Sam Adams Brewery Tour: Well Worth the Trip
Written: Apr 09 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The tour is fun and free! Don't be cheap, donate to Jim Koch's charity!!
Cons: Eventually they throw you out of the tasting room.
The Bottom Line: This tour was fun and well worth the trip
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| c00lguy20's Full Review: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) |
The Sam Adams Brewery tour was a real blast. The tour is free, but they do ask for a $2 donation that they give to local charities. We all love something for free, but you have to be a real cheapo not to cough up two bucks for charity. The free beer and free tasting glasses are well worth the $2 so come on, cough it up, it's still a real bargain. Jim Koch is comping you beer so you will help out his charity of choice, be a sport and throw $2 in the keg.
The tour itself was pretty cool, especially if it's your first brewery tour (it was mine). You get to see where they produce the experimental brews (no bottling here), and they pass around roasted barley and hops. You can actually eat the roasted barley, it's a pretty yummy snack. After the brief tour you proceed to the tasting room (don't forget your ID) where they pass out pitchers of the traditional lager as well as whatever experimental brew they happen to be concocting. We tried one called Cezan, and an Irish Red. All three were delicious. Apparently, Massachusetts law (what a downer) limits the tastings to three seven ounce glasses (you get to keep the glasses), but I still caught a nice buzz. After the tasting, they herd you into the gift shop where they sell all sorts of glasses and shirts and stuff. Although I bought two specially designed pint glasses (excellent beer glasses), I regret not buying some extra tasting glasses. At $2 a piece, they would have made a great and cheap gift to take home to friends and family.
We took the T to the brewery, which was very convenient. The directions are simple, just pick up a Sam Adams pamphlet at any Boston hotel or tourist center (where the tourist attraction cards are). The neighborhood looked a bit shabby, but it did not feel unsafe in the daytime. After the tour, we walked to Doyle's Pub in the rain/snow, (again no worries for our safety). It was a bit of a walk but well worth it. They give you directions after the tour. I highly recommend trying the Cherry Wheat, it has become my new favorite beer. The brewery was one of the highlights of my 1st trip to boston. I will be sure to visit again when I return. Also, the food at Doyles was good and reasonably priced. I realize this sounds like a commercial for the brewery and Doyles, but it is not, they were both simply well worth the trip and the money/donation/time.
Disclaimer: this review was written after consuming several varieties of Sam Adams brews (not on the same day as the tour). After taking this tour, you may give up on your Heinekens and Stellas (as I have) and find yourself searching for an excellent American beer. Enjoy!
Recommended:
Yes
Brewery Name: Sam Adams Brewery
Date Visited: April 4th 2007
Tours Offered: Yes
Tasting cost, per person: Donation
Brewery Rating: Something special
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Epinions.com ID:
c00lguy20
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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