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

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wit Christmas? This beer is a hazy straw color with a brilliant white head. Plenty of effervescence, with clearly visible bubble streams. The smell is spicy, with a notable holiday bend (not a normal coriander wit, but instead a bit strong on nutmeg). The smell is sweet as well, with some pale malt and wheat notes, and a bit of citrus and stone fruit. The taste is solid. Better than expected....bready and mildly spicy. Good balance and very drinkable. Fuller in body than typical witbiers, but very appropriate. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:51:09 | More by Suds

scottyb88

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a cloudy yellow/orange with a mild head and minimal lacing

S-sweet citrus, nutmeg and a little bit of clove

T-sugar cookie, lemon/orange, and nutmeg or clove; everything is in balance with a fairly dry finish

M-typical sam adams mouthfeel-medium with good carbonation

O-one of the better seasonal offerings from sam adams imo; I'm reviewing it more as a flavored white ale rather than a belgian witbier style in mind

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 05:29:34 | More by scottyb88

John_R_Strayer

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in Tulip glass.

Great light smooth Christmas Beer. If you are not into the heavy ales, porters, and stouts that the winter time yields this is your beer. Very similar to their retired white ale.

Beer poured smooth. Very crisp clean aroma of spices and citrus. Hazy color.

Taste was outstanding, light, crisp, and fresh.

Breath of fresh air in the heavy winter time beer arena.

I wish that Sam Adams would either make this beer year round or bring back their standard white ale.

My only regret is not buying more.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 00:12:01 | More by John_R_Strayer

Seekerpilgrim

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

You can see how cloudy it is even through the bottle, and as you pour it it's easy to mistake it's pale straw color as a pure wheat beer. There IS wheat in here, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel, all of which mixed to form a complex aroma, all well as hints of lemon and nutmeg. This may be too busy for some people, but if you give it a change you'll find the flavor a refreshing melange of sweet crispness and creamy body, where nothing stands out on the tongue, a delicious blend of melody and harmony and probably the most well balanced beer I've had yet.

I wouldn't have it with food because there is so much going on here, but it would be perfect after dinner, sitting around the fireplace and talking with family or friends. Cheers, and a very Merry Christmas to you all!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 02:07:39 | More by Seekerpilgrim

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a weizen glass. Best before March '13

A - Light golden with a great haziness to it. Medium sized white head falls to a small cap. Little bits of lacing left on the glass.

S - Get a nice aroma of sweet orange peel and a lot of wheat. Floral with a bit of coriander here. Medicinal phenols.

T - Slight bit of sweetness right away. Grainy malt gives way to big twangy wheat character. Flavor dries up towards the end and has a well crafted spiced finish. I get that pseudo pumpkin beer quality. Allspice and nutmeg are easy to pick up on but don't overwhelm.

M - Medium-light body works perfect, medium-high carbonation, semi-sweet.

O - A lot of wheat crammed into this brew. Aroma shows good complexity and traditional wit characters. Taste is dominated by wheat but finishes with a cool curveball. Great feel and appearance to the beer. Throws a good switch to a common summer style, a good excuse to enjoy wit in winter.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 02:06:54 | More by Jparker37

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a six-pack of Samuel Adams White Christmas on a whim, and I'm glad I did. I haven't been so pleasantly surprised by one of their holiday beers since Old Fezziwig perked up my taste buds decades ago.

It's just a full bodied witbier with cinnamon and nutmeg added, but it's nicely done and perfectly accented by the spice... and sometimes that's all it takes, just taking a simple idea or common thing and adding a little bit of something extra to it. This, of course, is not the first amped-up witbier with holiday spices that's even been done, but it's been done very well.

I won't go into the specific details of the beer (color, clarity, head retention, body and so on) because I doubt that's necessary here, but I'll say that I find it remarkably well balanced. In fact, by the time I'd taken my second sip it occurred to me that it might just be the best (spiced) holiday beer that I've ever tasted. The cinnamon is clearly present but not overdone, and the nutmeg comes through nicely as well. The wheaty malt is full, but not cloying or sweet - there's only 8 IBU's to it, but the spice steps in where needed.

Worth trying for sure!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:04:44 | More by NeroFiddled

mynie

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Included in the holiday mix pack I buy every year because I love old fezzywig.

Pours dark for a wit. Smells... wow. Like a surprisingly well balanced, complex blend of good witbier yeast spices and dull, blue fruit. Clove and black pepper but also... blackberries, I think.And lots of orange and cinnamon.

Tastes really good, too. It plays up the heavy, spicy yeast that's the trademark of SA brews. Starts off pretty much like a good, spicy wit, but then it segues into a middle that's like something out of New Glarus: the orange peel dominates, which gives the whole rest of the beer a nice vibe of subdued fruit. It ends with fruit, cinnamon, and whitepepper wheatmalt.

Well, shit. If this were from another brewer the reviews would be a bit better, I think. I like to give credit where credit is due, and it's nice to see SA finally brewing one-offs that play to their strengths, instead of pitiably aping the styles that other brewers are doing. This is a Sam Adams beer, and a damn good one.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 03:59:19 | More by mynie

tdm168

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - hazy orangish yellow with a thin lacing of white head

S - the nose is very nice; vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

T - vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, faint citrus, wheat

M - light to medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is much better than I had expected. Some of the spices used are the typical ones: ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon. But then there's the addition of vanilla which adds a rich, creamy taste. This is definitely not a typical witbier. I could definitely have several of these with family during the holidays. I'll probably pick up some more.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:59:20 | More by tdm168

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Looks like orange juice, with a quickly receiding quarter finger of white head. No lacing.

S - Banana, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pie crust. Not what I expected, but good!

T - Banana, cinnamon, lots of pie crust, a bit pumpkiny as well. I can't believe nobody else has picked up on this.

M - Almost no carbonation with a medium body.

O - Overall, my favorite out of the winter classics pack. Would be a great beer for the fall as well as the winter. I'd have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 01:07:44 | More by SometimesIfart

BDIMike

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Apperance is amazing on this beer. A very bright golden color with a nice haziness to it. A very refreshing column of bubbles rises up and and creates a thick, fluffy white head that doesn't go away at all.
Smell is fantastic. All the usual Christmas spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, and citrus. Really solid smells.
Taste is great. So much better than all of the other Christmas ales on the market. Instead of the usual stout base, there is a strong wheat and citrus base. The spices feed off that very nicely and become the star.
Mouthfeel has a nice refreshing crispness to it.
Drinkability is awesome on this Christmas Ale. A great load of spices with a lower alcohol than most, makes this beer one to drink a 6 pack or more of. Great selection that I am glad I got a 6 pack of. I need to get to the store to get more before its out.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:51:19 | More by BDIMike

claytri

Maryland

4.69/5  rDev +32.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

The beer pours a nice light gold with a crisp white head that has real staying power. The aroma is pretty much aniseed, but at a very pleasant level and character. Since that's what I expected (and what I liked about it) it works for this beer. They really did a great job with the taste on this one. It has a nice light malty character with good fruitiness, and then the Aniseed at just the right level to be all over it, but still allow the other tastes there rightful place. A home run Wit in my opinion. The feel is light and a bit oily. This was one of the best efforts for a Wit I've had in a while. Great job with the spicing.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 17:15:04 | More by claytri