Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

hardy008

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Pours clear amber with a foamy white head with decent retention and lacing. Smells and tastes like citrus, pine, and biscuit malt. Is bitter. Medium bodied with average carbonation. A decent average beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:20:19 | More by hardy008

Mojo

Alabama

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle -> Samuel Adams perfect pint glass

This beer pours up a deep clear amber with a one finger white head, good retention, and decent lacing. Smell is pine, resin, biscuit, and citrus (mostly oranges). Taste is kind of mild for an IPA but not bad either. It is malty upfront well balanced with the finishing hops. Mouthfeel is not thick or thin but about right with some good carbonation. This is a decent IPA even though it is less assertive than many of them out there. I'd drink more of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 04:02:45 | More by Mojo

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

1.83/5  rDev -49.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Bought in a variety IPA pack at Wegmans trying out some different ones I haven't had yet.

I figured I would give it a shot.

I was highly disappointed, to say the least.

Drank straight out of the bottle so no real appearance outside of the basic typical golden that I could see in the swigs I took.

Maybe I just got a bad one, but this was awful.
The smell was of a lager or regular American ale.

It tasted as if they just added some hops in the brewing process to a normal Sam Adams Boston Ale or Lager. It was nothing I would EVER want to drink again.
Between the lack of any IPA characteristics that I could trace, not even the citrus or hops "bite" that I could find...it was bad.

Again, maybe I got a bad one, but unless someone gave it to me I wouldn't spend a dime on it.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 02:14:36 | More by GiantMidget

wgk

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a nice IPA if the price is right. Anyone looking at buying this at $15 a six pack is going to be disappointed though. It is often just a bit above half that in my haunts. For a larger brewer it is respectable and well worthy of a try if the alternatives are slim. You can tell it is an IPA that has been put together by someone who knows what he is doing but paying attention to the budget just the same.

Close, perhaps, to the Sierra Nevada Torpedo...maybe better stated as competitive with...I like the SN just a bit better based on the hops, I think, in this price range. Very enjoyable, Latitude beats LOTS of others in this price range.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 17:26:15 | More by wgk

drh20s

Georgia

1.68/5  rDev -53.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I hated to see someone say this was their first IPA. Sam Adams should stick to lagers. This is a bitter IPA with very little aftertaste. The amazing thing was the $15.99/6 pack price! I stepped out of my comfort zone of Two-Hearted and 90 Minute and Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin' IPAs to try it. I made a mistake...

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:54:27 | More by drh20s

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a clear copper color with a 1 finger head and nice lacing.

S: Fairly laid back smell for an IPA. Some citrus hops along with some mild malts.

T: Grassy and bread flavors balanced with some malts and a touch of alcohol.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: It's much more subdued and balanced than most IPA's I drink. It's not a bad thing, just not what I prefer. I guess they wanted a more acceptable beer for the masses.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 23:37:16 | More by nUgZ

UnkleFester

Kansas

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours a deep ruby/copper color with about two fingers worth of fluffy white head. This one has a nice lacing.

S: Earthy hops, honey, and malts not much else going on here.

T: Piney notes with some citrus hops, finishes with a nice sweet malt.

M: A medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

O: A decent IPA good for those that are new to the style. I got this in the Harvest Collection Variety pack. I'm not sure I would seek this out but it's still a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:18:42 | More by UnkleFester

Drew966

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA pours an orange color with an off white heady from a brown twelve ounce bottle. The aroma is citrusy hops. The flavor is also dominated by citrusy hops, but this isn't a typical blow your head off hop bomb. There is a touch of English style hops and more balance than I would typically expect in an American IPA. Pretty drinkable and quite decent.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:11:02 | More by Drew966

ScaryEd

New Hampshire

3.13/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was the first IPA I ever tried.

Appearance: A bronze color with a nice creamy-white head.

Smell: Not bad, some citrus hops and caramel.

Taste: Very light and citrusy, with some caramel malts. Much like the smell, tastes like Boston Lager disguised as an IPA.

Mouthfeel: Nicely carbonated for the style, with a medium/thin-medium body.

Overall: Not a thing truly wrong with this beer. The citrus flavors and aromas are nice, but there is nothing truly special about it either. For an IPA, the hop flavors are way too muted and subtle. However, I am a man who prefers a hop explosion in my mouth so it's possible my palate cannot detect many of the subtle flavors in this beer. That said, this was the first IPA I ever had and it became a gateway beer to the truly great examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 14:00:20 | More by ScaryEd

poop_brew

2.75/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Tasted from a seasonal 12-pack.

Appearance - Lighter Golden color (oops I realized I drank it out of the glass so I don't remember the color. I was just imagining what it would taste like.) A decent pour - not much head.

Smell - A citrus mild hop, lighter flavor, but a good intro to IPA taste.

Taste - Tasted crisp and refreshing on a cold VT night, but wasn't quite the Hop punch I was looking for. I enjoy a good hop punch, not too crazy, so I figured this beer would deliver. Didn't quite meet my expectation, but still a good brew.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, with a nice mouth feel. Definitely the best part of the brew.

Overall - Expecting a little more than it delivered, but certainly deserves a 3.0/5 just for consistency.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 20:19:07 | More by poop_brew

zac16125

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass
Best before : March 2013

I wonder how much time after brewing they set the best before date. 6 months? If so that would make this one pretty fresh.

A: Pours a deep, dark amber with 2.5 fingers width of light tan colored head. Crystal clear, with a fair amount of carbonation bubbles racing to the top of the glass. Head is dense and takes a long while to dissipate down. Leaves lots of lacing down the side of the glass. Great looking beer.

S: Very sweet on the nose. Caramel and sweet bread are the most prominent aromas. I also get some sweet citrus, mango and clementines. Smell is nice, but fairly one dimensional.

T: Sweetness dominates at first, but then the hop bitterness makes itself known. Caramel malts, piney bitterness, lemon zest, orange, fairly big hop spice. Tasty beer here.

M/D: Carbonation a touch high for my likely. Medium bodied, slightly drying finish. Good drinkability.

O: Overall, a pretty solid beer. Sam Adams seems to take a lot of heat in the BA community, but for a brewery that produces such mass quantities, they actually do a good job of producing consistently high quality (albiet not outstanding) offerings.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 23:34:24 | More by zac16125

JHS123

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Overall a solid Hoppy IPA. Strong bitterness on the front. Malty frothy head with a amber color. Its got significant lacing on the glass with weak head retention. Hoppy, floral and strong hops on the front of the taste. It levels off but remains peppery with extensive hops.

A decent IPA maybe a little too high on the hops but this is meant to showcase 48th Parallel Hops so I can't fault them on it. The bitterness is not cloying just its an obvious IPA from the time you open to the time you finish this one.

I recommend it but its not at the top of my current IPA choices. Right now the best IPA is the Rotator Series Falconer from Widmer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 02:00:56 | More by JHS123

walser

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Good color, great lasting head- things little on weak side though
for an Ipa. Nothing really memorable but nothing
overtly wrong - playing it safe. Needs more body,
aroma and mouthfeel, but on right track.---
---

An Ipa for the mass market but for the most
part keeping it within bounds. Hops are there
but hard to center.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 22:16:34 | More by walser

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured from 12 oz bottle (bbd Jan 13) into pint glass, clear deep copper color with small off white head that leaves some lacing, small streams of bubbles
S: floral hops, slight earthy, malt, brown sugar, nice mouth water from smell
T: aggressive hops up front, bitter finish, a little lacking on malt in the middle, lemon citrus flavors
M: slightly thin, but good level of carbonation, dry astringent finish
O: not a bad IPA, could be better balanced with malt sweetness, overall a beer I would drink again, not for someone who isn't a fan of dry hoppy beer

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 21:49:59 | More by M_C_Hampton

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

tried from the harvest collection, fall '12

pours a medium to deep amber / copper shade while yielding a solid finger of off-white head; decent retention and lacing. nose offers caramel malt and a smattering of citric/pine hops. solid enough albeit nothing that really grabs you.

that sentiment persists in the flavor. citrus/fine/floral hops with a caramel/bready malt backbone make it a traditional "east coast" style IPA. not bad; far from stellar. bitter hoppy presence transitions to the finish. medium bodied mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

overall i'll walk away from this one slightly disappointed as i had higher hopes; probably my least favorite from the mixer. while one tends not to be floored by sam adams offerings they are usually pretty solid, and this number is more middling. that said, i wouldn't refuse one.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 22:35:57 | More by BostonHops

BeerNoobNC

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Overall, this is a very solid IPA, but nothing crazy. This is actually the IPA that introduced me to the style (which is not my favorite style). The beer has a fair amount of hop flavor, but not too much and it is very balanced. A very drinkable beer; I can easily finish two or three of these pretty quickly just sipping on them. I would definitely consider this a good introductory example of this style that could really help someone get into bigger hoppier IPAs. Of course, it can also be a go-to beer if you're stuck in a beer wasteland like northern Louisiana.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 02:43:02 | More by BeerNoobNC

Jason

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz sample bottle of the 2013 version what uses an addition of Mosaic hops among the usual lineup of hops.

LOOK: Clear tawny hue, great showin of lace

SMELL: Herbal, leafy, mild tobacco, resin, orange pith, tropical fruit

TASTE: Big smoothness, slightly chewy, fresh grass, caramel, balanced bitterness, toasted bread, clementines, tobacco, dank herb, lemon pith, peppery, hint of alcohol, floral, hoppy semi-dry finish

Perhaps too balance for a modern IPA, not a horrible thing but that and drinkability seem to be Boston Beer Co.'s first and second priorities. I don't blame them a brand being distributed nationwide wanted to be balanced and drinkable. As for experimenting with new hops, love the layer it adds.

----

Notes from May 27th 2012

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Clear reddish amber, perfect head and lacing.

SMELL: Herbal, floral, oily hop, resin, mango, grassy, orange zest

TASTE: Big oily hop, pungent, slightly bitter, smooth, fresh cut grass, leafy, caramel, faint biscuit, clean alcohol, ripe pears, pine, grapefruit rind

Very hop forward, more flavor than bitterness though. The hop character dominates most of the time, perhaps overkill but not to the point that a true hophead could not appreciate. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 00:33:19 | More by Jason

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at fridge-cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a great 3-finger bubbly, foamy cream-colored head. Excellent retention and awesome sheets of lacing. Clear with a nice amount of bubbles.

S – Bready and caramel malts with citrus and floral hop aromas. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it smells good.

T – Follows the nose. Starts off sweet with caramel and bready malts and transitions to a solid bitter hop presence with grapefruit, floral, grassy, and peppery notes.

F – Medium-bodied with great carbonation, a sticky, chewy, and creamy mouthfeel, and a bitter and dry finish. Grapefruit bitterness builds and lingers.

O – This is a really solid IPA. There’s nothing that sticks out here (besides the appearance with the phenomenal head characteristics and clarity), but it is very tasty and very drinkable. This is a great example of the style and would be a great beer to try for someone trying to get into hoppier beers. Par for the course for Sam Adams – a tasty beer that is a solid example of its style and that can serve as a so-called gateway beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:35:31 | More by BlackBelt5112203

mscudder

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint.

A - A fairly translucent copper hue with a thin ivory head.

S -Sweet malts and some biscuit-like notes. Some hops and herbs clean out the remainder.

T - Big toasted biscuits up front. The malt profile is big to start and really is misleading for what I anticipated. After, the rush of hops comes through. There are also some nice additions to the hops: lemon, grass and earthy spices.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation.

O - Lots of flavor here with a nice kick from the lemon zest. I have come to enjoy a few of Sam Adams brews! I seem to shock myself sometimes.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:13:08 | More by mscudder

Brubaker

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Honey colored. 1+ finger head. Clear.

S- Light hops

T- Sweet malts. Rich in hops. Good bitter.

M- Light & clean. Medium texture.

O- Good easy drinking light Summer beer for a hophead like me. I'm a Stone IPA/Ruination guy.

Would Drink
Might Buy
Wouldn't make

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:45:50 | More by Brubaker

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into my Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass. Notched "Best Before February 2013". I would hope that Sam believes this beer is "best before" 4-months from bottling, and not 6. If so, this beer is about as fresh as it gets.

A: Pours a darker shade of Amber than expected. With a huge white off-white head on top that did not dissipate.

S: Pine. A touch of grapefruit. Grassy notes and maybe a touch of lemon-zest.

T: A nice balance of pine-and-grapefruit hops and malt sweetness, all done at a moderate volume. If Craft Beer was a Field of Study, this brew would be considered to be an excellent "intro to IPA" course. It's well done, it's well balanced, it touches on a lot of the "classic flavors" that have come to define American IPA, but it's all done at a moderate volume.

If I was to be critical at all, this is shading a bit more to the "sweeter" end of things than I'd like in my IPA. Not by a lot. But a little.

M: Light and semi-dry. Carbonation is a shade low for my liking.

D/O: A fine beer. Runs a touch sweet for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:39:43 | More by psuKinger

yesyouam

New York

4.5/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA is a super clear amber ale with a thick, off white, lumpy foam that has outstanding retention. It has a fresh, fruity, grassy aroma with an earthy quality to it. It has a smooth, medium light body with a crisp, clean finish. The flavor is nicely balanced. Crackery, peppery malt frames a nice wooden hop flavor. It tastes fruity but dry. The bitterness is never extreme. What a well crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 18:15:45 | More by yesyouam

Beastdog75

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Not really being a fan of the style, when I saw single bottles of this I decided to give it a try. The India Pale Ale is certainly a style that I might need some getting used to, but in the meantime I can respect the style for what it is and I do enjoy the complexity and trying to pick out the various flavors that are contained within. To me, Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA seemed a bit typical of the style, but there are a few things that I did enjoy about it.

The beer pours a very nice burnt-orange/amber color. About 1 1/2 fingers worth of foam forms, and it thins out a little bit, but ends up staying with the beer to the very end leaving of decent lacing in its wake. The hoppy aroma was very nice, with some citric, fruity, and some woody aromas present in the nose. The mouthfeel was smooth and moderately carbonated, perhaps a bit sticky. The first sip was of some sweet caramel malts, but the hop flavors were dominant. A puckering, almost harsh grapefruit flavor was present, with some other citric, and woody flavors present. The finish was quite dry, with the grapefruit and other hop flavors lingering on. Ten minutes after drinking, I was still tasting it. The brew concludes with a little bit of alcoholic warmth.

I don't know if I would have finished a sixer of this, but the single allowed me to give this beer a whirl. Not bad for what it is, I just can't see myself drinking too many of these.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 04:17:27 | More by Beastdog75

57md

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear and a brilliant orange color, very reminiscent of an autumn leaf. There is about a half finger of head that dissipates quickly. The nose is distinctly hoppy and has a hint o f grapefruit. There is certainly a hop presence to this offering, but not enough to rate it as a top tier IPA. Nevertheless, the bitterness on the finish does appear to get a bit stronger during the second half of the drinking experience.

This is a refreshing effort at creating a sessionable IPA. Not extraordinary, but solid.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 06:54:49 | More by 57md

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass. Pours a rich amber color with good foaming action. Some remains. Deep toffee pine nose. Blended bitter. Taste is a mellow malt, light sweetness, backed by a firm but complacent hop. Subtle fruitiness. On subsequent sips the bitter pokes through more. Chewy. Firm mouthfeel. Very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 11:29:14 | More by KTCamm