Snark Double Team, Part I: Sam Adams Summer Ale Review

Summer Ale
Samuel Adams (The Boston Beer Company), Boston, MA
http://www.samueladams.com/

Samuel Adams Summer Ale at a Glance:
Style: American Wheat Ale
Appearance: Cloudy, golden
Aroma: Wheat, citrus, pepper
Taste: Wheat, citrus, pepper
Verdict: Refreshing but the strong pepper flavor can be divisive

One of my goals this summer has been to try as many seasonal brews as possible. Writing about all of them as proven to be a challenge that I can't overcome. Most of them are mediocre--not bad, just not great. Mediocrity destroys creativity. Consequently, most of these summer seasonals haven't made it to the blog. Sorry.

To help me overcome the mediocrity induced laziness, I enlisted the help of a snarky outsider named Brian. Brian possesses an intrinsic snarkiness that is difficult not to notice. He and I also disagree about most beers, making him the perfect foil.

We began our two-beer snark-a-thon with Summer Ale from Sam Adams. Sam Adams is the heavyweight of the craft beer division. Even a lazy beer drinker can find the company's wares almost anywhere, and most of the beers are quite good. (You may remember that I enjoyed Sam Adams Rustic Saison just a few weeks ago.)

Sam Adams Summer Ale

The Summer Ale poured with a golden color that you'd imagine a summer ale to be and provided a nice, tight head of small bubbles that almost immediately dissipated. Brian declared that "it smells like an airport urinal." I never get my nose that close to public toilets, so I can't comment on the accuracy of his statement. I told him that he was likely smelling wheat, citrus, and a hint of peppery spice."No, it is definitely pee that I am smelling," he responded.

The peppery smell was a bit of a mystery until I read the label, which declared that the Summer Ale was brewed with Grains of Paradise. I have no idea what Grains of Paradise are, so I guess it is still a mystery. I assume that they are some sort of pepper that is endemic to Boston or Africa or someplace. I do know that I am not crazy about smelling them in my beer, but I'll get over it as long as they don't ruin the taste.

Summer Ale in the glass.

Once in my mouth, Sam Adams Summer Ale provided a proper mouth feel for the style and the right amount of carbonation. There is nothing to complain about in this area. Sorry for letting you down. To both Brian and me, the beer tasted exactly like it smelled. For me that meant wheat, citrus, and pepper. For Brian that meant pee. Strangely though, Brian responded after his first sip that the beer was quite refreshing. I tend to agree, even though I am not crazy about pepper in my beer.

The Summer Ale grew on both of us as we drank it, in opposite directions. Brian declared, "I like it less the more I drink it. It reminds me of Tequiza." I would never drink a Tequiza, so again Brian is on his own. I found it refreshing and adequate on all fronts, though nothing spectacular. Brian concluded by saying, "One of my least favorite beers of all time. Did they make this with Epsom salt?" as he poured it down the drain.

-Ryan

Style: Wheat Ale/Saison
ABV: 5.3%
Availability: Nationwide. Look for it in the Summer Styles Variety Pack or individually

Other beers that may interest you:
Sam Adams' Rustic Saison
De Proef Brewerij's Saison Imperiale
Odanata Beer Company's Saison Ale

Mammoth Brewing Company IPA 395 Review: A Beer Worth Nearly Dying Four Times For

IPA 395
Mammoth Brewing Company, Mammoth Lakes, CA
http://www.mammothbrewingco.com/

Mammoth Brewing Co IPA 395 at a Glance:
Style: American IPA
Appearance: Amber with tan head
Aroma: Spicy hops and sweet malt
Taste: Balanced hoppy bitterness and sweet, caramel malt
Verdict: One of the best IPAs we've had

Jesse recently survived an epic adventure through the high Sierras, exploring a snow-shrouded Yosemite in late June, stumbling upon a black bear and her cub while hiking, almost getting ambushed by a meth head intent on a felony or two, nearly succumbing to a rock slide in the dead of night, and spending the night in the eastern Sierras in his car, which is tiny and "not good for sleeping or sex. I've tried both."

All that sounds like fun, but the real highlight was the beer. Jesse returned from his odyssey, or Jessyssey in this case, with 2 gallons of beer enjoyment like I've seldom experienced. I was the lucky recipient of one 1/2-gallon growler. I chose the IPA 395.

Not the bear that nearly ate Jesse--a friendlier and more delicious one.

Mammoth describes the IPA 395 as a double IPA, but it lacks the bitterness of most doubles. Instead, this beer greets you with an incredible bouquet of spices, hops, and sweet malt. It poured with an amber color and a perfect tan head. The IPA 395 was not really all that bitter on the tongue, which allowed a lot of caramel malt to come through the hops. It was really well balanced and entirely enjoyable. I kept pouring until all 64 ounces were in my belly. I didn't share a drop with anyone.

Would I drive 332 miles and brave bears, meth addicts, rock slides, and bitter cold? No, but I'd gladly send Jesse again.

Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager Review: Surprisingly Drinkable

Trader Joe’s Bohemian Lager
Trader Joe’s Brewing Company, San Jose, CA
http://www.traderjoes.com

Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager at a Glance
Style: Lager
Appearance: Clear, pale gold
Aroma: Creamed corn
Taste: Hint of sweetness, hint of bitterness
Verdict: An average, drinkable lager at a reasonable price



Full disclosure: I love Trader Joe's. It is a great place to buy packed foods that don't taste like salt. I can also usually trust TJ's products to be of high quality and decent taste.

Enter TJ's Bohemian Lager. My expectations going in were that it would be drinkable but likely not great.

TJ's Bohemian Lager - drinkable, just barely

The Bohemian Lager provided a clear, golden pour as it flowed from the bottle. The decent initial head quickly faded to Bolivia, leaving sad looking clumps of foam in its wake. The lager smelled like creamed corn, which is not what I would have hoped. It didn't taste much better either; there was nothing much there except for a hint of bitterness and a hint of sweetness. However, it finished cleanly with no lingering nastiness.

Like much of San Jose, where this beer is brewed, Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager is mostly forgettable
Fans of Trader Joe’s will point out that the quirky grocery stocks thousands of delicious products in its stores. Fans of beer will point out that this is not one of those products. Still, it's drinkable, and you could do a hell of a lot worse.

Style: Czech Pils
ABV: 5.0%
Available: Trader Joe’s nationwide

Odanata Beer Company Saison Review: Odanata Brews a Damn Fine Saison

Saison
Odanata Beer Company, Sacramento, CA
http://www.odonatabeer.com/

Sour beer sounds disgusting, as if it were a home brew experiment gone awry. With its Saison, Odanata Brewery attempts to convince Americans that “sour” and “beer” go together. Sure, the Belgians have made sour beer for centuries, but they also put mayonnaise on their goddamn french fries. On the nose, this bottle-conditioned saison hints at the sour, citrusy experience inside. It pours with a creamy, enduring head and a golden color. The beer hits your tongue with wheat and refreshing citrus tones, providing a much more interesting experience than Blue Moon, Shock Top, or the like. The longer you let this saison linger, the sourer it gets, like marrying the wrong woman. But, count me among the converted. I could drink this beer all summer and all winter long.

Odanta Beer Company's Saison is one of my absolute favorites.

Style: Saison
ABV: 6.4%
Availability: Sacramento, CA and surrounds only

-Ryan

Other beers that may interest you:
Sam Adams' Rustic Saison
De Proef Brewerij's Saison Imperiale
Odanata Beer Company's Saison Ale