Beer of the Week 11 and 12

Beer of the Week Summer Seasonal Special


I apologize for Beer of the "Week" being somewhat sporadic lately. I will start to try and make up for that with some special editions, starting now with a special Summer Seasonal two-fer. I'll be looking at one very popular nationally distributed brew, Sam Adams Summer Ale, and one great local (to me) beer, Starr Hill's "The Love."


Let's get started.


First the well known beer.


Sam Adam's Summer Ale






The Facts: Everyone knows the Sam Adam's brand. If you don't, well.....I find amazing that you would be reading this little blog and not know about Sam Adam's (especially since a few weeks ago I reviewed the Sam Adam's brewery). But just in case, here is the quick and dirty history. Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch uses his grandfather's recipe and cooks up the first batch of Sam Adam's Boston Lager in his kitchen. The next year it wins an award at the Great American Beer Festival. He sets up shop in the Jamaica neighborhood in Boston. The rest is history.
5.20% ABV.
Available everywhere.
Check out their website here.


What They Say: It has an average rating of 3.46 out of 5.00 at BeerAdvocate.com, giving it a grade of B- from the users. The brothers have also given it a B-. It has an average rating of 2.97 out of 5.00 at RateBeer.com placing it in the 42nd percentile overall and in the 73rd percentile for it's style.

What I Say: In my mind, Sam Adam's Summer Ale is the iconic summer beer. All other are judged against it. I have spent many lazy afternoons on decks and by pools turning bottles of this beer upside-down. Like most summer seasonals, this one is a wheat ale. I poured from a 12oz. bottle into an official Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass (I know I'm a beer nerd). It has a hazy straw colored appearance. The head is small and dissipates quickly. The aroma is bright and citrusy. The taste is aromatic and fruity with some very nice spice notes. What sets Sam Adam's Summer Ale apart from other summer seasonals is the spice blend used. It has lemon zest, coriander, and an anciant African spice called grains of paradise. It has a light, fruity, aromatic aftertaste.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 6 pints.



Starr Hill The Love




The Facts: The Starr Hill brewery is located in Crozet, Virginia, about a thirty minute drive from my current hometown of Charlottesville. They started in a building on Main Street in Charlottesville in 1999. High demand required them to move to a bigger facility, which they did in 2005. More about their history and their beer varities can be found here, at their website.
4.6% ABV.
Currently this beer, and all Starr Hill beers, are only available regionally (mid-Atlantic). They recently signed a distribution deal with Anhueser-Busch that has allowed them to spread beyond central VA, and hopefully they will soon be available even further away.

What They Say: The Love has an average rating of 3.81 out of 5.00 from the users of BeerAdvocate.com, giving a grade of B+. The brother have not reviewed this beer. It has an average rating of 3.24 out of 5.00 at RateBeer.com, putting it in the 62nd percentile overall on the site, and in the 75.7th percentile for it's style.

What I Say: Like most summer ales it is a hefeweizen. I poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. It has a great hazy golden straw color. It had a firm half inch thick head that didn't fade. It has a sweet fruity aroma. It has a nice citrusy and spicy taste and a champagne like mouthfeel. It has a very aromatic aftertaste. I would highly recommend this beer.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 pints.


- Gabe