Episode 14: Sam Adams Boston Ale - Back to Boston

Its been a few since we've posted a new show, but we are back with a vengeance this week with the start of our American Pale Ale (APA) series and Sam Adams Boston Ale. A widely distributed beer that everyone should be able to get, Sam Adams is a great first step in the series.

News

A news story from the great state of Wisconsin this week where breweries decided to reenact the Boston Tea Party by dumping a keg of their beer into the Milwaukee to protest new legislation regarding small brewers. I will be honest, I didn’t really read what the legislation was about, I was too upset over all the spilled beer.

A Little History Lesson...

• American pale ales come from British origins and its cousin the English pale ale.
• In general, this style is going to be a very balanced style, resulting in a not to hoppy, but not to malty taste.
• This in large part is a function of the ingredients
• When craft brewing started to gain some ground on the west coast, brewers wanted to give the public something that they enjoyed
• They decided to turn to British Ales, but could not afford to ship the ingredients from Britain

Sam Adams Boston Ale

• Weighing in at 4.94% ABV, this beer is very easy to find. In fact if you can’t find this beer, shame on you for six weeks
• More copper in color than the beers we looked at previously
• A balance taste, but much more pronounced hop or bitter flavor
• You can tell it is different than the lagers we have talked about, it's a bit heavier and has a definite aftertaste

Next week

Next week we will be talking about the Godfather of the craft brewing industry, Fritz Maytag and Anchor Brewing Company and his Liberty Ale. So be sure to tune in next week!