As craft beer lovers, we are bombarded with beers that claim to be hop-bombs. Most of these IPA’s and Imperial IPAs are great studies in the aromas and flavors of this wonderful flower. Unfortunately, sometime a brewer feels by adding a pile of hops to a beer and naming it Hop-something will give them the desired result.
Shopping for beer today, I stumbled across an old favorite and indeed a hoppy brew. The funny thing is there was no mention of hops in the beer’s name. The label was not covered in graphics of hop cones. Ostentatious claims of the beer’s hoppiness cannot be found anywhere on the beers label – just the words Rich, Balanced and Complex.
The beer I am talking about is Sam Adams Boston Lager. Sam Adams Boston Lager clocks in at 30 IBUs, not quite the 70+ IBUs we find in an extreme hop-bomb. However, it is two or three times hoppier than most beers classified as lagers.
What makes this craft beer so good is the balance. The aroma of Sam Adams Boston Lager is hop forward with great orange/citrus tones and pine esters. The mouthfeel is full with a nice malt washing over the palette during the initial sip. There are caramel and roasted tones that fight for your attention with the Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops in the finish.
As its modest claims state, this beer is rich, balanced and complex. There is a wonderful drinkability to this beer; its 4.8% ABV makes it a great session lager.
