American Craft Beer Week is May 16-22

May 13, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

American Craft Beer Week is May 16-22, 2011. So this week, when you have a beer, enjoy one from one of America’s craft brewers!

It’s been a heck of a year for craft brewing, and thanks for letting me spend some of that time with you. Be sure to try some of the beer from breweries we’ve visited in the last year:

… and to some we were close to, but couldn’t get enough time to stop by …

Have a great week! Cheers!

Samuel Adams Summer Styles Variety Pack

April 25, 2011April 26, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ 3 Comments

Summer has arrived! At least for Samuel Adams it has, since the Summer Variety Pack has arrived in stores. This year, Pale Ale and Blackberry Witbier (a winner in the 2008 beer lover’s challenge, which didn’t seem to be judged by beer lovers, in my opinion) were replaced by two new styles: Rustic Saison and East-West Kolsch.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Light

Summer Ale

Latitude 48 IPA

East-West Kolsch

Rustic Saison

I have to admit, there’s a lot of potential in this mix pack, particularly since I’ve tried the Rustic Saison on tap and it was pretty good. It should be a great summer beer.

Have you tried the Summer Styles Variety Pack? What’s your opinion?

Samuel Adams Longshot Pack Now in Stores

March 30, 2011March 30, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

Samuel Adams has released the Longshot Pack, which are the commercial versions of the beers the winners of their annual homebrewing competition. The competition is an homage to Sam Adams’ homebrewing roots. This year’s mix pack salutes Category 23 beers, or beers that don’t fit into a standard beer style. In the pack are two bottles each of:

Blackened Hops Ale

Honey B’s Lavender Ale

Friar Hop Ale

Check back soon for reviews of these interesting beers.

Have you had the Longshot 23 Pack from Sam Adams? What did you think?

Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye

January 13, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

As part of the American Originals Variety Pack, Samuel Adams released the winner of the 2010 Sam Adams’ Beer Lover’s Choice contest, Revolutionary Rye.

With this beer, I didn’t quite know what to expect because rye beers run the gambit of beer styles. Initially, this smelled like bread and a bit like spicy hops. It tasted a bit malty, but there was a lot of flavor from a pine-like hop variety. It left quite a bit of bitterness in the finish. I think if you enjoy IPA‘s, you might like this beer since it reminded me of a less-bitter crisp IPA.

Have you tried the Revolutionary Rye? What was your take?

Samuel Adams American Originals Spring Variety Pack

January 10, 2011January 11, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

Samuels Adams American Originals Spring Variety Pack

Now that the calendar has turned the page to 2011, breweries are beginning to release the spring seasonal packs (except Leinenkugel’s, who thought Dec. 1 was late enough in the winter season).

The spring seasonals are a great way to start to shed the strong, malty beers of winter and begin to enjoy the lighter beers the new year brings. Samuel Adams repackaged their Spring Brewmaster’s Variety Pack by removing the Honey Porter, Black Lager, and Boston Ale, and renaming the pack the “American Originals” along with adding a few new beers.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager

Scotch Ale

Noble Pils

White Ale

Irish Red

Revolutionary Rye (winner of the 2010 Sam Adams’ Beer Lover’s Choice)

So far, the pack looks good, with the Irish Red being one of my top 10 beers. The Revolutionary Rye looks interesting, so look for a review of it soon.

Have you tried the American Originals Spring Variety Pack? What did you think? Which ones did you like? Which ones didn’t you like?