Samuel Adams Winter Classics Variety Pack

Samuel Adams, also known as Boston Beer Company, is one of the largest microbreweries in America, with a steadily growing reputation and expansive product line. In time for the holiday season, Sam Adams is now featuring the winter variety pack. Following the standard of winter-style beers, most of the six varieties are slightly higher in alcohol content, full-bodied and heavily spiced. 

Chocolate Bock

Style: Bock

ABV: 5.6 percent

Rating: 3/5

Bocks are essentially beers with high amounts of lager. They are often malty and dark. Following this theme, Chocolate Bock smells light and malty, with some vanilla and light cocoa. It tastes like a medium-body lager with little alcohol coming through, but the chocolate flavor is most comparable to chocolate Ovaltine or Nestle powder, making it slightly unappealing. It is overly sweet and malty, and it stays on the palate for the entire taste. If you prefer bitter chocolate or coffee, steer away, but if you want an entry-level beer with added, nontraditional flavors, try it.

Old Fezziwig Ale

Style: Winter Warmer

ABV: 5.9 percent

Rating: 4/5

With quite an interesting name, this beer doesn’t disappoint. It pours a medium brown but has a minimal nose. With slight caramel, malt and cinnamon, the flavors are not overpowering. The taste is where it shines. It exposes ginger, caramel and orange right off the bat and is extremely well balanced. Anyone interested in a stereotypical but well-made winter ale should give this a try.

Winter Lager

Style: Bock

ABV: 5.6 percent

Rating: 4/5

An excellent winter offering, this beer has strong malty and roasted flavors on the nose, with hints of cinnamon and mild citrusy hops. It has relatively low carbonation and is light to medium bodied. The taste starts and progresses with nuttiness, sweet malt, roasted grains and a touch of cinnamon. The hoppy finish also has some indeterminate spice and floral flavors. Mild alcohol warmth at the end earns the Winter Lager its name and reputation as a great example of winter lagers.

Holiday Porter

Style: American Porter

ABV: 5.9 percent

Rating: 3/5

Pouring very dark brown to black, this beer appears heavy. It smells slightly of coffee and chocolate. The taste is lighter than anticipated and has more carbonation than other porters would. Porters typically feel heavier in mouth-feel, but this one feels noticeably lighter. Because of this, the feel and taste lack and seem blander. But heavy spices and light mouth-feel make this the most sessionable beer in the pack. Perfect for those interested in having a few of them in one sitting.

— Compiled by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

Published on December 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm