Bold and rich, with a touch of holiday spice.
The first thing one notices about a Samuel Adams® Winter Lager is the deep ruby color. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The cinnamon, ginger, and hint of citrus from the orange peel blend with the roasty sweetness of the malts to deliver a warming, spicy flavor. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with the season.
The first thing one notices about a Samuel Adams® Winter Lager is the deep ruby color. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The cinnamon, ginger, and hint of citrus from the orange peel blend with the roasty sweetness of the malts to deliver a warming, spicy flavor. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with the season.
http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=a6f2e74f-a650-4bae-aa93-1dfbeb5593e4
Of Course, this is the traditional winter lager of The Ik, but, Sam Adams puts out a few lesser-known winter beverages that are worth mentioning:
Tart and sweet, with complex fruit, maple, and vanilla notes.
Samuel Adams® Cranberry Lambic is a fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it’s brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by the weissbier yeast in the primary fermentation. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries, bananas, cloves, and nutmeg. The yeast fermentation also creates a slight sourness on the sides of the palate, reminiscent of the original lambic style. That sourness, along with the astringency of the cranberries, is combined with a subtle cereal note from the malted wheat. It reminds its drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it’s still a beer.
Samuel Adams® Cranberry Lambic is a fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it’s brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by the weissbier yeast in the primary fermentation. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries, bananas, cloves, and nutmeg. The yeast fermentation also creates a slight sourness on the sides of the palate, reminiscent of the original lambic style. That sourness, along with the astringency of the cranberries, is combined with a subtle cereal note from the malted wheat. It reminds its drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it’s still a beer.
And, it's great to cook with! http://www.cubert.net/2009/01/cranberry-lambic-and-root-beer-braised.html#!/2009/01/cranberry-lambic-and-root-beer-braised.html [Cranberry Lambic & Root Beer Braised Beef]
http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/food-beer/cooking-with-sam.aspx?rid=7b07fb68-c025-49bf-aaad-df0f54d71806 [Sweet & Sour Pork]
You can check out more Winter Classics by clicking on the image, below:
Wassail with Alcohol
Variant Alcoholic Wassail
Non-Alcoholic Wassail
THEN, there is the Winter beer to dominate all other winter beers; a beer-drinker's Shangri-La. According to The Brew Site (click to read entire review):
"Samichlaus—which is Swiss-German for "Santa Claus"—is a dark lager brewed once a year, on December 6, and then bottled the following year. Yep, that’s nearly a full year of aging/lagering, and the result is a vintage batch that bears the bottling year on the label"
"Samichlaus” beer is brewed once a year, in each case on December 6th, and stored and matured afterwards for over 10 months before it is bottled. Samichlaus” beer can mature for many years in the bottle; older vintages obtain a complexity and receive their creamy warm aftertaste. This beer can be served with heavy meals and desserts, particularly with chocolate - or as digestive and meditations drink. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the strongest lager beer in the world with 14 % alcohol and 32° original extract content. It is brewed exclusively of natural raw ingredients after the purity requirement of 1516. “Samichlaus” beer is filled in a 0.33 litre designer bottle embossed with Schloss Eggenberg and in barrels of 15 and 30 litres for export."
Until next season, people...
Enjoy the flavors of great conversation, and drink responsibly!
