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Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
- From:
- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 11.5%
- Score:
- 80
- Avg:
- 3.52 | pDev: 17.9%
- Reviews:
- 235
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 27, 2017
- Added:
- Oct 28, 2011
- Wants:
- 21
- Gots:
- 73
From the aroma and notes of sweet honeysuckle, pineapple, and grapefruit, to richer hints of burnt sugar, and toffee, this intriguing brew is full of complex flavors. The distinct character of toasted oak adds depth and contrasts the light fruit sweetness. This unique take on a barley wine ale surprises with its smoothness and balance of fruit, hop citrus, and warmth.
Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Zeus
Malts: Two-Row Harrington, Metcalfe, Copeland Pale, Paul’s Caramalt
Aged on toasted oak
Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Zeus
Malts: Two-Row Harrington, Metcalfe, Copeland Pale, Paul’s Caramalt
Aged on toasted oak
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tigg924:
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: gold in color, clear, 1/3 inch head, moderate carbonation
Smell: piney hops and oak
Taste: pine and oak are the dominate flavors..as it warms a bit of caramel and vanilla pop in--slight citrus
Mouthfeel: very sweet with slight bitterness in the back, moderate carbonation, medium-heavy bodied
Overall: I loved this cause I like the oak and pine combination. This borderline has too much going on, but I would love to get this again and age it some. Very enjoyable and a winner in my book.
Mar 12, 2012Smell: piney hops and oak
Taste: pine and oak are the dominate flavors..as it warms a bit of caramel and vanilla pop in--slight citrus
Mouthfeel: very sweet with slight bitterness in the back, moderate carbonation, medium-heavy bodied
Overall: I loved this cause I like the oak and pine combination. This borderline has too much going on, but I would love to get this again and age it some. Very enjoyable and a winner in my book.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by craigbelly from Iowa
3.43/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
To sweet, to syrupy, just to much going on hear. That all boils down to a beer that's just hard to finish. SA just doesn't seem to grasp the style or thought the hops would take it somewhere new.
Feb 06, 2017Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.32/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.32/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
An auburn and brown kind of color scheme, small 1/3" head, off white on the top. Average retention. Aroma of burnt sugar, alcohol, plums, a little more dark fruit bitterness than I would expect. Hops are definitely there too. Its like damn, where were these for the first 20 years you were making beers.
Taste, more alcohol, dark fruit bitterness, the hopping is nice here. More caramel, burnt dark sugar, toffee. Some dankness in the mouthfeel, citrus, this is pretty layered. Mild oak presence. Lotta malt, a little thick, boozy and syrupy at times. Its decent, but at its format and price I doubt I will return or age any of these.
Feb 02, 2017Taste, more alcohol, dark fruit bitterness, the hopping is nice here. More caramel, burnt dark sugar, toffee. Some dankness in the mouthfeel, citrus, this is pretty layered. Mild oak presence. Lotta malt, a little thick, boozy and syrupy at times. Its decent, but at its format and price I doubt I will return or age any of these.
Reviewed by barczar from Kentucky
3.54/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Batch 1, five years old, so rating set to current average.
Aroma is honey like, with notes of cardboard oxidation and a touch of dates and figs.
Flavor is sweet initially, with toffee notes becoming bready, oxidized, and moderately bitter in the finish. Still significant alcohol heat. Fairly banal.
Nov 16, 2016Aroma is honey like, with notes of cardboard oxidation and a touch of dates and figs.
Flavor is sweet initially, with toffee notes becoming bready, oxidized, and moderately bitter in the finish. Still significant alcohol heat. Fairly banal.
Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama
4.2/5 rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The second of the re-releases by Samuel Adams during American Craft Beer Week, Griffin's Bow did not disappoint! This second brewing was a little bit lower in ABV, ringing in at 10% as opposed to 11.5%. Poured after aging about 4 months; small dissipating creamy head with very little lacing. Upon first opening I was a little disappointed at the smell coming straight from the bottle, as it was very similar to a slightly more potent Boston Lager. However, upon pouring into a 12oz snifter, all the fantastic aromas came out. Sharp notes of citrus and wine with underlying notes of burnt oak were clear, and I was surprised at how light-bodied this take on a barley wine was. Beautiful orange-amber color, seltzer-like carbonation. Extremely tasty beer, again with a slight but sharp citrus hop focus that sits on a toasted caramel aftertaste that lasts. Overall a very good beer, an interesting take on a barley wine. Samuel Adams was also spot on with pinpointing the experience, I was easily able to pinpoint all elements of this beer. 4 / 5!
Sep 14, 2016Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had a fresh bottle and one aged a year. L: Pours brilliant amber under a 1” sudsy white foam collar that provides good lace.
S: alcohol, vanilla, oak, malt.
T: Malt loaf and toasty sugars – caramel to toffee, citrusy hops, some apricot. Malt driven with ample help from the hops.
F: Very creamy full bodied, medium low carbonation some warming
O: This is a good barley wine that gets even better after a year.
Jul 26, 2015S: alcohol, vanilla, oak, malt.
T: Malt loaf and toasty sugars – caramel to toffee, citrusy hops, some apricot. Malt driven with ample help from the hops.
F: Very creamy full bodied, medium low carbonation some warming
O: This is a good barley wine that gets even better after a year.
Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
665 ratings
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