First things first. I have decided, that with all of the unique beers that I have tried lately, I need to add another component to the rating scale that I have been using. I am adding a "Creativity" rating because some beers may not be my personal favorites, but they deserve kudos for "thinking outside of the box" in their brewing process and use of ingredients. For example, I would consider the previous beer that I reviewed, the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, to be a 5/5 on the creativity scale. I have also decreased the possible points for "Aroma" to 5. This means that if one day I find a beer that manages to garner a perfect score in every category, that beer would achieve a 30/30 on the overall rating. This brings us to my next review:
Samuel Adams "Alpine Spring"
I know, I know, this is not a microbrew, and people will probably look down on me for reviewing a mass-produced beer, but I enjoyed this beer so much that I simply had to review it. This beer is the new spring seasonal brew by Samuel Adams. This beer is a lager that belongs to the category of "Keller Biers" or "Zwickel Biers." This is a unique German beer style which is unfiltered, unpasterized, and is thought to have originated in the Middle Ages. These beers are usually characterized by a cloudy appearance, a strong hoppy taste and variable alcohol content. This particular brew has a golden, cloudy color with a white head when poured into a goblet. With my nose in the glass, I can detect aromas of lemon, spicy hops, honey, and florals. The beer has a nice and crisp mouthfeel that I would classify it as light to medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation. When tasting the brew the first thing I notice is tart hops and citrus (more lemon than orange). I also detect hints of pear, florals, and wheat. It has a smooth, dry finish and doesn't have the bitterness that some of the more hoppy beers have, which is surprising, considering the strong presence of hops in the flavor. I am trying to think of similar brews that I have tried recently, but I am having trouble. It is pretty unique. It drinks like a combination of a Belgian wheat beer and an IPA. Perhaps, Magic Hat #9 is simliar? Sweetwater 420 is another one that comes to mind. Overall I think this is a delicious brew, and is probably going to be one of my go to beers in the Spring, since it is cheap, easy to drink, and easy to find. Using my newly revised rating scale, I rated it as follows:
Aroma: 4/5
Appearance: 3/5
Palate: 3/5
Creativity: 4/5
Taste: 9/10
Overall: 23/30
Well done Sam Adams, well done...
