Beer Review: Samuel Adams Winter Lager

I purchased this beer to celebrate my passing an important test, allowing me to take upper level engineering courses. I have had Samuel Adams beers before, and generally like them fine, but I had never had their Winter Lager, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

According to the 6-pack packaging…

This rich and hearty lager is brewed with flavorful spices such as cinnamon, orange zest and fresh ginger. The character and complexity of Winter Lager add warmth to a winter evening, and is a welcome complement to any holiday table.

I didn’t notice until after I had finished at least my first bottle that the bottle refers to this as a “dark wheat lager brewed with winter spices”. Here goes the review.

The Pour
This pours to an orange-tinted maple syrup color. A very light tan head appears, about 1 1/2 fingers high, and leaves good lacing as it dissipates. This is a  very clear brew and looks to be at least somewhat crisp. 

The Nose
This smells tasty. The nose doesn’t come right out with any strong aromas to me, which makes me feel better about purchasing this beer. That probably means it won’t be overspiced. I can pick up hints of cinnamon and possibly the ginger. There is some maltiness and an ever so slight roasted scent.

The Taste
The first thing I noticed in the taste was the ginger. Not that it’s overpowering because it’s not at all. This has a medium-full body with an interesting mouthfeel. It seems to be creamy and round but it crisps a bit on the edges. I can taste hints of the cinnamon and orange mentioned on the packaging. There is almost a maple syrupy hint in the nose and taste that becomes noticeable as it warms, and it gets a little stronger by the end of the bottle.

Overall
This is a very smooth and rich brew. It’s creamy and carries a sweetness but is not at all cloying or overly sweet. The flavor profile is complex and interesting. I was a bit surprised to see it’s a wheat lager. I think this is a very tasty and enjoyable winter beer!

Recommended: Yes, without hesitation. It’s very well suited to the winter season without being heavy.

Price: $8.79 per six-pack

ABV: Beer Advocate says 5.8%

Beer Review: Buckbean Brewing Co. Black Noddy Lager

As I mentioned in my review of their Orange Blossom Ale, Buckbean Brewing Company was founded in 2007 in Reno, NV. They can their beer instead of bottling it for environmental reasons. According to their press release package, microbreweries only bottled their beers initially because the aluminum canning lines were not designed for smaller production, so glass bottles were their only option. So people began to equate glass bottles with good beer.

Along with sending me free samples of their Orange Blossom Ale, Buckbean was kind enough to send me samples of their Black Noddy Lager. As I am a fan of dark full-bodied beers, I was looking forward to this.

The Pour
This poured with a beige tight, thick and fluffy one-finger head. It is not completely opaque but pretty close. This looks like my kind of beer….looks like motor oil in a glass.

The Nose
There are nice coffee and roasted malts notes mingling in the nose. There is definitely chocolate in there vying for attention as well. This smells thick and chewy, and also has hints of dark plummy fruit.

The Taste
This has medium carbonation and is an oily medium-full bodied beer. Coffee, chocolate and malt flavors are well balanced, although coffee notes take the forefront. This is a smooth brew with a strong, almost bitter roasted finish. The plummy notes are present as well, but the bitterness stands out on the finish.

Overall
This is a very dark tasting brew. Lots of different flavors going on at once, which is nice, but I do wish it had a bit less of the slightly burnt tasting bitterness on the finish.

Recommended: Maybe…if you’d really like something full flavored and very roasty, this is your brew.

Price: Unknown

ABV: 5.2%

Beer Review: Margaritaville Brewing Co. Landshark Lager

I am a Parrothead. I’m an introverted Parrothead who prefers to enjoy Jimmy Buffett’s music in solitude, and who’s only been to one Buffett concert so far, but a Parrothead nonetheless. So when I heard Bubba was coming out with a beer, I was thrilled! But then I tried Landshark Lager, and realized Bubba had made a big mistaica.

To be fair, it is actually made by Anheuser-Busch, who have specialized in making beer for the taste-deprived for a long time. But Jimmy, did you try the beer before you put your name on it?

The Pour
This pours with a decent, loose head. It is a typical Anheuser-Busch beer color, a dirty straw color, resembling watered-down apple juice. The beer looks very thin and extremely light bodied.

The Nose
This smells like a standard American lager. It’s very light with vague and subtle floral hop notes. Like the color and the taste, the nose is barely there.

The Taste
Imagine drinking a good lager down to the last swallow, then filling the rest of the bottle with water. Then drinking it. You’ve just had a Landshark Lager. There is barely a hop note that appears mid-finish, but for the most part it’s like drinking sparkling water. Depth of flavor: absolutely none. So light bodied it could be anorexic.

Overall
Do not buy this beer. Sure, if you’re a Parrothead, you may want to help put more money in Bubba’s pockets in return for the years of music and fun. Do it some other way. Bubba, I’d love to buy you a couple of beers. First, a Landshark Lager, so you can see what is being sold in your name. Second, a good lager, so you can see what is possible.

Recommended: No. As Robb Zerr over at The United Nations of Beer says, “it bites!”

Price: $7.49 for a 6-pack

ABV: 4.7%

Visit the Landshark Lager Web site