Belgian Imitation Beer, Brewed in America
Written: Jan 15 '03 (Updated Oct 17 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Medium bodied; easy to drink
Cons: A little too fruity; available only in the late fall/winter season
The Bottom Line: I recommend this beer, but only for those who like fruity brew
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic |
Samuel Adams products, brewed by the Boston Beer Company, include a wide range of both seasonal and year- round offerings. This popular craft- brewer produces mainstays like its Boston Lager and Boston Ale, along with seasonal beer for Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter. One of the products that it brews for Fall/Winter consumption is Cranberry Lambic, a fruity brew made with a significant portion of wheat malt.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
This beer pours to an orange/red hue with a hazy body. Foam level is solid and it subsides slowly. The nose is fruity and a little acidic and the carbonation level is a little higher than average.
The taste of this beer emphasizes the flavor of cranberries, like you would expect. But there are other taste sensations that are present as well. It has a distinct sweetness that then turns into a tart finish at the end. Along the way, you can taste wheat and a finishing taste of maple, due to the addition of maple syrup. The body of the beer is medium, and it has an acidic and somewhat oily finish.
Sam Adams brews this beer using 2- row Harrington Malt, Munich Malt, and wheat malt, along with cranberries, maple syrup, Hallertauer hops, and ale yeast. The beer is lower in strength than other holiday seasonals, with only 4.8 percent alcohol by volume and 175 calories per 12 oz. serving. The original gravity of this beer is 1.048.
Food Compatibility:
This beer would match up nicely with certain foods, but it would not go well with others. I recommend drinking a few bottles with fruity desserts, like fruitcake, most any fruit pie, cranberry sauce (naturally), and even with a bowl of fresh fruit. It might go well with a few light meats, but that’s about it. This product is really meant to be served as a holiday beer, to be consumed socially.
Final Thoughts:
Holiday seasonal beer is something that I look forward to each year. Products brewed specifically for the winter season are usually more complex and more creative than those brewed for the other three seasons. Brewers often vary the recipe each year, too, which means that you never really know what type of taste to expect, even for those products you are familiar with.
Sam Adams is one of the few American Brewers to attempt to produce a Belgian Lambic- style beer. In reality, though, this is not really a true Lambic. Lambic styles are characterized by their unique fermentation. Instead of being directly injected with yeast, Lambic ferments from the yeast particles that are naturally present in the air. This product is not brewed that way at all, so it’s not really a Lambic, in the strict sense of the word. It’s really its own unique style.
This beer does have a unique taste that you don’t find in too many other American brewed products. When I first tasted this beer, I could taste some “other” ingredient, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I then discovered that this ingredient is maple syrup. Without seeing this disclaimer on the label, I never would have guessed that this was the taste sensation that I was experiencing (author’s note: read label before imbibing).
I can see how some people could become hooked on this beer, due to its sweet, fruity character. For myself, though, I prefer to stick with other holiday brews. This product tastes too much like a fruit- flavored cooler mixed together with mild ale. I like my beer to taste like beer, with an occasional deviation from the taste of hops and malt. The flavor of cranberries in my beer, however, is not one that I could develop a taste for.
Overall, this is product gets a passing grade, but I’m only going to give it a “C” or “C-“. It’s the type of beer that some will love, and others will loathe. I probably won’t be buying any more myself, but it’s not a bad choice for the holidays, especially of you’re the type who prefers the sweet taste of fruit in your brew.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews on Other Samuel Adams Products:
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Ale
Samuel Adams Golden Pilsner
Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Samuel Adams Spring Ale
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Scotch Ale
Samuel Adams Vienna Style Lager
Samuel Adams Black Lager
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Samuel Adams Light
Samuel Adams Hefeweizen
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Brown Ale
Samuel Adams Cream Stout
Recommended:
Yes
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