Review of Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Posted By Ken Saturday, 13 December 2008 11:16
I had tried this beer last winter and for some reason did not get a review done, and after a certain point I didn't want to write one that wasn't fully representative of it. But at the gathering at Zach's last weekend when I had the Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown, this was also available to me so I had a couple and can now give a better review. Read on to see if one of my all-time favorite brewers came through on this seasonal.
Ken's Review
Taste: A The Sam Adams Winter Lager is probably one of my personal favorites of any seasonal beer I've ever had. It has the distinct Sam Adams rich beer taste, but what I really like about this beer is that it just feels like winter when you drink it. It has a nice cinnamon and ginger aroma and taste with some hints of orange. It is the perfect combination to give you the feeling of the season, and is just a fantastic beer that I can't say enough about.
Packaging: B Nothing too overly special here, as Sam Adams uses the same design template but changes the color scheme based on the brew. This one has a light blue cap and label color, with a couple of snowflakes depicted on the label. I don't really mind the lack of fancy artwork on their labels, as the beer itself normally overshadows everything else related to packaging.
Value: A Sam Adams brews usually run a little more expensive, especially depending on where you get them and in what form (i.e. bottle or draft). A sixer of Sam Adams will run in the range of about $8.99, which is a little pricier but well worth it when it comes to the taste.
Drunkeness: A Sam Adams Winter Lager doesn't mess around in this arena, coming in at a strong 5.8% alcohol by volume. This is a great beer to enjoy on a cold day, and also get buzzed with in relatively little time. But like a lot of seasonal beers, this isn't one that you probably want to go to town on and get wasted with. It's more of a beer to enjoy over a period of time, and I'm sure that the repercussions of drinking too much of this would not be particularly fun.
Overall: A Sam Adams has once again made me a happy guy. I'm still on a perfect streak of enjoying everything I have ever tried from them. It's a shame that seasonal beers only last a short time, but in a way it is a good thing because it really helps you to enjoy them more when they are around, and this one definitely fits the season. If you have not tried this one, what are you waiting for?! It'll cost a little extra cash, but the taste factor makes it worth every penny.