Samuel Adams Alpine Spring - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.34/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a cloudy pale golden color with a large foamy white head that retains long after the pour, leaving a bit of short-sticking lace

S- citrus hop with sharp lemon graininess, similar to the smell of a wit, some earthy hay provides some malty aromas

T- toasted bread with some graininess, sharp lemon zest with an herbal touch on a finish that is sweet-yet-dry with a toasted linger

M- light-medium body with medium carbonation, slightly foamy mouthfeel and easy finish

O- not quite sure what to think if this one, tastes similar to a wit, but a few other random flavors just seems to set it off a bit

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:09:46 | More by Treyliff

brentk56

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Pours a hazy honey color with a rocky meringue of a head that leaves a few shards initially and then quite a few sheets toward the end

Smell: Bready, with hints of toffee malt and lemon

Taste: Toasted bread, sweet toffee and bananas, up front, with a bit of lemon developing in the middle; perhaps an herbal edge is detectable, after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: If I had a blindfold on, I would have pegged this as an American take on a Wit; too sweet and not enough tang to make the style work; as it is, I have no idea what the brewers are going for beyond the combination of a bock, lager and kellerbier (and why is that a worthwhile combo?)

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:47:46 | More by brentk56

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Served in a sam adams glass)
A- This beer has a hazy lemon yellow body with a slow big carbonation of egg shell hue that turns rocky toward the end of the beer.

S- The clean nose has an herbal hop hint with some Noble hop hints in the finish.

T- The slight lemon herbal hops have a big sulfur finish that is dry. There is a pungent note lingering and some iced tea flavor in the hops aswell.

M- There is a medium mouthfeel with a gentle fizz in the finish.

O- The sulfur quality is pretty strong with a most of the hops flavor just being bitterness and not much flavor/aroma.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 21:16:56 | More by rhoadsrage

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a slightly hazy dirty golden color lager with a relatively large foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of dry floral hoppy notes with lightly sweet malt base. Taste is also dominated by lightly sweet malt base with some nice floral hoppy notes. Body is quite full for style with good carbonation. Very well brewed with easy drinkability and enough complexity form the dry floral hoppy notes with light citrus undertones. This is a lot more hoppy then I would have expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 17:30:05 | More by Phyl21ca

Kooz

New York

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass to a nice hazy straw/orangish color with a quarter-inch head (it was a fairly aggressive pour). Looks good.

Not getting much of a smell from it. Some hops; not much else.

Slight bitterness to it, but a nice mellow flavor overall. There are hints of something beneath the surface--something earthy, but I can't tell what. It adds a nice quality to this--balances out the hops.

It's the usual fantastic mouthfeel I've come to expect from BBC. It's got a creaminess, a good body, and no bite. Bery nice.

Overall, the taste is interesting and complex, and it shows that the right amount of hops can add to and enhance a beer (too often we see way too many over-hopped micros).

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:04:43 | More by Kooz

buschbeer

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2-12 ounce bottles
Served in a mug

A - It is orange with golden highlights. It has a slight haze to it. It is topped with a rocky, off-white head.

S - I get oranges, wheat, and unknown spices, probably coriander.

T - The orange and coriander theme carries over to the taste.

M - Moderate

O - I'm not sure what I expected, but this didn't hit the spot. This style isn't in my wheelhouse.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 17:42:51 | More by buschbeer

CorvetteMike

Rhode Island

3.36/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

From bottle to glass golden color with 2" head.
a: Golden color, 2" head
s: Mild citrusy smell
t: Sweet citrusy taste, but too strong
m: Medium body, un-filtered taste is too strong for me
o: Acceptable, but too strong for my taste

Not my favorite Sam Adams beer

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 15:37:41 | More by CorvetteMike

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Best before Feb 2014. First time reviewing live on a phone.

A - Pours a hazy dark golden colour and a fluffy two finger white head. Strong carbonation. Good full finger of retention and spotty chunks of lace.

S - Citrus, stone fruit, a little grass, biscuity malt and a sweet fruit aroma.

T - Peachy sweet stone fruits. Biscuity malt.

M - good carbonation, light to medium creamy body. Sweet fruity finish.

O/D - A pretty decent take on the style. Definitely not breaking new ground, but it's got a solid flavour. Not overly drinkable though, as the flavour doesn't really hold your attention all that well. A good effort though.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:27:36 | More by tbeckett

BeerRefugee

Oklahoma

2.93/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange color. Moderate white head with good retention. Aroma is lager yeast and flowery hops. Flavor is similar--notes of yeasty bread with a slight floral soapiness that, unfortunately, lingers longer than the other flavors. Medium bodied and clean mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:04:07 | More by BeerRefugee

delta490

Virginia

3.66/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams glass. Poured a cloudy gold with about two fingers of creamy white head that lasts quite a while and leaves nice lacing on the glass. Aroma was pretty nice, sweet with fruity notes and little bit of hop bitterness. Taste is primarily malty, with bready notes balanced out against the hops. It has a nice, if slightly understated, flavor and it's obvious it was well made. The mouthfeel has some slight carbonation at the beginning but is otherwise quite smooth and a little bit thicker. The flavors don't knock you out, but it is still a well-crafted and flavorful beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 07:44:02 | More by delta490

Spikester

Oregon

3.74/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Orange gold cloudy with one inch of white head. Well laced.
Smell is yeast, citrus, and grain.
Taste is malts, lemon, wheat, a slight amount of euro type bitter hops. Alcohol is well hidden.
A medium body beer with good carbonation. Finish is very slightly dry. Very refreshing. Has a nice lemony tang. Overall a tasty beer that requires me to have another.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:35:30 | More by Spikester

Mavigo

Michigan

3.59/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass.

A: Was a golden orange color, with a short off white color head with small amounts of lacing, had good retention though, was there the whole time.

S: Crisp floral smell to it, grass, citrus peels, wheat, yeast

T: Fairly sweet, very enjoyable, light flavor. Tastes of wheat, citrus, grass, grains, yeast, tinge of hops

M: Bit on the carbonated side, but fairly fell balanced, very crisp, more of a spring/summer beer but since Michigan just skips over spring, basically a summer beer. Medium bodied.

O: Overall this is pretty good. No complaints. Affordable too. Recommended by me.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 20:42:01 | More by Mavigo

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

found this one in the fridge

a: poured into a lager cylinder, the pour gives a dense, fluffy-looking white head over a well hazed body of a deep golden color, good retention

s: a pleasant fresh grassy, citrusy noble hop aroma rides a body of pale malt showing subtle notes of honey, an interesting honey coated grain aroma really comes out after warming - the honey malt in action I presume, sweet lemon, yeasty and bready, nice

m: carbonation riding the low to moderate line, with a body on the full side of the lighter range, nicely smooth and a little creamy

t: pale and lager malts form a slightly sweet underlayer, really like the honey malt - kind of a honey coated grain flavor (honey nut cheerios?), very grassy-fresh noble hops show a strong presence - lots of steeped hop pulp in the flavor, some bright candied citrus, malt sugars linger with hop flavors and a mild bitterness

o: a nicely full, round lager aroma augmented with lots of yeasty, bready character as a result of being unfiltered, nicely hopped as well drinks well

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:12:38 | More by blackie

Roguer

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Not bad, clean but not totally clear. A nice hue. Decent head that rapidly fades; some foam flecks on the side of the glass, but no pretty lacing.

S - Notes of citrus and banana, but nothing strongly stands out.

T - Sweet, light, smooth; citrus but not sour, mild hops (enough to taste, not enough to make it a bitter beer). Very light banana feel (less than the scent implies), some citrus. A very easy beer to drink. Flavors come in hints instead of overpowering presences and are well-balanced.

M - Again, light. With the flavor, this almost leaves you thinking of a wheat beer, but it is a little thinner (not at all cloudy), and flows more like a pilsner. A nice balance.

O - This is a very good, tasty beer. I can take this as a one-off on a warm day outside, or a three-beer night out with friends. It's just flavorful and sweet enough to surprise you and make for a nice day in the sun, but light enough that you can drink it in volume (if you so choose).

In my first experience with Alpine Spring, I was a little surprised my the sweetness, mild tart, and forward flavor. The novelty has since warn off, but it's still a good beer.

I usually drink this on tap, but have been known to grab the occasional six-pack.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 20:13:05 | More by Roguer

guityler83

Wisconsin

3.31/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Two fingers of slightly off white head to filling my pint glass to the brim. Hazy dandelion colored apperance.

S: Hints of clove, lemon and ginger

T: Sweet with clove and a tinge of banana. Fruity after taste that stays with you. Crisp clean bitterness that is hardly detectable.

M: Highly carbonated, moderate body and a sweetness that lingers

O: Not my thing i guess. I enjoy the Sierra Nevada Kellerwies quite a bit, but this really didn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:08:11 | More by guityler83

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a finger thick, white head. Slowly settles. Mostly clear body that is golden-orange in color. Sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Light aroma of floral notes and sugary sweetness.
T) Light grainy taste with some floral notes. Some pepper notes in the finish. Relatively light all around.
M) Light body. Crisp. Dry. Slightly chalky in the finish.
O) An alright beer. Seems fairly consistent with the style profile.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:16:33 | More by u2carew

Rast

Maryland

3.54/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Approached with caution on tap at Carrabba's due to previous bad experiences with Sam Adams spring seasonals.

Pours a lovely bright mustard yellow with hazy opacity. It's not just condensation on the glass, I promise. Nose is bright and inviting. Reminds me of a wheat beer with the citrus and the light hop bitterness. Tastes delicious: again, what beery, tho apparently it's some sort of obscure German bier style called keller. Whatever it is, it's the best darn Sam Adams spring seasonal I've enjoyed.

P.S. Mouthfeel was significantly above average. Full but not rich, lovely bubbly but not Spritey.
I have greatly enjoyed Samuel Adams Alpine Spring.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2013 01:46:03 | More by Rast

Immortale25

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. Notch on label indicates Best Enjoyed By Aug 2013.

A- Pours a semi-hazy medium amber color with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains well before sinking to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a thick patch of surface foam.. Lacing slides quickly down the glass leaving a thin ring behind.

S- Not much there. Some cracker-like malt with maybe some underlying spice and alcohol fume. Smells kind of sweet, like there could be some honey involved. Certainly not pleasant.

T- Drinks easy enough though, once again, there's just not much going on. While it's smooth and drinkable, it's just about flavorless. Some incredibly light, grainy malt and seemingly no hop presence.

M- Pretty light body but not horribly so. Carbonation isn't bad either.

O- Oh well, at least I get to tick a brand new style.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:37:40 | More by Immortale25

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

3.21/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

This brew pours a cloudy orange color with a light fluffy one finger head which dissipates quickly. Mild lacing.

The smell is yeasty, sweet malts, orange, lemon and maybe a little bit of pine.

The taste is lemon, orange, dank yeast, a little oily pine. Nothing really stands out.

The mouthfeel is thin and oily. A little pine oil remains on the tongue after swallowing.

This is an average Keller, it would be nice on a warm spring day as an easily drinkable session brew but nothing really stands out.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 22:45:03 | More by microbrewlover

pmorey

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Tap pull into a Samuel Adams pub glass. Creamy one finger head that dissipates fairly quickly with not much lacing. Hazy with golden yellow color but really no nose to speak of, maybe a little pine. Heavy carbonation but not excessive with a citrus taste that blends well with light hops. Tastes like an Oktoberfest beer that had a slice of lemon sqeezed into it. Leaves a somewhat sour/acidic aftertaste.

Not a bad offering from SA but there are others of a similar style I would choose. Would prefer a stronger hop flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 01:52:51 | More by pmorey

Alextricity

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on-tap at Terry's Terrace in Michigan.

Appearance: A pretty nice looking amber color with a small head that didn't stick around all that much. The lacing was surprisingly nice though, so that bumps the rating up a tad.

Smell: Faint, but it certainly smells like spring. Refreshing, light, and nothing really stands out. Mild hops and floral/leafy smells.

Taste: I have a bit of a cold, so it's hard to give it a completely fair shake, but it's alright -- nothing mind blowing, but good for the average beer drinker. The floral flavors come out on front, with a very pleasant malt finish. There's really slight bitterness on this one, if any, and I find it to be a touch on the sweeter side. The feel is smooth with a pretty low carbonation, making this one easy to toss back.

Meh. A very average beer. It's drinkable, and it's not bad, but there's nothing to make me want to really have another. Regardless, I WOULD have another to see how it tastes when I'm not a little stuffed up. A respectable seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 02:25:58 | More by Alextricity

bourbonbock

New York

2.13/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a generic pint glass and am overwhelmed by the the fruity aromas wafting out of it.

A. Pours like a murky budweiser with white sticky fluffy white head one finger thick.

S. The smell as I already said is overwhelmingly strong. It smells of oranges and lemons and perhaps even a little bit of apple from the yeast.

T. The flavor is very effervescent and tangy. Lots of esters and residual sweetness. Not really my kind of beer.

M. The feel on the tongue is heavy and slow like molasses.

I would not seek this beer out unless it was the only thing between me and a MGD.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:21:16 | More by bourbonbock

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Had this a few times last year, I remember it as a good spring weather refresher beer.

Pours a pale orange with some haze. A tall white head sticks around pretty well, retains as a pretty full cap and leaves some lace behind.

A somewhat faint and simple scent, but pleasant enough. Sweet, grainy and bready, with light spicy hop and banana&apple-like fruit presence. Some veggie-ness.

Taste is similar - simple, kinda bland, but certainly not bad. The bread/grain/sweet malt bill is okay but average. Still an interesting banana flavor going on, some spicy and herbal hops but bitterness is quite low.

Pretty solid mouthfeel, decent body for the ABV, low on the foaminess and carbonation.

Not bad, certainly drinkable but not the most exciting beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:20:02 | More by Chico1985

Seekerpilgrim

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pouring a dull yellow, notes of citrus and almond waft off the very thick head. On the tongue, very smooth, with an initial creamy sweetness courtesy of the honey malt and Tettnang Tettnanger hops, slowly shifting to an almost lemon crispness towards the end.

This is a very refreshing beer, perfect for fans of wheat beers since is has a bit of that style's coriander and banana sweetness, great on it's own but going well with light pork and salad dishes. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:06:21 | More by Seekerpilgrim

JamesMN

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It must be noted that this is considered an ale in Texas. Okay, get it together Texas.

Best by July 2013.

Appearance: Super hazy orange/caramel color witha thin off-white head.

Aroma: Buttery malt and some lemon.

Taste: Unfortunately the buttery aroma is indeed part of the flavor. This makes Alpine Spring very heavy on the palate and covers up the bright citrus hop character. Hits a high not right in the middle and then goes downhill leaving you with a crisp finish and buttery aftertaste. I've had other Keller Biers and enjoyed them but this one is just odd.

Mouthfeel: Much thicker than anticipated, more than medium in body. Average carbonation and drinkability.

Final Thoughts: If you like the combination of butter and citrus then this is the beer for you. I'm actually surprised because Samuel Adams usually has pretty solid seasonals. Would I drink it again? Not without some persuasion.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 03:40:09 | More by JamesMN