SPRING BREWS FROM DESCHUTES AND SAMUEL ADAMS … AND AN ODE TO BOSTON LAGER
Although winter still has some punch left, this is the time of year when most breweries release their warm weather brews. These spring/summer beers typically sport a lighter, more approachable style. However, for me, their “drinkability” usually comes at the price of flavor interest. While, this style of beer generally isn’t my favorite, I have to admit the new releases from Deschutes and Samuel Adams are certainly “drinkable” and worth a taste.
Deschutes “River Ale” likely qualifies as a ”session ale,” with its low 4% ABV.
There is a good balance of malt and hop (a relatively modest 28 IBUs).
It opens with malty aromas, accented with a light lemony, hoppy bitterness followed by a similar flavor profile.
Samuel Adams “White Lantern” is a Belgian-style white ale, with added tangerine and orange peel, coriander and
Grains of Paradise (this is typical of traditional Belgian ales to have added spices and other flavorings). With a higher but still relatively moderate 5.5% ABV, this unfiltered potion offers citrus, bread, caramel, and lemongrass aromas. The flavor profile is similar but a bit toastier, with a touch of hoppy bitterness, despite the very low 10 IBUs.
Sam Adams “Double Agent IPL” is an altogether different creation. Note the “IPL,” as in India Pale Lager. Here we have a successful attempt to combine the hoppiness of an IPA and the subtle maltiness of a lager. Again we’re talking a modest 5.0% ABV but with a somewhat higher 43 IBU.
I liked the white pepper and grapefruit in the nose. I found the palate quite intriguing with a light hoppy bitterness and a hint of citrus built on an oat-like foundation.
I also want to take this opportunity to ruminate a bit on Samuel Adams Boston Lager. This iconic craft beer, now almost 30 years old, is easy for craft beer lovers to dismiss. Certainly, when it was introduced to American beer drinkers in 1984, it was a breath of fresh air, even a revelation, at least to this flavor starved beer drinking palate. At that time, I think the only other craft beer with which I was familiar was Anchor Steam Beer. Otherwise, my search for character meant trying different imports.
Boston Lager has always seemed to me to taste more like an ale than a lager. Maybe it’s because coming of age in the 1970’s, my experience with lagers was the typical American mass produced beer. Regardless of the proper style definition, Boston Lager’s hoppy character (from high quality Hallertau, Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Noble hops) seems fairly pronounced (even at 30 IBUs) but it is balanced nicely with creamy malts (a two-row pale barley malt blend and Caramel 60).
Jim Koch’s first commercial brew exhibits a bit of spicy citrus and pine qualities in the nose. The palate presents with good bite (even though it only provides a modest 4.9 % ABV) balanced with a pleasant creaminess. The beer finishes with citrus and caramel notes.
It seems obligatory for many craft beer advocates to downplay beers like Boston Lager that have been around a long time and are produced in relatively large quantities (at least by craft beer standards). Everyone is looking for the next “new thing” or “extreme beer.” And the Boston Beer Company has its fair share of those. But they deserve a lot of credit for maintaining the high quality of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, even as production has increased.
