The Swill: Samuel Adams Irish Red
The Still: Boston Beer Company
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.samueladams.com/
The Drill: Irish Red Ale, 12oz bottle, 5.5% ABV
The Spill: As mentioned two posts below, words like caramel are often used to describe subtleties in beer, which not every drinker will notice. However, this beer takes caramel to another level, and anyone who tries it is sure to get the hint. Special malts called Caramel malts lend this flavor, and the brewers must have used quite a liberal amount of it. What's best is that this is truly a two-part beer, where the hops greets you up front and the Caramel malt then serves as a sweet finale.
Says Bill: Another edition of Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection, this is a very enjoyable and complex beer. I remember trying this beer for the first time this past summer in the kitchen while I was helping Holly prepare dinner, and being blown away by how different the beer tasted at the end of the sip than in the beginning. The hops delivers a nice, gentle bite before being overcome by the malt, behaving like dinner and dessert with every swallow. Holly really liked this beer too, and coincidentally, she's in Ireland right now vacationing with her cousin Dawn. I may have to give her a six pack as a welcome home present when she comes back tomorrow. Serendipity, or just a great segue? You decide.
Refill?: Erin Go Bragh! And Erin, go pick me up some beer while you're at it: 4.5 taps out of 5.