Norse Legend Sahti - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Batch No. 1:

This is my first Sahti ever, so like every new style I try I always add my usual disclaimer "I probably won't know what I'm talking about just in case anyone reads this."

Into a pint glass:

A: dark red/brown body that gives an awesome foamy white one finger head. Some ringy lacing is left here and there.

S: seems a bit complicated (wishing I bought another one to age and possibly see if any other smells develop). However, I do smell some honey and malty citrus aspects going on. As the beer warms, there is some syrupy/molassess thing going on - pretty good.

T: about the same smells combined very nicely in the taste. I do notice the juniperberries as the beer warms. There's a slight weird resemblance to a scotch ale.

M: medium with some sharpness coming through here and there, but nothing bothersome. The alcohol is well hidden and makes the beer fairly drinkable.

O: ok, so I like this beer (good appearance, good smells, decent taste and a pretty good mouthfeel) but I have nothing to judge it on. I'm pretty sure I'd have it again, but probably next time I'd buy two of them just so I can age one and taste one fairly immediately. In the meantime, I'm most likely going to seek out some other Sahtis just to compare.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 22:32:15 | More by kangarooAdam59

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle was poured into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a dismal head and has reduced pretty much to nothing. It is a tradtional amber crimson red color with good clarity some bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Sweet caramel and bready malts, tea and herbal like aroma, and fruitiness from the juniper berries.

Taste: Herbal and tea flavors are up front with some maltiness, creaminess, and bitterness in the end. You also get some pine and/or spruce flavors in the rear.

Mouthfeel: smooth, low carbonation, medium bodied, a little chewy, very herbal, and not bad to drink.

Overall: Not too familiar with the sahti style, but this one is alright in my books. It could seem to me a little cleaner and maltier. Still a good brew though.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 18:21:54 | More by Flounder57

Daktyls

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep mahogany color with a one finger rocky head that dissipates to a fine lacing on the tome of the beer. A steady stream of small bubbles can be see rising from the bottom.

S: A pleasant aroma of juniper is present with some spices present as well. A bit malty as well.

T: Definitely malty in the taste with some light earthy fruitiness. Some spice and juniper is present in the taste as well.

M: Medium body with a light amount of carbonation. The beer definitely feels a little on the 'thicker' side of beers.

O: Overall, an enjoyable beer for sure. The juniper clearly add some interesting and enjoyable features to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 21:28:30 | More by Daktyls

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear deep garnet in color and has a very light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of juniper berries and spices in the nose—allspice and nutmeg seem to stand out in particular.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a bit of herbal flavors along with some hints of sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is relatively easy to drink for the style but seems like the taste could use a bit more flavors of juniper berries.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:24:53 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a crystal clear medium amber in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a quarter finger tall beige head that quickly reduces to a very thin film with a medium sized patch in the center and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Medium strength aromas of juniper, black pepper, and holiday spices (nutmeg, allspice, etc.).

T: Light flavors of caramel malts in the body with much stronger flavors of juniper and holiday spices - including notes of pepper, nutmeg, and allspice.

M: On the heavier side of medium bodied with medium to heavy amounts of carbonation.

O: Pretty easy to drink for the style (which is not filled with easy drinking beers) but not the best example. I like the combination of the spice/herbal notes but I likely would not get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 22:47:41 | More by dbrauneis

ronniebruner

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful light brown caramel color with a tinge of foam that evaporates very quickly. Aroma is of sweet and sugary grains and hops. Tastes sweet, but not overdone, leaves a nice zip on the tongue as it goes down. A beautifully decorated bottle as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 06:46:34 | More by ronniebruner

Ammertime

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A beautifully clear ruddy brown. There's very little head, and what it has evaporates very quickly. Tiny bubbles continue to effervesce throughout. I like the way this looks.

S: The fragrance is pleasant but underwhelming for a sahti. There's a whiff of warm bread but not a lot else.

T: Malty, with a dash of earthy fruitiness (banana?). I am a bit surprised by how dry it is. There's also much less pepper here than I anticipated, not a tremendous amount of spice at all on the front end. The juniper is not particularly strong. There is a warm pleasing aftertaste however that is a bit peppery.

M: Just right. Not thin at all, maybe even leaning a little to the rich side. Deceptively low on booziness.

O: It's not a stunning beer, but I'd buy a bomber again for ~$6.50 and would recommend it to friends. You can really feel its potential; perhaps the bottle just needs to be aged a little longer or would be better on draft. At the very least, I think this would be a tremendous baseline for homebrewers who are considering their own sahti, simply because the appearance and mouthfeel are just right on target while there's room for improvement in terms of taste (sweeter and spicier please!).

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 18:16:03 | More by Ammertime

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a translucent amber/copper color with a half finger of caramel colored head that settles quickly. There is minimal lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is herbal tea, berries, salt, spice, and caramel. It's actually really nice. There is a definite bready quality to it, like potato bread mixed with rye. Really interesting.

T: It starts out with a quick hit of sweet caramel, but then I'm bombarded with spice (juniper berries, peppercorns, allspice). That heat lingers into the finish where it once again become sweet and syrupy.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet to start, followed by immediate spice. The spices linger on the palate for sometime, and the finish is a mix of sweet and heat. The beer is a bit cloying for something to light.

O: I'm actually pretty impressed. I'm a sucker for peppery beers and this one is funky, but it's rubbing my the right way. I'd drink this again, but I'm not going to buying a ton of it at my local bottle shop.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:58:47 | More by trxxpaxxs

jeffjeff1

California

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up at my wife's work.

Appearance- dark amber color, thick head with pretty good retention, nice lacing

Smell- malt, juniper

Taste- interesting flavor, malt, juniper

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- pretty good, I would probably drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:08:01 | More by jeffjeff1

PorterLambic

Florida

2.8/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My first sahti, not really sure where to start this review because I've got nothing to compare it to, just the bottle description.

Pours a clear orangish amber with over two fingers of light tan foam for a head. Initial retention is not so great but it settles at one finger width and stays. Loads of lace.
Smell is pretty light with just some malt and juniper with a kind of soap note.
Taste is malt, juniper, floral and soapy,cheap red wine notes in pretty good balance. The wine note is a bit off-putting but not overwhelmingly so.
Full bodied and lightly carbonated, it leaves a pretty heavy coating on the tongue and palate. I can't say if this is good, bad or just utterly normal for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:57:21 | More by PorterLambic

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

2.95/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer was a handsome auburn color with a generous white that showed a decent level of retention. The aroma was a pleasant lemony tea scent with a spicy aspect to it. In the initial taste, one picks up the pepper which is followed by a strong sensation of black jelly beans. There is a certain degree of Earthiness to the taste. The peppery sensation lingers in the aftertaste, as does the tartness. The beer is smooth and goes down easy. With a better taste, this could be an easy drinker. I have a had several sahtis which I have greatly enjoyed. I feel such a strong level of dislike for this one because it lacks the expected sweetness. There is not much of a tea flavor, but there is big black jelly bean flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 01:50:38 | More by JohnnyHopps

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy red-amber color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of toffee and caramel as well as a good dose of juniper. The flavor is similar. I get a good amount of juniper and some the toffee and bread notes. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A pretty good beer, although not as heavy on the juniper and gin-like notes as some other sahtis I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 04:47:13 | More by Mora2000

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark coppery brown, almost mahogany, with a thick, fluffy, buff head that sticks around and leaves some generous lacing. Malty aroma has a strong juniper overtone, almost like a menthol cough drop. Don’t get me wrong - I like the smell of menthol cough drops! Malty flavor has a strong juniper note and hints of apple and wood. Firm-bodied texture is smooth, fizz leaves a little to be desired. Overall, though, a distinctive and worthwhile beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:51:55 | More by Cyberkedi

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fruity on the nose, the juniper is definitely present along with some pear and something that is almost pine-like.

Beautiful beer to look at, very aesthetically pleasing! Its a deep clear ruby color with a fluffy off-white almost light-tan head which laces beautifully!

Again the juniper is present in the taste. It has a somewhat nutty taste which is supported by a light toasted backbone and light floral quality.

Norse Legend has a medium body and medium carbonation. The finish is somewhat dry and a tad bitter. A nice beer for moderate consumption. It's not a sipper, but you want to enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 23:15:21 | More by tlazaroff

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from signature series bomber into a pint glass.

Pours darker reddish amber with some residual foam. Malty smell, plus fruity hints - the juniper I suppose. Taste is an intense fruit. Full rich flavor, like fruit juice trapped inside a beer. Tasty blend of fruit, citrus, malt, and a mild hop close. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 19:26:19 | More by KTCamm

GilGarp

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served cold into an imperial pint glass.

Norse Legend is a deep amber brown with good clarity an thick white head. It has good retention and lacing.

Aroma is rich, malty, and slightly spicy.

Flavor is sweet up front but turns out to be fairly well balanced in the end. Toasty, caramel, pine, and slightly fruity. It's an unusual beer but enjoyable. Similar to a bock in the malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied an nicely carbonated.

Overall and interesting style and I'm glad I tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:22:59 | More by GilGarp

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

- brewed with and on juniper berries.

A: A beautiful bright burgundy is revealed upon backlight showcasing a fullfilling amount of effervesce in the vessel of macro-bubbles. A marshmellow structure head is light tan in color and holds rather well while providing a full lace coating. Lasting coverage atop.

S: The aroma is light with a fruity touch, berries, grapes and cypress first come to the senses. Level of aroma is rather reserved.

T: The flavor is dry with sweetly toasted grains and some cypress, musky cobwebs, with a dry farmhouse finish. Some natural sun tea notes, stemmy briary notes and some dry oranges.

M: Dry cypress, light medium body, carbonation is decent.

O: Oveall a decent level of complexity, flavor is decent, and blends gently together. starchy dry belgium yeastiness.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 12:29:02 | More by beerthulhu

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle. Pours dark red with a long lasting, off-white head. Aroma is of bready, caramel malt, juniper and hints of grassy hops and dark fruit. Body is full, smooth and creamy. Taste is juniper, dark fruit, bready and caramel malt, spicy, grassy hops. Finish is long and spicy. Interesting, unusual brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 20:44:43 | More by mikeg67

allengarvin

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sam Adams continues bringing out very rare styles. I've tried a few homebrewed sahtis but this is only my second commercial one (after New Belgium).

It certainly has a lovely pour, more akin to a carefully crafted modern beer than a rustic beer made with whatever local ingredients were around: a deep ruby red, clear, with fine streaming bubbles and a dense, thick head of foam. The nose is more ordinary: little hops, mostly grainy malt, like a dense wet mash--give them a slightly higher rank because that's more what the style demands.

On taste, it's not so interesting. Very malty, but there's very little spruce/juniper flavor, not on an Anchor OSA scale, certainly. The yeast character is more in line with a standard ale, slightly fruity but generally pretty clean. What we have is a strong malty beer. If I didn't know it was supposed to be a Finnish sahti, I'd have guessed it as a Scottish Wee Heavy. Actually, judged as a Wee Heavy, I'd probably give it a higher rating.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 22:24:14 | More by allengarvin

mrfreakybig

New York

3.05/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

I saw this at a local store, so I figured I'd give it a try. It pours a gorgeous deep reddish color that I sat and looked at, enjoying the color alone, for a while.

From there, there wasn't a whole lot going on with this beer. I picked up a little berry/fruity flavor, but not much. Some malt, a reasonable amount of fizz.

An average, if somewhat unusual beer. Worth checking out as long as you don't expect it to knock your socks off.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 14:43:44 | More by mrfreakybig

dbossman

Nebraska

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark amber and reddish--almost a dark copper with a steady, foamy 2 inch head; good lacing

S: Not as much going on here as I expected: some sweet malty grains with some of the sweet fruitiness presumably from the juniper berries--just not as much straight up juniper; some grass and herb notes as well; pleasant but perhaps a bit subdued

T: Not as sweet as aromas indicated; roasted malts up front and then the junipers help to balance out the sweetness; a really nice bitter finish

F: So creamy up front--unexpectedly so; the mouth feel is pretty good though it is a bit thin on the back end

O: This is a tasty beer although not as much of the herbs and juniper and twigs and stuff that I think of when I think of a sahti

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 03:32:13 | More by dbossman

Tone

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, amber color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of juniper, slight roasted malt, slight sweet malt,, and a hint of yeast. Fits the style of a Sahti. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of juniper, sweet malt, slight dry hop, and a hint of roasted malt. Overall, the juniper was weaker than expected, but still a good beer. Mouth feel and aroma were the strongest aspects of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 13:17:48 | More by Tone

avalon07

South Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear texture. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A surprisingly fruity, citrusy aroma that had some traces of malt in it as well.

T: Tasted of malt, light fruit (citrus), and an herbal/medicinal element (juniper). This is an uneven flavor. It starts out OK, then just fizzles out and becomes thin and watery in the finish. Not as good as it could have been.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: To be fair, the sahti style is not the easiest to get right. However, this beer is just too thin to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 12:11:05 | More by avalon07

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Last beer of another great tasting night with my buddy Aw Yeh. Never had a sahti before.

Appearance - Shares a resemblance with cola. Extremely carbonated with a whipped head. Light brown with a watery consistency

Smell - Light on the nose. Faint hints of twigs and other earthy tones. Reminds me of iced tea in the nose, though I'm sure the name is swaying my decision in that judgement. Doesn't really smell too much like beer; more like a tea or cola with tree branches. Light malt and a ricey grain characteristic.

Taste - The could-be complexity of this beer is stifled by its watery properties. The malt is unique and delicious, and there is a bit of a lighter beet note to it as well. A bit of sweet cane sugar is noticeable at times. The taste of iced tea is apparent to me - still not sure if its a psychological thing from the name or not. Herbal and medicinal tasting.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - Easily drinkable, but a tad watery. Not bad at all. An enjoyable summer brew that has a lighter taste than its color lets on. Well balanced malt and no sign of bitterness. A bit hard to tell if this a beer or not.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:26:42 | More by Jesse13713

AwYeh

California

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle into pint glass; thanks to Jesse13713 for sharing this bottle with me. This is my first sahti, so unfortunately it's a bit hard for me to rate with style in mind.

A: Pours a clear, amber color, with one finger of frothy off-white head. Leaves some lacing around the glass.

S: Fruity and sweet– caramel and cola are the two main flavors I'm picking up. There's a hint of an herbal, tea flavor, and pine hops.

T: Extremely sweet once again, with caramel/cola and a light, indistinct fruitiness carrying the flavor. A small lingering bitterness is present, with hints of the herbal and piny hops, tasting particularly like resin here.

M: Moderate-bodied with moderate carbonation, very smooth and very creamy, with a partially dry, partially sticky finish. A highlight of the beer.

O: This beer goes down easily enough, but isn't particularly memorable for me. I'll remember it as being mostly sweet with an indiscriminate bitterness on the finish. Nonetheless, it was nice to be able to try this semi-obscure, ancient style. I wrote this review with a C-average in mind, so my final score indicates that this beer is just beneath average– in my mind, not as bad as it may look when compared to its other scores. If this is around in the future, I'll certainly revisit it once I have greater sahti experience to make a better attempt at reviewing to style.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:26:21 | More by AwYeh