The Swill: Samuel Adams Honey Porter
The Still: The Boston Beer Company
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.samueladams.com
The Drill: Porter brewed with honey, 12oz bottle, 5.45% ABV
The Spill: A part of Samuel Adams' Brewmaster's Collection, this beer shows great care in its crafting. The beer pours a deep dark brown with a light tan head, giving off an unmistakable aroma of honey and molasses. The honey is very evident in the flavor as well, something that immediately sets it apart from lesser-quality honey beers. However, the inclusion of honey in a strong ale like a porter is another thing that makes this brew stand out. Most honey beers are golden lagers, whereas this one is a meaty, robust porter, brewed with English ingredients to a definitively American standard. The body is heavy, and the mouthfeel is solid, two things a great many English porters lack. As a result, the honey accentuates the overall flavor of the beer, instead of taking it over completely. It lends a rich, molassesy note to what was surely already a tasty treat.
Says Bill: Samuel Adams has been atop the microbrewery food chain for such a number of years now that some extreme beer lovers almost regard them as another one of the big guys; they aren't counterculture anymore, so they must have lost their touch. However, one taste of a beer like this shows you that the folks in Boston haven't lost their edge, and reminds you that they truly deserved to get where they are.
Refill?: I better. Holly's been wanting one of these: 4.5 taps out of 5.