But not this one.

The caramel color is very appealing and the aroma was familiar to other brews from Sam Adams—but a little light. That made me very excited to actually try it. This is where my disappointment began.

The nature of a lager is to be more thirst-quenching, but Sam’s weizenbock did not offer the complex flavors that I’ve come to expect. The initial mouth-feel is extremely weak; almost watered down—a quality that the Boston Beer Company spends a lot of time attempting to dispute.

The finish was a little stronger, but not enough to compensate for the initial lack of flavor. Additionally, my expectation is that a weizenbock maintain some level of spiciness, which Samuel Adams Winter Lager did not.

Bottom line—this is officially my least favorite of the Sam Adams arsenal. If they were trying to brew a light winter lager without the lower calories, they have succeeded.

1.5 Mugs (out of 5)

There are a slew of what one may call “good beers” out there. From your standard Guinness to the more exotic (and recently reviewed on this site by Jeremy) Three Philosophers Quadrupel Belgian-style Ale , there are plenty of tasty suds to keep the wandering palette busy. But don’t forget about all of those, as I like to call them, Standard Issue Pilsners (SIPs). 

According to Wikipedia (read as “anonymous web resource”), the American-style lager is “…categorized by a light-gold or straw color, moderate alcohol content (4-6% abv), and muted to nonexistent hop character (carried to an extreme in dry beer). Malt flavor is generally rather light, with a very light-bodied mouth feel.” 

While I agree with this description, I also like to be reminded of how important this often taken-for-granted style of beer really is to those of us who enjoy the more exotic brews. You can call them Pilsners, American Lagers, Rice Beers or whatever you want, but don’t forget that they are the ones that keep your booze brokers in business and bring many alien ales to the good old US of A. Now, I’m not going to quote a bunch of statistics or figures to you (I’m a beer drinker not a grad student) but let’s just think about the simple under-lying process behind it all.

There are many, many more beer drinkers in this country who prefer the Budweiser and Miller Light (SIPs) to the Smithwick’s or New Castle. Hence, more SIPs are sold per capita bringing more revenue to the stores that sell beers. Without the income that the SIPs bring in, stores wouldn’t be able to spend extra coin on the less purchased exotics (domestic or imported) that some of us prefer.

What is my point here? Well, what it really comes down to is this: Don’t forget to support your SIPs. Buy some of the cheap stuff every once in a while and drink too many of them. Forget about how good your Warsteiner goes with a Bratwurst or how rich and delicious and dark that Murphy’s Stout is. Go get a case of your favorite SIP, call a few good friends over to watch that televised sporting event and make your way towards having to piss every five minutes. It all goes to a good cause: paying the man who controls the inventory.

And as Ernest Hemingway once said: “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”  Cheers!

Now, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of this seasonal malty lager as this has been a part of Jim Koch’s (Samuel Adams/The Boston Beer Co. founder) arsenal since 1989. But have you taken the time to really let it flex it’s malty sweetness? If you haven’t, I suggest you give it a chance.

Paired with the right food the sweet caramel and toffee flavor really sing. A good pot roast, hearty kabobs or even BBQ ribs (with a sweet sauce) are all great foundations. The bold flavors that come along with these selections really let the strong malt character do it’s work and stand up to the flavorful meats. Cooked carrots, roasted diced potatoes or grilled asparagus will help to round out the meal and maybe an easy Mac and cheese to finish it off. I personally went for the kabobs, some baked beans and potato salad.

With a few comrades and a fight on the tube I was able to plop down and warm up the seat of my sectional sofa long enough to fill up the paunch. What a great way to start off the Fall Season. Until next time… Keep your beer cold, your feet warm and belly full. Cheers!

The Ultimate Weight Loss Plan.

I play at least 2 hours of Ultimate Frisbee 3 days a week. It’s amazing what chasing a flying disk around a field for 2 hours can do to a man.

After all that running in 100 + degree heat, how is a person to find refreshment and fresh carbs to replace all those burned on the field of ultimate battle?

A trip to Tyler’s Tap Room at the Ammerican Tobacco Campus supplies us with plenty of options. Over 100 options, all on tap.

And what might the ideal poison be on such an ocasion?

A nice, cold, Alagash White Wheat, straight from the tap, with a slice of orange. That’s what.

I will save you the details this time and just say that there isn’t much more refreshing in the world of beer than a summer wheat.

I would love to give you a break down of the flavors and aromas but frankly, I wasn’t paying attention. (first sip pictured) I was just too damned satisfied to think about anything other than the bottom of that glass.

My recommendation, experience it for your self. Get out on a hot day and work up a serious thirst. Then b-line it straight for the closest (100 beers on tap) watering hole and get your self a nice summer wheat.

I then challenge you to try and remember enough about it to leave your experience in the comments.

While the service is just OK, and the lounging leaves plenty to be desired, the atmosphere, food and abundance of outdoor seating, make it a winner for me.

I guess the hit or miss service and having Tyler’s Tap Room, with over 100 beers on draft, just across the courtyard keep things quiet and tables available. (You will hear plenty about Tyler’s later)

Whenever I go to Cafe Zen, I get chirashi. If you enjoy sushi and have never had chirashi, order it. It may not be on the menu, but I guarantee the chef can make it. Basically its a bowl of rice with all kinds of sashimi piled on top. Soooooo goooood. It’s also fun to notice how the different chefs will prepare it at different restaurants and in different regions.

In my opinion, there is only one thing in the world better than chirashi…

Chirashi with beer.

On this particular evening, I went with a nice 22oz can of Sapporo.

First off, Sapporo is not a beer I would think to pick up at the store to keep around the house. It’s more of an immersion thing. You eat Japanese food, you drink Japanese beer. It’s just what you do. The week before, I had ordered Kirin Ichiban but wanted to try something different this time since I knew I would be blogging about it.

Saporro seems to me to be a dryer lager with slightly bitter hop to it.

As an accompaniment to my chirashi, the Sapporo was quite tasty. The aroma was salty like a Caribbean ocean breeze with hints of citrus. I noticed that the beer tasted better with salmon and snapper than any of the other sashimi. The fattier fish didn’t pair as well for some reason. When I was done eating, I drank some water then finished my Sapporo, it was more bitter and less enjoyable with a clean pallet.

Note to self, finish Sapporo before finishing dinner.

I hope you enjoyed this review.

Do you have any favorite food/beer pairings?

Tell us about them in the comments or post to your own blog with a track back.

This Belgian-style ale (9.8% alcohol) is mixed with a Cherry Lambic. It has a familiarity of a Barley wine upon the first sip, and I actually think the subtle cherry flavor cuts back the additional alcohol overtone of this type of brew. There’s a dramatic, reddish color—almost chestnut. I really enjoyed getting a nose-full of this stuff. Three Philosophers is extremely rich with chocolate and caramel and nutty overtones.

Requirements: This is not the beer for you on a hot summer day. Aside from the extra punch, it’s heavy on the stomach. Although, I could imagine enjoying it in lieu of wine on a cold, rainy afternoon. Also, make sure you use proper glassware for this stuff. Someone use a Pilsner glass and it caused an extremely foamy head which did not retreat quickly. A chalice-type glass and a proper pour is essential.

Pairs with: Beef, Almonds, Dessert

We have a dream. That dream is to follow our passion for the maltiest malts, the hoppiest hops and carving out that perfect “ass-groove” on the most comfortable couches.

If money was not an object, we would be beer tasters and couch testers.  What brew goes best with caviar?  If you were to spend seven hours playing Halo or watching football, which seating apparatus would meet your needs?  Can man survive on beer alone?  Together, we will answer these and other important questions.

Bottom’s up!