldn't really remember the flavor profile and thought I'd give it another try.

Appearance- Pours a translucent medium copper brown with a surprising amount of carbonation initially. I get about two fingers of fizzy tan head with some carbonation beading up through the body of the beer. However, it dies back fairly quickly to a nearly nonexistent ring around the edge of the beer. No lacing whatsoever and ultimately ends up looking pretty decent for the style.

Smell- Very vinous smelling. Lots of oak as well. To add to the list of surprises, also smells much more tart than I was expecting out of Sam Adams. A sharp lactic bite that really comes across on the nose and smells of tart cherries and a bit of dark fruit. Fairly complex and pleasing nose.

Taste- Yet another surprise. The tartness is much much more muted than in the nose, and only comes across slightly and late in the finish. The vinous notes from the nose are very prominent, and it reminds me a bit of a muted version of the regular Rodenbach in that regard. An interesting infusion of oak mixes in with the wine-like flavors and makes it fairly complex. However, I was disappointed a bit not only by the lack of tartness, but by a sweetness which actually creeps into the beer for me as I finish my pint.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is spot on for the style, with even a touch extra carbonation initially. However, too sweet and not enough tartness for the style to make me really want to drink a lot of this.

Overall, a solid effort for Sam Adams on an adventurous style. Worth a shot but falls short of greatness.

Overall,

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 01:17:55 | More by boatshoes

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Snagged this one at Gordon's in Watertown
Consumed 12/14

A: This beer pours reddish brown with a one finger of tan sudsy head. Head recedes relatively quickly and not much lacing to speak of.

S: Nose is quite tart and sour. Oak and malts are present but the most prominent is the nice cherry notes.

T: Taste is quite amazing. Sour cherries and oak really dominate throughout. Very tart up front and then fades out with the oak leading the way in to a touch of malt and sweetness. Finish is slightly sweet apple. Pear is left on the palate in the aftertaste only.

M: Light side of medium body, moderate to high carbonation, crisp and clean body with a bone dry finish.

D: This is my first real experience with this style and am pleasantly surprised! Not filling, nicely blended the balance between tart/sour and malt is excellent. Alcohol is undetectable. I'm looking forward to exploring more of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 02:05:17 | More by Jayli

aquatonex

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a 3-pack of special awesome beers from the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston.

Pours a deep ruby with a slight swirl of head, hint of lacing. A good balanced carbonation follows. Nose has an immediate strong fruit (cherry, raisin) aroma that isn't overpowering. Taste definitely hides the ABV, tart but not fake-sweet llike some other cherry beers. Very tasty, refreshing, not heavy, I wish this was available everywhere!

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 04:28:34 | More by aquatonex

PBoegel

New York

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from 750 ML bottle into Sam Adams imperial series snifter.

Poured vigorously to get a dense cream white lightly tan tight beaded head, which broke quickly. The beer is Tawny with extremely good clarity and crimson red highlights.

Aroma is funk, but good funk, meant to be funk. Lots of dried apricot, oak, marmalade, no hops at all. Granny Smith and Empire apple. No detectable alcohol aroma, no uncharacteristic fermentation notes, the funk is what the funk should be here.

The flavor profile is among one the most contrasting complex mixes I have ever come across. There is a biting sourness and oaky wood presence up front. There is a toasty and mellow malt sweetness in the middle, followed by granny smith apple and pomegranate. The sour upfront and oak finish really dominate the complex palate and lend the beer toward a red wine pinot type character. No hop flavor, alcohol is undetectable on the palate.

The beer presents itself with a substantial medium body enhanced by the slickness of the sour character, the finish is medium dry but with the alcohol, bitterness and oaky notes the dryness is accentuated.

Drinkability on this one is a bit more subjective than usual to me. I prefer wild beers that are more akin to the Brettanomyces family vs. lacto sour. I think the sourness is well complimented by the oak essence in this beer. The latter of which is much more pronounced in this brew than the Barrel Series Tripel.

Two Barrels down, one to go, impressed with this series from Sam Adams.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 23:46:36 | More by PBoegel

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The new Sam Adams Barrel Room Select series beers just hit the shelves in Boston today, and I have to say that they come in some very handsome bottles. I ended up getting this and the American Kriek, probably will go back for the Tripel on another day. Poured in to my new Lindeman's Lambic flute, the color is of rust, which is interesting. I worked up about two fingers of heading, which fizzed away, and faded quickly. It definitely smells like a wild beer. I get plenty of fruit, some degree of funk, smells sort of like sparkling wine. Taste has some tart cherry, apple skin, barnyard funk, and little touches of the oak here and there. It feels pretty light on the palate, with a good dose of carbonation, furthering it's similarity to a sparkling wine. Alcohol is evident in the taste, but it does nothing to impair the drinkability. Not a bad beer at all here from Sam Adams. The price tag isn't too bad, the bottle is nice, and the liquid within it is as well. I think I might blend myself a glass of this and the Kriek at some point tonight. Cheers to Sam Adams for experimenting.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 23:48:40 | More by jamie2dope

waltonc

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow, this is an exceptionally good beer for a $10 corked and caged 750 bottle. Pours brown/ruby in color with an initial inch of light tan head. Smells of tart cherries and cranberries and the flavor follows. Seems a bit like a sour brown (such as La Folie). Not too dry, not too sweet. This is far from mouth puckering sour. Flavor isn't exceptionally complex, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a really enjoyable, guzzleable beer. Body is medium with high carbonation.

Definitely looking forward to picking up some more of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2009 02:58:48 | More by waltonc

Shaggy9356

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: A very different looking, numbered, cage-corked bottle. Pours a brownish red. Decent head, some light white lacing.

Nose: Mild. A bit of wildness with vinous characteristics.

Mouthfeel: nicely carbonated. Easy on the tongue, sour on the tongue. Feels big, but balanced.

Taste: Wow. I wasnt expecting this from Sam Adams. I get some zinfandel, sour cherry, currants and woodiness immediately. Big taste followed by a little more sourness and a dry finish from the oak barrels. There is a gorgeous balance between the three main things going one here: sour, fruit and oak.

Amazing how well the 9% alcohol is hidden. Sam Adams has uncorked a surprising and delicious beer. I hope the rest of the barrel collection is this good. I will definitely be back to the brewery before this one sells out. Reminds me of Consecration a bit and honestly, if I had to pick between the two, I'd take this (never thought I'd say that!)

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 03:57:52 | More by Shaggy9356

Mav0524

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked this up at the Boston brewery on Halloween.

Appearance - The beer pours a dark amber-red, with absolutely no head or lacing. Any foam that you might get from the initial pour quickly disappears. It's also clear, giving you a great view of the carbonation moving up the glass--and there's plenty of that.

Smell - Smells great, with a hint of dark fruit, but not overly so. There is a tartness that balances out the sweet overtones.

Taste - Sharp and sour, with a hint of oak and wood throughout the entire sip. The alcohol is masked incredibly well behind the tart. The beer leaves a lasting sour taste.

Mouthfeel - The beer doesn't sting your mouth, but strikes a balance between bland and sharp. I guess you could say it has a good amount of bite, but handles it with class.

Drinkability - Very drinkable. This ol' girl handles her alcohol content so well, you could put an entire bottle down the hatch and not even know it was alcoholic. Be careful.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2009 23:37:11 | More by Mav0524

BostonBrewins

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a tawny reddish brown. Small tan head laces the glass all of the way through.

S - Smells fruity and a bit yeasty. Aroma is pungent but not overpowering.

T - Fruity, tart, and sour. Toasty maltiness is there too, almost bready. Flavors are sharp and aggressive. There is a sweetness that provides a nice contrast to the sourness. Some nice complexity. Dry finish.

M - Fairly light bodied and extremely smooth. Just the right level of carbonation. Very pleasant mouthfeel.

D - Very flavorful and easy to drink. This would make a nice dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 19:49:59 | More by BostonBrewins