This brew, a Fall seasonal release, incorporates some pretty cool features to create a fine sipping beer.  Brewed with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and a load of pumpkin it offers a great aroma where all four ingredients add their distinct qualities.  A deep brown Porter-like hue with a small head the focus was not on the appearance of the beer, but the aroma.  The cinnamon and nutmeg notes played well with the roasty character of the malt and the pumpkin gave a gentle Thankgiving pie familiarity.  I’d say the smell set me up for a minor disappointment.

The taste was similar, but the mouthfeel lacked the viscosity I was looking for.  I wanted something a little chewy and creamy.  Instead, it come across rather watered down.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about flavor here…just mouthfeel.  I could see this potentially going well with pumpkin pie as it seems more a dessert beer.  Slight coffee notes were present and the spices were at just the right amount.  Overall, I did enjoy this beer!  Great for those cooler Fall nights, fireside chats, and Thankgiving meals.

Hoppy Feet doesn’t have a provocative label: just a picture of a dude sitting on the back porch with his clown shoe-clad feet up on the railing. I poured it into my tulip and it developed a nice, loosely frothy light tan head … thanks, hops! This beer utilizes tons of Northwest hops, namely Amarillo and Columbus … so the nose is bursting with grapefruit citrus notes, and is subtly tempered by a nicely roasted malt backbone that doesn’t smell too overpowering.

You take a sip of Hoppy Feet and I think you can be convinced that hops and malts can play together nicely in this style. It doesn’t look like an IPA, but it smells and tastes like one. And then it’s got those different flavors akin to a porter or stout: chocolate and coffee, toasted to perfection. Despite being hoppy I still think of this beer as a balanced IPA, if that is even possible. It’s not the grain bill I’m referring to … it’s more the mouthfeel and overall taste experience. The hops are big up front, give way to some nice roasted flavors in the middle, and then return to the sip with a crisp refreshing finish.

To be honest, I didn’t care much for the label art or any of the perceived buzz surrounding this beer here in the Midwest … but Hoppy Feet is a good brew, and drinkable at only 7.0% ABV. Hat’s off to Mercury Brewing Company for this well rounded “black” IPA.

And its Sam Adams Wee Heavy that’s my special treat. It wasn’t until just a few months ago that I discovered the Scotch Ale category of beer. With a Founders Backwoods Bastard in my snifter, I had truly crossed into uncharted territory. It was unique, it was complex, it was just plain good. So for Sam Adams shot at the style, I had this high benchmark in my mind.

It poured dark, not quite stout, but almost, a surprising tone for what I thought a Scotch Ale should be, and it was crowned with a nice top of fluff. The sweet scotchy-caramely goodness was on the nose. I loved sniffing it in again and again, hopeful that the flavor would be equal to the scent. There were hints of a warming alcohol on the nose as well, giving me a yearning for an autumn day where that warming would be just right. There was a dryness too, mixed with a yeast, or perhaps it was even the yeast itself. My sip was a bit of a surprise. Remembering the Founder’s creation, it was hard to climb to that pinnacle of flavors. This version lacked complexity and subtlety, it was more in-your-face flavors of liquor and heavy burnt malt. It was clumsy almost, overdone to prove a point and the finish was dry and too malty. There was a bit of dark fruit, again clothed in the sweetness and malt.

I admit, this Wee Heavy had a big task ahead of it. To prove itself to me as a comparable brew to one of the most interesting beers I had consumed to date. While it was decent it came up a…wee bit short.

So today, with the first Chicago snow still gently falling outside my window, Jessica Simpson (I know) belting out something about decking the halls and my wife joyfully wrapping gifts, I decided it was time to open my present and see just how generous ol’ Sammy had been.

The porter was a deep mahogany, with its core even darker, but not quite black. A nice, tan, frothy head formed and blurred my pint glass like snow on a windshield. The scent was simple, but pleasant, like a cheerful child. Maltiness presided, with wisps of sweetness, brown sugar and slight chocolate. The taste again is malt forward with a sting of sour and a bit of dark-chocolate-bitter on the finish. Its not chewy, but the mouthfeel is solid, more so than many porters I’ve sampled, and lingers in a good way.

Thank you, Mr. Adams, and Merry Christmas.

When SA brewed this beer they did it under the umbrella of a schwarzbier which translates “Black Beer”. Coffee brown would be a better description of the color. But black is close. From there you get a foamy cream colored head that died quickly and a pop like aroma that doesn’t draw you in. Light and watery to mouth with some carbonation gives you the sense that is a sessionable beer and the ABV confirms that. Molasses is the dominate first impression. My wife took a taste and grimaced at the overwhelming molasses. But if you like molasses this is a beer for you. The molasses kept me from experiencing any hops or malt which was disappointing. It finished easy and left no after taste. Not the beer I’d order up on a gray day with the fire roaring but it did get me in the mood for a good stout that will meet my expectations.

I didn’t know what to expect, really. I don’t think I’ve ever had a beer of this style, so if you’re a Bock-aholic, you may want to find an opinion infused with a bit more experience. I digress. From this point of view, this bock is black. Even held up to the light, all I can see is my reflection in the marble-like surface. An uneventful head was present initially, turning into a boring bit, floating like an ice ring in the holiday punch. Expecting chocolate, my nose got some, but not pure and straight, rather a little, well, off. It wasn’t malty either, but instead almost as though chocolate had been warmed, maybe burned a little and then doused in sugar. It was intriguing, so I held judgment until the sip. That’s when things got a bit more interesting. While not particularly complex, it most definitely matured on the scent. The malt foundation was there, with a stinging core of dirty chocolate and molasses. It was a bit boring, flat like a root beer out in the sun too long, and finished both earthy and bitter. An average choice, it seems like a middle child, an unexciting alternative to many better choices.

This beer pours a clear orangish-brown with a thin head that didn’t last very long. Carbonation was strong in the beginning but faded quickly. There was a smell of bready malt and caramel. Pleasant enough. Caramel is the advertised distinctive and it comes through both in aroma and taste. There seems to be more malt than hops. The taste is caramels, toast and a subtle metallic in the background. The mouthfeel is somewhat smooth but not creamy. Not watery but not much substance. Not a beer I’d buy but certainly would take as a gift.

ABV: 5.5%

Grade: B-

The Cherry Wheat is one of my favorite go-to brews, but unfortunately I have to say that Sam Adams sort of drops the ball on its remaining wheat beers. The White Ale, Coastal Wheat, Blackberry Wit, and Summer Ale all taste very similar with the exceptions of various spices and fruit ingredients. Checking out the profiles for each of these beers on their website, I found the grain bills to be exactly the same. Cherry Wheat is the exception since Munich-10 malt is utilized giving it a toasty quality closer to the Oktoberfest. I’m a little saddened to see this. In all honesty, I was hoping that each beer would somehow be a unique all the way down to the base malted used. Enough about my personal likes and dislikes and onto the beers which is currently getting warm.

Blackberry Witbier is exactly that…a sweet smelling fruit beer. I’d recommend it for those hot, sticky summer BBQ parties where having a couple drink options might be a good idea. There is a very noticeable blackberry aroma that wafts up during the pour. Characteristic of the Witbier style it has a substantial head, but lacks the yeast left in the bottle. Upon inspection I noticed that it looked filtered as the beer had a clear almost Pilsner-like color. I did not catch a hit of blue, red, or purple from the berries used.

The taste is smooth and easy. The wheat malts provide a creamy mouthfeel and the blackberries give a pleasant sweet taste to them. I will say that the berry addition/content is almost borderline too much. It reminds me of biting into a fresh blueberry muffin and getting only berries. The finish is laden with the blackberry flavor, but it does go down clean. I would urge all to drink this while it is nice and cold in order to keep it a quick refreshing beer more than anything.

I never thought I’d say this, but Sam Adams came up short on this one.

ABV 5.5%

Grade: C-

For me Goose Island IPA is the American standard of an English-style IPA. This is quickly followed by Two Brothers Resistance. Both of these beers are a straw-golden color which is lighter than most IPAs (which have a deeper amber/caramel tone). Harpoon is similar in that their version possessed the same hues gained from the 2 Row Pale malt. Apparently, they add a couple more malts for a toasty flavor that is noticeable.

While Goose Island uses cascade hops, they also some English varieties that give a nice spicy, earthy aroma. Harpoon seems to only use cascade, but they do so in a delicate manner. This is not an “in your face” IPA. It is floral and light bodied. The nose is citrusy, honey-like, and flowery. It does lack some depth in the hops as it comes across rather one dimensional. There is still an enjoyable bitterness and shines through in the latter half of the sip but rather mellowed. The malts are sweet and provide a pleasant, easy sipping pale malt texture.

This is not a heavy beer and finishes clean and crisp. Unfortunately, there is not much of an aftertaste nor does it linger. I’d say this is closer to an APA considering I’ve has hoppier pales than this. While Harpoon’s IPA was a good brew, it failed to leave a lasting impression on me.

ABV: 5.9%

Grade: B-

However, I was wrong. As I poured the richness of the brew became apparent. There was a pleasant fruity hop aroma that wafted up from the class. This fruitiness was also accented by a mellow earthy, herbal quality that added some depth. My first thought was that this looked and smelled like a British pale ale more so than an American. After consulting their website I found that the reason behind the unfiltered nature of this brew was done to replicate a BPA. I’d say they did a great good at doing so.

The head was compact and looked like a beer drawn from a cask. The yeast gave the beer a nice aroma of fresh cut hay and bread while providing a heavier mouthfeel. Pale malt was of course highlighted and it came to the forefront wonderfully. I believe the yeast helped to bring out the grainy aspects. The hops were not lacking, but not aggressive allowing for a nicely balanced beer. It was easy sipping and rather smooth. I was left with distinct hop flavors paired with a grainy straw-like malt aftertaste.

I’ll definitely be partaking of this brew again!

ABV: 5.3%

Grade: B+