Samuel Adams White Christmas - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Glass.

Appearance: Hazy yellow color with lots of carbonation. It had about one finger of white head that did not last long leaving a thin head.

Smell: Wheat, citrus, cinnamon, and maybe some nutmeg. Close to what a Pumpkin Ale smells like.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of some cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg with wheat and hops.

Overall: Decent holiday brew, I will buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 17:50:08 | More by Cavanaghty

thlayli87

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a nonic pint glass.

A - A cloudy golden orange color with about two fingers of head. No lacing to speak of.

S - Wheaty with notes of orange zest.

T - Mildly sweet up front, zesty orange peel, and a big bready finish. Nicely balanced flavors.

M - Pleasant enough with good carbonation that lasted through the whole glass.

O - This is a pretty good seasonal offering from Samuel Adams. It might be a good introduction to the wheat beer style for someone new to craft beer. Mild but tasty enough to win converts from the macros.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 22:38:56 | More by thlayli87

mscudder

Georgia

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

Picked up the new variety pack and served this in a pint.

A - A pale yellow mixed with a rich orange. Thin white head.

S - Orange, clove, touch of nutmeg and some assorted spices. Nothing to make me get excited over, yet not poor.

T - Odd stuff. Had I been blind tasting this I would have told you I was sipping on a lightly spiced cider. An apple sweetness starts it off and progresses with a fruity flavor into some bready notes. Pretty good.

M - Medium body, more viscous than I anticipated. Seems as if there is just a hint of caramel or maple syrup here. Smooth all around.

O - Far from a miss. This beer gives a nice winter-styling to a traditional Witbier. I prefer the more notorious Belgian brothers of the style, but I do applaud this American adaptation.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:43:38 | More by mscudder

smalenberg

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer really needs to warm to be truly appreciated. The orange peel and nutmeg are predominant in the nose, but the wheat malt and light floral notes from the hops. Undoubtedly the hops are contributing to the citrus as well. Because of the additives that make this a "holiday" beer, I'm not sure I'd think of it the same as a regular witbier. This is a very enjoyable quaff.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:51:48 | More by smalenberg

Tone

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, maize color. 2/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of strong lemon, citrus hops, sweet malt, hint of wheat, and slight spice (cinnamon and all spice). Fits the style of a Witbier. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, spices (cinnamon and all spice), hops, and slight citrus. Overall, good aroma, body, blend, and appearance.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 16:07:33 | More by Tone

BryanCarey

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Samuel Adams White Christmas Ale is a yellow/orange colored beer with a cloudy body. Looking at the foam reveals a nice, fluffy head that falls apart in a few minutes but still manages to leave a small, flat, white coating on the top of the glass as you consume. The beer has a nose that features scents of lemon, wheat, and spice and it is interesting enough to get your attention.

This beer has a nice flavor profile that emphasizes some pale wheat malts, citrus, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices. The spicy character is what consumers will remember best and there is only a small amount of hop taste in the end that emphasizes some herbal flavor notes.

Boston Beer brews a ton of beer styles and even though they already have a Winter Lager, they went ahead and created this seasonal Christmas ale. It is an interesting beer, indeed, with flavors of wheat, spice, and citrus and I prefer it to the Winter Lager. It has almost no bitterness at all, but it isn’t overly sweet either thanks to the balancing of the ingredients and the tang of the spice. The tastes are reasonably balanced, but the spicy nature and the orange peel are the flavors that stand out from the rest.

This holiday beer is offered only a couple months per year so make sure to get your hands on some while it is still available. The taste is befitting of a holiday brew and the balance of flavors will prove agreeable to most who try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 05:29:12 | More by BryanCarey

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

an oddly spiced witbier, but it works for me. the pours is really cloudy, pale yellow, with a smallish white head. the nose is tons of orange peel, dried, with some typical winter ale spices as well, but the catch is that its a wheat beer with a hop kick as well. lots of wheat malt and spent yeast cells in the taste up front, spice comes in the middle, again with a lot of orange zest, and is quite hoppy in the finish, pleasantly and surprisingly. good carbonation, lighter than medium body, highly drinkable and frankly a very enjoyable beer. this is something distinct, i think new this year, but one that i would like to see stick around. i could be happy drinking this all winter. one of the highlights of this years winter mix.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:05:08 | More by StonedTrippin

HufftheMagicDragon

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased with the Samuel Adams Seasonal Pack. Poured into a Pilsener glass with a decent 3/4 inch head. Has a a murky yellow-orange color. Smells include coriander and lemon. The taste has a typical witbier taste with some very strong notes of coriander. The overall mouthfeel is decent with a smooth yet slightly acidic. Overall a very good beer. Would definitely suggest trying it.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 04:30:34 | More by HufftheMagicDragon

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a yellow-amber color with a decent haziness. The head formed upon pouring is quite nice with it fading relatively quickly to leave a moderate level of lacing.

Smell – The nose is biggest of a citrus and wheat nature mixed with winter spice aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg. Mixed with these aromas are some lighter notes of an earthy hop aroma.

Taste – The taste begins with flavors of citrus and wheat upfront with lighter notes of coriander along the lines of a traditional wit. As the taste advances however, more spice flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg come to the tongue. These spice flavors, when mixed with more bready flavors as well as a more citrus start modifying the flavor from the normal wit. In the end it deviates even more as some more spice and some light herbal and earthy hop flavors come to the tongue. These meld with the other flavors to give a rather interesting lightly hopped and winter spiced wheat and citrus flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the slightly lighter side with a carbonation level that was above average. Good for the wit like characteristics of the brew and not bad for the added spice flavors as well.

Overall – A delicious and flavorful brew. A nice winter style twist of a classic wit. Sam Adams dose it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:44:11 | More by Darkmagus82

beergoot

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy, light yellow body topped with a thick, creamy white head. Fruity, citrus-like aroma; light orange and lemon. Mellow grain taste infused with citrus and holiday spice flavors. Smooth, soft, medium-bodied beer with a dry finish.

A really well-done holiday witbier. Well-balanced with subtle complexities of the ingredients making their appearance with every sip. A very good beer to enjoy if stronger, darker, more potent winter/holiday ales aren't what you are looking for during the cold season.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 19:30:45 | More by beergoot

chilidog

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on Christmas eve as a starter brew.
Appearance of golden straw, good carbonation, white head though lite lace,
Aroma of citric spice.
Taste of winter spice, cinnamon, coriander and pepper.
Mouthfeel of slight citric sting, hop notice, and a crisp, malty coated finish.
Overall, a good wit, could be used as a good spring ale as well. Here's hope'n

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:49:16 | More by chilidog

hosehead83

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass
Cloudy apricot in color, with a moderate head of fluffy foam.
Aroma-Citrus zest, subtle nutmeg
Taste-Orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, spicy wheat. An interesting "lighter' take on a Christmas ale. Not overdone, and pretty refreshing and drinkable for a holiday brew. Flavor gets a little muddled upon warming. Not a great fireside brew, but suitable for a holiday "refresher" or opening gifts on a warm Christmas day in the tropics.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 18:17:05 | More by hosehead83

mckenziac

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass. Taken from a Sam Adams "Winter Classics" variety pack.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color. Has a small, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing.

Smell: Smells wheaty and yeasty with strong winter spice notes, especially cinnamon. Has a slight citrus smell as well.

Taste: Slightly hoppy up front. Starts wheaty and yeasty with strong citrus flavors. Finishes spicy with cinnamon and nutmeg predominantly.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well-carbonated.

Overall: An interesting new offering from Sam Adams. It's an interesting concept to remove the normal witbier spices, like coriander, and replace them with winter warmer spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg. I think it mostly works here and this is a beer that I definitely wouldn't mind having again or seeing in the mixed packs.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 12:16:46 | More by mckenziac

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

L – Pale gold color with a 1-finger white bubbly head. Average retention that fades into a ring around the edge of the glass. Not much lacing. Clear with a good amount of bubbles. For the style, I wish it had a little bit of haze and that the head characteristics were better.

S – I don’t get much grainy wheat but I do clearly get all the spices that are listed on the bottle – cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest.

T – This is more like it. It starts off sweet with orange zest and grainy, bready malted wheat. Orange zest also lends a bit of tartness to the taste. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and peppery yeast spice shine towards the finish.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a really nice creamy mouthfeel, and a tangy, spicy, dry finish. Flavors from all the added spices linger nicely.

O – This is a really tasty beer. If the appearance and aroma were a bit better, this could be a 4+. I like the idea of doing a spiced witbier for a winter seasonal. While I do like heavier beers, it’s a nice change of pace from the stouts and winter warmers – particularly when you live in Charleston and it’s been in the 70s for the past week.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 00:42:19 | More by BlackBelt5112203

BierStein711

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into weizen

Not bad at all.

Thee finger head, moderate carbonation

Smells of honey, orange, and cinnamon, perhaps lemon

Tastes: Cinnamon, orange, wheat, lemon zest, with a honey finish that tickles the tongue at the end.

Mouthfeel: Moderate, similar to other witbiers

Overall it is not a bad beer; I'll stick with Winter Lager though.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:20:32 | More by BierStein711

neenerzig

Ohio

3.84/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

poured out of a 12 oz. bottle into one of my pint glasses, this beer pours a cloudy/murky medium golden color with a bit of an amber hue. Reminds me of apple cider but not quite as dark. The white head is about 2/3 inch thick when first poured before settling to a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass. Not too much lacing unfortunately, barely any at all in fact. Aromas of bready wheat, malt, clove, and nutmeg. Taste is the same, a nice bready sweet caramel malt flavor upfront followed by hints of clove, nutmeg, a hint of cinnamon and a good amount of wheat. This beer reminds me of a summer wheat beer more so than a "christmas" or "holiday" or "winter" beer. Good flavors here. Has a crisp, frothy, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink in the good way well crafted beer should be. I would really enjoy drinking this on a hot summer day with the massive wheat profile this beer has.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:59:17 | More by neenerzig

Brad007

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

They already have a white ale. Why another?

Pours a cloudy whitish-gold color with a thin head into my glass. Very straightforward for the style.

Creamy and spicy with light citrus and clove notes. Fairly average here. The spices add a bit of variation to the base.

Ditto for the flavor. Very creamy once again. Lots more clove with some buttery malt. Very clean with optimal carbonation.

Lingering creaminess and sweet malt make up the mouthfeel. Not much of the wheat base remains.

An interesting varation of their white ale with spices and a mouthfeel that while very unique, doesn't quite fit the style all the way. A worthy effort regardless.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 02:00:57 | More by Brad007

Alextricity

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A good looking beer, but not outstanding. Slightly hazy. A pale yellow color... a lot like Summer Ale but a bit lighter.

This is a good beer. To be honest, I prefer it to the Winter Lager. The two beers are somewhat similar, but there is far less malt in White Christmas, and it's more balanced. They're both very enjoyable, but I think this should probably be Sam's seasonal...

Like I said, I like the balance, and the nutmeg and orange flavors I get make this good any time, in any weather. You really don't need to have a white Christmas to enjoy this beer. One of the better beers I've had from Samuel Adams, to be honest. The beginning of each sip is somewhat floral, but the finish is bready with a bit of cinnamon -- like cinnamon bread or something along those lines. Refreshing, easy to drink, and quite unique. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 04:54:00 | More by Alextricity

hoplover82

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a hazy light golden color with a small white head that quickly fades into nothing and leaves no lacing.
S-The aroma is so beautiful, tons of christmas spices, perfect for this winter season. To me the nutmeg really stands out along with cinnamon and cloves and some faint lemon zest, way in the back, (background).
T-The taste was a little disappointment from how it smelled. I get alot of the spices but not much else. I was expecting more but was let down.
M-Very one deminitional mouthfeel. It seems to be right on for the style, but not impressive at the same time. Very medium body with lively carbonation with a slightly dry finish.
O-I deemed this beer to be decent. I really enjoyed the spices in this beer, it's great for Christmas time but other than the aroma this beer was not to impressive to me, but very glad I had the chance to try this. Although, I would reccomend this to other beer loving friends.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:01:53 | More by hoplover82

Damian

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Drank from a 12 fl. oz. bottle
For brewery-fresh taste, enjoy before month notched FEB
Served in a pint glass

Thanks to my dad for saving me one of each beer from the Winter Classics Variety Pack.

The beer poured a cloudy and turbulent yellow ochre color. A surprisingly small, frothy, off-white head capped the liquid. The head quickly fell to a thin film that had decent lasting strength.

The aroma was pleasant but rather subtle. Sweet, doughy malts were apparent. Good amount of winter spice notes. Slightly citrusy and tart. Ginger came out as well.

The flavor profile was punchier and more enticing than the nose. Semi-sweet on the front end with a healthy dose of pale malts. Spicy in center. Ginger was noticeable, as were hints of orange zest. The beer turned lemony and tart on back end. Crisp and quite refreshing.

The liquid was slick and creamy on the palate and contained a very fine and mild effervescence.

Although this beer did not blow my socks off, it was highly drinkable and unique as a winter seasonal. I would love to see more breweries integrate a spiced witbier into their winter lineup, as the flavors pair perfectly with many foods served during the holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:14:02 | More by Damian

JosiahS

California

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

a: Hazy orange/peach color. 1-1 half finger white head, fluffy.

s: gym socks, light clove, apricot, bubblegum, orange peel, spicy and generally malty.

t: Bright orange, bubblegum and clove, finishes with orange peel, cinnamon and bready malt.

m: medium body with some slickness to it. Medium carbonation.

o: Spices come through well, any more and it would have been too much for me. A bit sweet for my taste but nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 00:38:49 | More by JosiahS

DavidS88

Massachusetts

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

As a big fan of Harpoon's unfiltered UFO line, I was really excited to try an unfiltered witbier from the boys at Samuel Adams. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. White Christmas (love the name, by the way) is a great hazy golden-yellow like an unfiltered beer should be. It pours with a nice fluffy white head and decent lacing on the glass. The smell was not terribly strong. I couldn't really smell anything other than the spices and was beginning to think of it more as a winter warmer than a witbier. Thankfully, though, the taste makes up for what the smell lacks. White Christmas has variety of tastes to it; it starts with wheat and some tangy orange (subtly added, not overdone) and then finishes with cinnamon and nutmeg. I'll be honest, it was a rather weird combination for me because I had never really had a spiced wheat beer, but I have to say I'm going to check out more beers like this. Overall, Samuel Adams White Christmas Ale is a great witbier/winter warmer mashup with decent amounts of wheat, orange, and cinnamon all present in the taste. Thus far it only shows up in winter variety packs, but I can see Samuel Adams making this more readily available soon. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 17:12:58 | More by DavidS88

tvljr

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An unfiltered white ale with a distinct aroma unlike most other SA products.

Appears cloudy and golden as you'd expect with an unfiltered white. Carries about a fingers depth head that soon sinks down to a light cover over the top of the beer.

Definite taste of cinnamon and nutmeg, a little too much for my taste but not as overwhelming as many of these "holiday" beers.

Refreshing, low carbonation mouth feel.

A good addition to the Sam Adams line. Better than some of their other special beers. I may buy a six pack to see how it last over a full evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 21:31:07 | More by tvljr

riversider76

New York

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poura a cloudy golden orange with a thin white head. Not much retention, and no laceing. Aroma is of citrus, and spice. Body is on the light side of medium with some carbonation. Taste is of orange peel, and spice. Tangy with a crisp refreshing flavor. Some hints of bready malts make this somthing differant,and very enjoyable. Merry Christmas!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:39:08 | More by riversider76

tito42

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle to an imperial pint. Best by Feb. 2013. Part of the 2012 Sam Adams winter sampler case.

A: Straw to golden with active carbonation and a thick, fluffy white head with good retention. A bit more golden than a typical witbier.

S: Lots of yeast in the nose with noticeable banana and faint spice such as coriander.

T: Lots of yeast and dough; I can almost taste a sugar cookie dough evocative of Christmas here. Sugar, wheat, lemon peel, and spices cinnamon and nutmeg as a faint whisper on the back end.

M: Nice, medium body with a pleasant creaminess, hint of sour, and a slight bite of carbonation that blends away into the palate.

O: A lot of nice qualities in this seasonal offering from Sam Adams. It doesn't have a very intriguing nose of flavor profile. It plays it on the safe side, but is a nice addition to the winter sampler pack.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:59:38 | More by tito42