Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

acevenom

Louisiana

4.56/5  rDev +24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Samuel Adams perfect pint glass. Pours a clear darker shade of copper with a thick, light tan head that dissipates slowly. Some lacing retreats down the side of the glass with the head. The are aromas of bready malts and very nutty from the pecans. The pecan smell is more intense here than in some other pecan ales I've sampled in the past. There are also hints of coffee and maple in the nose. Like in the nose, the flavor is very pecan forward and the malts are bready. There are those hints of coffee and maple as well, though these are not strong hints. The pecan is the star of the show here. The body is medium with light carbonation. This beer drinks very well and the finish is only slightly dry. This is an excellent beer. Samuel Adams has come out swinging with this one and hit a home run.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:09:41 | More by acevenom

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.36/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Part of the Samuel Adams Mix-pack - $12.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a dark, russet-brown body with a medium-sized, wispy, faint ecru head. A thin spittle of lacing.

Smell: Toasted breadcrusts, toasted pecan additive, and roasted coffee beans, with a spritz of maple make up the nose. Smells more akin to an International Delight coffee creamer!

Taste: Pale malts with a toasty edge and a coffee grain note that blends into the pecan flavoring. Modestly sweet. Maple eventually gets overtaken by the coffee note and pecan flavoring. In fact, for me, this coffee/pecan kick just carries on through the finish and into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: I had prepped myself for what was to be a flavored porter, though, I had hoped for something just a bit more restrained, if you will. Sure, it is better than those flavored Saranac porters, though!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 21:26:58 | More by ChainGangGuy

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours dark dark chocolately brown 1.5-2 finger head of a caramel color, thick lacing
S - Smokiness of a porter, sweet malts of a sweet bread type, chocolate, vanilla, lots of pecan with the maple coming in.
T - This is meant to be a sweeter beer, and should be recognized as such. It kinda tastes like pecan pie, but with smoked maple syrup, if that makes any sense. Sweet and savory in both ends, but its a rich flavor, and enjoyable. Bread & biscuit malt flavor hangs on with a light bitterness.
M - It actually feels a bit thin for a porter, while its rich in flavor, its not very thick, and light on the carbonization.
O - A very great offering from BBC/SA. This is not a beer you would want more than one of though, and I'd really like to have one of these with breakfast one of these days. Affordable, and solid. Definitely worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 20:12:52 | More by Omnium

CaptJackHarkness

New York

2.84/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

From twelve ounce bottle freshness dated to June 2013.

Aroma like a sweet stout, but bready. Poured a clear ruddy brown with off white head. Head lasts under a minute with spotty lacing of glass. Taste is sour, biting. Burnt pancakes! No pecan hint at all unless they used burnt nutshells! Was it maple syrup or the bark of the tree they used? Another drainpour for me!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:11:59 | More by CaptJackHarkness

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Pours mahogany with a finger of tan head. Very good lacing, so-so head retention

S: Maple candy & coffee

T: Follows the nose, a touch of roastyness too, a slight bit of sourness on the edges, but also a touch off taffy too. Caramel infused mocha as this warms, some vanilla at the edges. Finishes sweet with faint mocha notes

MF: Light body with slight carbonation

I enjoyed this, I bet it would go great with a doughnut or some bacon. A touch more body would help this immensely. I would buy this as a stand alone sixer

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 04:17:06 | More by russpowell

Murrhey

Montana

3.41/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz standard pressure-cap bottle into a pint glass in high elevation Libby, Mont.

A- Half-finger light brown head with poor retention. Leaves a nice lacing though. Nice mahogany body with some vestiges of clarity through the middle. Attractive beer, although I wish the head lasted a bit longer.

S- Roast malts, maple syrup and buttermilk. Not picking up pecans, but my nose has never been top-notch. Attractive if maybe a bit artificial.

T- Roasty malts, chocolate and maple. Kind of acrid, actually.

M- Thick and wet. Like drinking pancake batter.

O- Best one of the pack, in my opinion. Easy drinking, decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:46:35 | More by Murrhey

Goosehunter75

Missouri

3.18/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Poured a deer rusty amber color with a nice offwhite head

S - Smelled a little maple and malts

T - There were tastes of maple up front wwith slight hints of chocolate and coffee. There was a bitter cherry flavor on the finish

M - Medium bodied beer. Was slightly creamy with a dry finish

O - Good beer but nothing special. Too light for a porter in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 22:09:47 | More by Goosehunter75

Minkybut

Virginia

4.26/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I poured this WONDERFUL beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was dark dark amber color. The head poured tan and creamy piling up way above the rim of the tumbler. The smell was luscious with maple oozing out of the glass. Taste was everything I hoped for. Rich, a little sweet and with a fantastic maply pecanny finish that I really liked. Wish I could get this in a 6 pack instead of that mixed 12. I will buy again if I can ever find it by itself.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 18:21:41 | More by Minkybut

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.56/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a very dark burgundy color. The head is a one finger light mocha color that fades quickly. At least it leaves a nice collar of lacing on the glass.

S: Obviously, this comes off like a sweeter porter - not just from the prevalent (and decently executed, to be honest) maple notes, but also from the tones of chocolate, hazelnut, pecan, and molasses. Not much in the way of roasted qualities here. It's sweet, but I honestly really like it.

T: Right from the start, a huge jolt of maple opens up the flavor profile. This big sweetness will give way to a slightly drier nutty finish. There isn't much depth - it's more or less just maple, nuts, with touches of dry chocolate to tie the two notes together - but what's here is quite enjoyable. It becomes a bit cloying near the bottom of the glass, though.

M: The palate feel is a bit insubstantial in its texture, but this helps tone down some of the (otherwise) strong carbonation. Given its level of sweetness on the aftertaste, I could really use more body here.

O: A successful gimmick beer - this is a showcase for the maple syrup and pecan qualities, nothing more, nothing less. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:27:01 | More by ThisWangsChung

Brotato

California

3.89/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Although taste is subjective this is comparatively sweeter than a few other domestic porters. I feel that this is a good introduction to porters if someone prefers a sweeter tasting beer. I like it!

A- Dark coffee color with a ruby like quality that is transparent. Not as dark as other porters I've tried but the look fits the category. When poured into the Sam Adams perfect pint glass the head rises to about 1 ¼" and dissipates rather quickly after that, but it does retain good lacing

S- The maple is strong with this one! There are some light notes of coffee and chocolate.

T- Rewardingly sweet initially thanks to the maple syrup followed by the roasted coffee, chocolate and trailed with the pecans. Not very malty and yet still unmistakeably malty, nicely balanced. Moderately toasty and not very bitter.

M- Somewhat disappointing but by no means a deal breaker. While not as creamy and thick as some other porters this brew does come off as a bit syrupy and a little watery while being fairly light in carbonation. In comparison to a Deshutes Black Butte the mouthfeel quality is lacking.

O- A pleasant experience overall provided one doesn't mind a thinner porter but this brew is definitely one that will be returning to my 'fridge rather frequently.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 07:28:40 | More by Brotato

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-Barely transparent. Its dark brown with ruby highlights. I can definitely see straight though it but not easily. Creamy, light tan head. Lots of lacing.

S-Well I blatantly smell both maple syrup and pecans. I hope it doesn't come off as artificial in the flavor department. Brown sugar covered oats. Pretty interesting.

T-The flavor isn't half bad either aside from a pretty powerful metallic twang. I am really getting a bunch of metal here unfortunately. Beside that however, the maple syrup and the pecans are there. They don't really taste artificial either. I wish there were a bit more conventional Porter notes here though. That maple note really lingers.

M-Lots of bubbles. A bit sticky. Medium bodied.

O/D-Too bad for that metallic/tinny flavor. Its pretty cool and I respect how both the syrup and the nut are on display here. I'm not struggling to find the two flavors that are present in the beer's name.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 03:41:00 | More by VelvetExtract

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.64/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Great dark crimson / purple appearance with awesome head. Roasted coffee, nutty, maple syrup aroma. Smells great. Smoky, chocolatey taste. Not as sweet as you would expect. You can definitely taste the maple and pecan. We wish the amounts were reversed with more maple and pecan and less smoke and chocolate. Smokey chocolate porters are a dime a dozen. This almost becomes something unique but falls short. Despite that, it is still enjoyable. Little bit of a burnt taste. Overall, better marketed than it tastes

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:56:03 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Liquid portion is brown, but not too dark brown like most porters, more like a slightly darker than average brown ale. When you hold up to the lights the whole thing is basically a hearty mahogany amber highlight. Light tan head with some pretty good lacing on it.

Smell is good, sweeter than your average porter. Very roasty, a little bit of coco, coffee, and pretty nutty. It's a little subtle, but there is certainly a natural maple sugar smell at the end, pretty good.

Taste is pretty much on par with the smell. A little more biscuity and doughy than in the smell. Certainly a earthy pecan nuttiness blended with a more generous maple flavor, way more so than the smell. The sweetness outweighs the normal roasty features of a porter, not bad, just a different take. I already know that Sam Adams knows how to brew a porter, HOliday Porter is probably my favorite.

Mouthfeel is pretty good, slightly thinner than I'd normally want in a porter. As thin at it is, it's still smooth. Lacks a the complexity to push it over the top to be great. Pretty drinkable though, I'm digging it. A good porter, could be great if it had just a little more.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:52:59 | More by AndyAvalanche

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.19/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance- Pours a deep brown color with a cream colored head. The head fades rather fast leaving a medium level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is a mainly sweet, being a mix of maple syrup and toffee with light roasted malt and chocolate notes as well as a nutty aroma.

Taste – The taste is as the nose would predict. It begins with a roasted malt and chocolate and brown bread flavor and a big sweetness of maple syrup and brown sugar up front. The sweeter and bready flavors last throughout the whole taste and are joined by a nutty flavor more toward the middle and the end of the taste. In the end the combo of flavors leaves a sweet and lightly roasted nut flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer is average in terms of thickness and the carbonation level is average as well . A bit of a thicker body may have been better for the roasted, maple and nutty flavors of the brew, but overall it wasn't too bad as the thinner body did make it a bit easier to drink with all the sweetness.

Overall- A little too much sweetness and not quite enough roastiness in a porter for me. Not really my fave of the Sams.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:05:24 | More by Darkmagus82

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.56/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: A real dark brown, looks almost opaque but with little lighting you see its brown color. Light tan head just under a finger's length settles quick after a sip or two.

Smell: Light maple woody scent. Chocolatey but light.

Taste: Bitter chocolate, with strong maple. Has a strong nutty feel that gets more potent after each sip .

Mouth: Almost a heavy carbonation, which is not bad at all, a little dry in my opinion with a light bitter chocolate feel to it.

Overall: Little sweet for a porter but nice finish. I can tell you this after dinner this brew is a maybe but to have it with dessert probably the best idea. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 06:28:04 | More by BlurryVisi0n

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a dimpled mug.

A - Deep ruby-brown with a two-finger off white head. Small clumps of lacing.

S - Medium strength aroma of roasted grains, chocolate, and yes, some nuttiness.

T - Starts off with some roasted chocolate malts, followed by a big dose of "natural flavors added". Now, I WILL give this brew credit for delivering both maple AND pecan in the mid-palate as advertised. Sadly, it's tastes like an artificial additive rather than an extension of the brewing process. Hops nearly non-existant. Lots of graininess in the backend.

M - Lower side of medium bodied. Overly carbonated. Sort of a creamy feel at the end. A little bit all over the place.

O - A worthy try, but ultimately a little gimmicky. Not a great porter by any means.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 04:02:22 | More by TempeBeerMan

chickenflea

Florida

3.91/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Publix Supermarket - University Palms - 12 oz bottle - part of their ’Spring Thaw’ Variety Pak. Deep, dark brown pour, initially frothy khaki colored head that leaves plenty of lacing. Aroma has a brown sugar and maple syrup/butterscotch quality. Flavor is very pleasant. Nice maple accents, not cloyingly sweet, hints of baker’s unsweetened chocolate and the finish has an mild old-silverware tang. Medium texture, with a slightly thicker mouthfeel. I like this one very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:58:58 | More by chickenflea

secondtooth

Indiana

4.09/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

First note: enjoyed this one at nearly room temperature.

Pours a deep, dark brown, with ruby highlights. Frothy head, and attractive lace.

Nose is roasty with a definite nutty pecan note. The maple is only hinted at.

Taste is more of the roasted pecans up front, followed by a sweet maple rush, followed up by more roasted nuts at the finish. I am impressed that I don't get any weird artificial tastes here. Kudos to Sam Adams for a quality taste impression.

Really an interesting and unique flavor profile here, and as I am a particularly big fan of maple, this is easily one I'd purchase again, given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 16:13:24 | More by secondtooth

TheSixthRing

California

3.54/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a deep, dark mahogany brown with a light tan finger width head. Fair retention.Good lacing with nice stick.

Smell - Hits on sweet maple aroma with lesser notes of roasted pecan nuttiness.

Taste - Predominant maple sweetness throughout. Brown sugar. Subtle hints of pecan hit mid-taste and into the finish, while ghostly notes of roasted chocolate malt come through in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light in body with low to moderate carbonation. Kind of dead. Smooth in the very least.

Overall - Out of the Spring mix pack, I was most excited to try this one. Unfortunately I came away fairly disappointed. Too much maple sweetness, not enough pecan and/or porter qualities. Drinks much closer to a brown than it does a porter. Good, but safe and simple. I found it boring.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:29:57 | More by TheSixthRing

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, best before July 2013. This pours a mostly clear dark mahogany brown with a mid sized tan head with decent retention. The smells are quit nice, a load of sweet maple along with some pecan, roasted nuts, and toffee, seems like a fine dessert beer. The feel is medium. The taste is quite good, the maple gives this a slightly smoky flavor along with the nuttiness. Quite a tasty treat from SA.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:35:26 | More by DavidST

teromous

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown and black body, with a light tan fluffy head. Some lacing spots, but not much. The head stands well.

S: Roasted notes of coffee, slightly metallic, and maple syrup (very faint).

T: Lots of roasted flavor. I can taste the grain flavor, backed by some rich coffee-like espresso flavor. I get a hint of maple, but not much. The bottle label says "Maple Pecan Porter" but I don't taste any pecan. This is predominantly a roast-forward porter. It is a good robust porter though. Some maple syrup in the aftertaste.

M: The mouthfeel is pretty dry but retains just enough texture not to dry out the mouth completely, and maintains a smooth dryness. It's slightly sticky, moderate grain bitterness, and is very easy to drink. It would be very easy to drink a few of these.

O: Overall I thought the beer was nice...for a porter. I got some maple but I felt it was buried behind the roasted flavors. I didn't get pecan at all. I felt robbed in these respects. It's not a bad beer by any scale, but it just didn't seem to work. I would enjoy drinking it as a porter, but I probably won't be buying it again. I can get nearly the same experience with any run-of-the-mill porter out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 15:59:53 | More by teromous

wingman14

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with a foamy off white head. Smell is sweet, maple sugar, pecans surprisingly, and some malt. Taste starts sweet with maple sugar up front, pecan comes in and finishes smooth and malt. The pecan is strong in aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, could be heavier, more of a nut brown feel. Overall sweet, interesting flavor, worth checking out, not your typical porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:01:03 | More by wingman14

tdm168

North Carolina

4.26/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - dark brown with some reddish hues; a big, soft, pillowy, brown head that has really good retention

S - maple, nutty, faint coffee, sugary

T - nutty, caramel, coffee, maple, sugary, faint roast

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This was a nice addition to the spring mix-pack. It has a really solid flavor profile. It's rich, complex, deep, delicious. Not only is this incredibly flavorful, but it has great drinkability as well. I probably won't buy the mix-pack again, but I certainly wouldn't turn this down. I truly enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:16:09 | More by tdm168

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This was a 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

It pours a very dark thick brown color with a tight creamy head good retention. I don't get a whole lot from the smell but it is ok. The taste is very maple and very pecan I feel like there may be a little vanilla in there as well. The body is slightly better than average with good carbonation. I like this beer but I am not in love with it. I would like to try this on draft.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:23:07 | More by brewdude1982

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.01/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ba Review #252
Served On: 2/8/2013
Glassware: DFH Chalice
Labeled ABV: 5.6%
Date/ Code: June

This was a 12oz bottle from the spring mixed 12 pack I picked up at Evergreen Liquors in Frederick, MD ($15.99).

Look: Filled the glass with a dark muddy brown while bronze tinges outlined the edges of the glass. The head was a thick light-tan color with lacing already coating the sides. Carbonation was difficult to detect given the dark nature of the appearance.

Smell: Roasted notes with some diacetyl that came through. A sweet brown sugar character seemed to dominate the nose. I guess it could also be perceived as maple with some nutty almond mixed in. I’ve often wondered if Same Adams waits until these newer offerings are brewed before they name them. That way every batch will fit the name - exactly.

Taste: Anyway, this beer definitely drinks better warm. I first tried it at fridge temps and all I got were roasted malts with a nasty metallic flavor. Once the beer warmed - the metallic turned in to a burnt brown sugar followed by a nutty character. The finish was fairly clean. The brown sugar sweetness did linger for a moment. Other than that, not much going on beside the typical porter thing.

This porter was ok. Nothing to spectacular. It would probably be good with a burger or some sort of comfort dish like potato soup or chicken pot-pie.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 17:08:15 | More by CraftBeerTastic