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

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy gold with a puffy white head.

S: Aromas of biscuits, honey, pine, herbs, and lemon are present on the nose. This is a tad bright for my liking.

T: Notes of pine, herbs, lemon, honey, minerals, biscuits, and yeast wash across the palate. The finish is clipped and sharp with lemon, biscuit, and honey notes.

M: Medium-bodied, smooth, and sticky. Carbonation is a bit lacking for a lager.

O: I really think this is more of a zwicklbier than a Munich helles lager because this is a tad yeastier and brighter than most authentic helles lagers. Still, for an unfiltered lager, it's not bad, and one has to applaud the Boston Beer Company for attempting to market such an odd beer to mainstream drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 21:06:01 | More by mrfrancis

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Had this beer in bottle as part of the brewmaster's favorite pack. Served in a pils glass cool.

Appearance is a very nice fluffy white head with a golden yellow cloudy but not murky body. Has a great noble hop aroma with some nice honey notes. Taste is floral and citrus rind. Almost sugar cereal notes as well.

Light body and medium carbonated. Good beer that I would drink again but way off on the category. I don't mind pushing style boundaries but this is very similar tasting to Noble Pils. Good beers both, but its not a Helles. The malt is on but the hops is a little out of control for the style. More of a zoigl beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 20:02:18 | More by jneiswender

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright golden hazed orange glow, kellerbier style lager. Light colored head slightly off white, fine even lacing texture is great creamy foam all day. Aroma has a sturdy hop character with fresh cut grass, citrus zest, and herbal notes as well...mineral water floral spring notes with a wave of biscuits freshly baked light golden crisp drizzled with a touch of honey malt sugars. A pretty sweet and malty lager up front with some citrus and finishes with biscuit malts and honey sweetness really maibock like in the flavor. I miss the dry Noble hops and a bit lighter body, this one has more girth to it than the last spring seasonal. There has to be a low level of hop bitterness I'm guessing 20 to 25 tops on the IBUs, carbonation is smooth and yeast flavor tends to stick around between sips since it's pretty much suspended in the beers appearance. Overall, a fine spring-summer seasonal that is being consumed as fresh as possible smack in the middle of a big ol' January snowstorm!!! Why not?

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 06:40:55 | More by WVbeergeek

kbnooshay

New York

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy golden orange color with a huge airy-frothy shape holding head. Beautiful lacing. Aroma is super bright, smells like a warm weather brew. Smell is lightly floral and grassy with lemon peel. The taste is pleasant enough with some floral hops and citrus but overall i'd say this is too sweet! Overall flavor could be more interesting. This is a munich helles lager that pretty much tastes like a blue moon. So "helles" means bright huh? Well this is bright. Too bright. The malt aspect is there just kinda flavorless and sweet. Feel is a tad thin.This might be refreshing if it were summer. Its definitely not summer. Not bad tho.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:24:30 | More by kbnooshay

AustinBeerLvr

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a 12 ounce bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass. Freshness date clearly marked enjoy by before June.

This is a very hazy beer, as you can definitely see the suspended yeast haze against the pale malts. Orange like hues are visible throughout as well.

The nose of this brew is orange blossom and floral hops with a nice bread malt character to round everything out. Taste is very similar, except the floral hops seem to really come through more. Incidentally, this is a beer style that isn't really known for it's hop character, but the BBC did a wonderful job with making the Tettnanger hops present all the way to the finish, but they never raise their voice too much for the style.

The unfiltered aspect of this beer creates a complexity I have never had before in a helles, as it seems to add to the mouthfeel and contribute to some slight ester flavors including peach and mango. The bread character from the malt does a nice job in the taste of well of keeping everything balanced until the end. The overall malt character is also very nice, as I pick up a slight honey sweetness that is perfectly balanced and rides through until the end and met by a nice lemon and floral note from the hops. Bitterness is fairly low but adequate and no alcohol whatsoever can be detected either. Mouthfell is very nice, as the yeast seems to contribute to a somewhat full bodied character with an appropriate level of carbonation.

Overall, this is a home run from Sam Adams. There aren't that many helles lagers brewed domestically, and this is a style that simply does not travel well, so having one available fresh is great. Many smaller breweries simply don't have the capacity and necessary equipment to give enough time to age a well made lager, so this is something Sam Adams definitely has an advantage with. The BBC does a great job with lagers, and this is an excellent addition to their lineup.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 01:13:59 | More by AustinBeerLvr

wedge

North Carolina

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

Spring already?

Pours a foggy yellow-gold with a puffy white head that fills the glass to the brim before dropping to a solid covering. Floral noble hop aroma upfront with some grass over a bit of pale, honey-like malt. Nice German hop flavor...grass, hay, and zesty citrus and some doughy yeast. Not so much in the malt department. Light bodied, dry, and very quaff-able. This is a fine spring seasonal from Sam Adams that I wouldn't find seeing year-round. File this one under: Kellerbier.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 22:24:33 | More by wedge

rodney45

New York

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my 10 oz pilsner glass.

A: Hazy and yellowish sweet potato color. Big head foamy long lasting head.

S: Has a distinct belgian wit style aroma, almost like rye or whole wheat bread. Notes of orange and lemon zest.

T: First flavor profile is of wheat, malt, rye and slight lemon peel. Secondary notes are of orange zest and honey. Slight bitterness comes through, and yeast profile is strictly belgian lagering yeast, and has a golden bock feel. Finish is dry.

M: Medium to light body, with appropriate moderate carbonation. Low bitterness.

O: This german style unfiltered "pilsner" is a far cry from what we're all used to from Sam Adams, but its a nice solid change. You still get the constructed put together aspect of Sam Adams, rather than letting the ingredients work naturally, but i enjoyed the attempt. Gets better as it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 06:12:59 | More by rodney45

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Excellent foam lacing. Good carbonation as well. Very bubble and foamy during the pour. The murkiness clears up a bit as it warms. I think this beer has an identity crisis over whether it is a wheat beer (which it is not) or a light (in color, not flavor) lager.

Smell: Fairly noticeable clay smell, something I have only ever seen, er, smelled, in Dogfish Head's My Antonia. Very earthy, and I think that's the point, so high marks here.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very herbal and fairly lemony. It's a tea-like combination, very relaxing. Advertises orange, but I get none of that. Well balanced flavors for sure. The mouthfeel confuses me the most. It is very flat initially, but noticeable bubbly in the finish. I'm caught between amusingly liking it and solidly disliking it.

Overall Drinkability: A good relaxing beer. A nice session.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 05:40:58 | More by tjsdomer2

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Pours hazy honey. Lots of head here. White head is frothy with a bunch of bubbles mixed in. The beer laces excellently. Looks awesome, most Sam Adams beers do.

S-Actually, quite a good aroma. Very fragrant and floral. Flower petals. Also very citrusy. The hops are noble, as the label says. Also has a nice, smooth grainy component. Enjoyable.

T-Flavor is lighter than the nose would lead you to believe. Crisp and sweet. Floral and citrusy (not a hoppy citrus, more of a Witbier citrus). Lager yeast flavor too. Quite mellow.

M-Body nearing on medium. Soft, yet plentiful carbonation. Slightly sticky on the palate. Decently crisp.

O/D-I like Noble Pils better. This is a mediocre substitute. I enjoyed the nose a bunch, but the actual flavor let me down a bit. This is not a bad beer (far from it actually). But I immediately toss this one into the large bag of Sam Adams beers that are unmemorable, mediocre, and uninspired.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 04:33:47 | More by VelvetExtract

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1 Pint 6 oz. fancy brown bottle. Freshness date etched on the label.
Served in a SA Perfect Pint glass.
Pours a hazy amber honey color with a 1" off-white head along with some patchy trailing lace.
A smell grassy malt smell carries mild lemony citrus and some herbal aromas. A late smell of boiled grain inches forward but remains in the distant background.
The malt is a bit sugary sweet. It's tempered somewhat by citrus notes and a slight metallic tang. The herbal taste rolls in as it warms.
A spritzy effervescence fades quickly, so if you enjoy a little bubbly to your beer, act quickly.
I swear, this reminds me A LOT, of the old Miller Highlife of the 70's, sans the cooked corn taste.
I hope this isn't the replacement for SA's Nobel Pils. That would be sad...

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:59:50 | More by BeerResearcher

beagle75

Iowa

2.78/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy, medium golden color with one finger of diminishing white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Mild citrus of the sort from a wit beer, with a floral accent.

T: Begins off-dry, with powerful malt that is all crackers. Acidity is mild and citric into the middle where malt is still dominant and more yeasty. While sweetness dips during the second act, it is back for the finish, with more understated citrus and floral aromatics and minimal citrus.

M: Medium viscosity, chewy and blanketing on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This beer has a little more appeal than a punch-soaked dough ball, but otherwise the comparison is apt. It heralds few of the refreshing qualities one might expect from a beer themed for Spring, and nowhere is that more evident than in the lifeless smell. Malt is the focus here, but bready yeast surprises by also finishing ahead of the minor hop qualities. Do not expect in this beer another fresh-crisp, American-craft pilsner like Noble Pils. Even lighter lagers have range on the malt continuum, and this one seems to oppose that other beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 23:56:19 | More by beagle75

Luigi

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy yellow color with a massive white foamy head that reaches at least three fingers. The head retention was impressive keeping at least a one finger head throughout the life of the beer.

The aroma is filled with yeast bread flavor, and grassy hops. Very clean aroma though.

The flavor is crisp and refreshing with grains, malt, and grassy hop dominating. Nothing heavy though.

Light bodied and super easy to drink. Oh and did I mention tasty?

This American made lager is nothing less than just a good clean beer. I hope this becomes a year around brew!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 05:38:55 | More by Luigi

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Goose Island pint glass.

The color is a cloudy yellowish/orange with a finger and a half of foamy white head and some nice lacing left on the glass.

The smell is a little cirrus in the nose like a lemon. There is a good sweetness to the smell and it also has a light malt flavor that mixes well with the citrus aroma.

The taste is bready and has a light malt flavor that lets of dry sweetness come back from out behind the dough flavor. There is a little less of that citrus flavor here but there is a enough to taste it there but is push out by some light bitterness at the end.

The feel of this beer is medium to light bodied and is a really nice drinker for a spring beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:10:02 | More by Duhast500

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

12oz bottle served in a pilsner glass.

L - hazed yellow color with a fluffy white head that stayed for a while leaving trails of lacing.

S - lemon zest with some grainy and grassy aromas in the background.

T - bready malt taste upfront is met with light grassy hop bitterness turning back to a malt and yeast tasting finish.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - a decent brew that might taste better as the weather warms up.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 00:29:49 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

bashiba

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a orange yellow, a touch hazy and a nice thick and sticky white head. Lots of carbonation bubbles.

The smell was disappointing, after reading the description I was expecting some citrusy hops, this just has a light grassy quality with a bit of coppery metallic tinge.

The flavor is sweet and malty with a light bit of grain and honey, there is a light clean bitterness, but not enough to balance out the sweeter malt, and definitely not citrusy.

The mouthfeel is light and dry.

I can see where this would be easy drinking and have some mainstream appeal with the light sweet malt flavors, but a bit disappointing when I was expecting more of a hoppy citrusy lager. I don't want to beat it up to bad, it is fairly close to style, just needs a hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 00:01:57 | More by bashiba

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz pours a hazed light orange.. decent white head with little lacing..

Just want to say right up front that this is NOT Munich Helles... but what do I know?

Hop nose is pretty fruity... bready pale malts... the hops are way too sharp for a German lager... and they are way too fruity.

American hoppiness... citrus and melon.. floral with warmth... pale malts carry the hops for a long while.. soapy toward the finish... grainy maltiness delivers the hops nicely.

The body is light/lt/med... bubbles are nice and make for a drinkable brew...

I have NO IDEA why SA would release this brew in the midst of winter... It is a decent brew but has no real direction... I could barely pick this out as a lager.

Seriously... no direction at all... still, I like it... I think?

3/3.5/3.5/3/3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 04:57:21 | More by JohnGalt1

tzieser

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

a: hazy golden color with a fluffy white head that sticks to the sides of the glass for a while. i love the fact they left the lager unfiltered. you don't see many unfiltered lagers these days....

s: nice aroma. lots of flowers and grass. reminds me of a fresh spring day. notes of biscuit-like malt as well. nice.

s: sweet and bready malt flavor is nicely balanced by floral, grass and light citrus hop flavor. very light bitterness. well balanced yet full bodied and flavorful.

m: very smooth mouthfeel.

glad to see another new and delicious Sam Adams Lager. sure, it's not the crisp hop-fest that Noble Pils was, but it's a fantastic well-balanced lager all on it's own. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 02:34:46 | More by tzieser

aasher

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer pours a light bodied bright gold in color with an ever so slight cloudiness and a white lacing around the glass. The aromas feature a mix of must, slight honey, pale malts, and an ever so slight hop bitterness. It's ok, nothing stellar and doesn't give off crisp or fresh aromas. The flavors feature the same flavors that the aromas provided. In the taste you get more honey and pale malt with very little bitterness. It's kind of bland. There is some light citrus though. It drinks light bodied and smoothly, but I'd prefer more of a crisp bite. Overall this beer is pretty average for the style. It doesn't really differentiate itself from German beers of the same style.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:57:47 | More by aasher

chickenflea

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow-orange. A medium head with good retention and lacing. Aroma is apricot, bread, and lightly sweet malts. Surprisingly good aroma for a lager. The taste is really beautiful. Not too sweet with grain and floral hops as the primary taste. Nice spicy finish. Would prefer a little dryer finish, but the palate is clean in less than a minute. Texture is very nice. Light body with a creamy finish. Medium-low carbonation. An excellent offering and really rather unique. The closest cousin in the Samuel Adams lineup is the Summer Ale. The summer Ale has the grains of paradise and is more lemony. Both are refreshing and different. I love the unfiltered characteristic in this lager. It's a hit with me.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 23:48:23 | More by chickenflea

flexabull

California

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy and bright gold color with a nice head, good lacing too.

Aromas are very floral, with hints of lemon, and some grassy hops.

Taste is of citrus, lemon, light bread dough, some spiciness, and malty creaminess. Finish is zesty, with some grassy and somewhat bitter hops.

Mouthfeel is pretty a good, a bit thin and fleeting though.

Overall, this is a pretty nice lager, one of the better Sam Adams beers I've had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 23:30:04 | More by flexabull

waterdogmax

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very Drinkable beer. This is a great for the season after a many months of big malty beers. It is very light crisp citrus beer with biscuit notes. It is making me long for the warmer weather and long summer days to come.

I can't wait to drink this on the deck of some ski mountain in the weeks to come.

Great Spring Session Beer!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 23:01:12 | More by waterdogmax

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a hazy gold, a half inch of white head, leaves some lace. Smell is tangerine, grass, clove, and a touch of honey. Taste is that with a big zest of pine and lemon in the finish. Body is good, could drink a good amount of these, nice carbonation, and very refreshing. I like it, will definitely have on draft this winter. Still prefer the Pile, but this is solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 21:36:54 | More by SawDog505

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this a few months ago as a sample from my Sam adams rep and remember it being pretty good for a non-craft drinker friendly spring beer. Just saw it on tap so figured id give it a full review.

Pours a light blonde color with a bout a finger of sticky white head. Nose is of faint floral hops with some caramel malts. Very crisp and light in body but with a pretty solid and sweet malt body. Light floral hop finish. Beer stays together pretty well. Slight creaminess for a lighter beer. Should replace summer ale rather then noble pils. A bit piney and a bit minty as well.

Good beer and will definitely be an easy seller. Crisp and refreshing. Kind reminds you of fresh laundry. Decent though.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-06-2012 02:53:33 | More by jtierney89

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

2.88/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Well, it's January 5 and I just went for a run in shorts and a t-shirt, so I suppose SA isn't wrong releasing a "spring ale" right now.

I picked this up at the Hy-Vee build a six-pack. I was impressed with the 3 fingers of foam that almost overflowed my glass. It went downhill from there. The aroma was a mix of grain and grass and a hint of citrus. The taste was just confusing. There's a small wheat element with some orange, but there's some odd dryness to it that I found rather off-putting, like they threw some dust in the kettle. The body is good for the style and has a crispness to it. I'm glad I only got one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:24:35 | More by DesMoinesMike

wvsabbath

West Virginia

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

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Light yellow/golden tan with carbinated white 1 inch head and mild lacing.

Smell - Floral hops, malts, added sugars, orange, lemon, pine, caramel, perfume, lots of lemon and a bit of grain.

Taste - Very hoppy and lots of malt. Pale malts add the bold grassy, bread-like quality that you could expect. Lots of lemon and spices also. Has a carmael backbone from the malts. Finshed off by some honey and alittle alcohol.

Mouthfeel - Pretty light and full of flavors. Mouth gets hit with floral hops, pale malts and minor sugar sweetness. Aftertaste is a little weak with some malts and hops.

Overall - Very tasty, almost reminds me of a triple with the floralness of hops and the pale malts. This is pretty impressive for sam adams, a beer full of flavor and character. Impressed, would buy agian.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 23:45:09 | More by wvsabbath