This is my last American craft ale review for a month as in a few days I’ll be swapping the US beer scene for a short hiatus to Cornwall and Kent for a brief return to the UK world of ale. No doubt I’ll also be swapping the heat of the Pennsylvanian summer for the milder Cornish climate, but it’s a chance to crack open some awesome English beer. Cornish beer video review to come next month!
My last offering for a short while then is from a brewery for which I have reviewed before: the famous (Stateside at least) Samuel Adams Boston Beer Company. It’ll be July 4th soon, the US Independence Day celebration where folks usually pack their time with water pursuits, parades, food and fireworks. So with that holiday spirit I picked the Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA.
It claims to be flavoursomely wheat-brewed with spices and apricots. Let’s see if it’s a real cracker or whether it’s something this Brit ends up wanting to ceremoniously chuck into the river in the spirit of a certain Tea Party from Adams’ home town…
First whiff delivers very hoppy notes. It pours with a nice pure white creamy lacing and a head that sticks around. It’s a light amber colour and doesn’t appear to be too gassy. So far, so good.
The citrusy tartness hits your taste buds straight away. I got strong, sharp notes of grapefruit, orange, pine and lime. But it’s the distinct hoppy flavour that clings to your palate long after first sup. It’s very crisp, clean and tart although I can’t detect much of the apricot or the spices that the label promises.
Verdict: A decent IPA with a lot of kick. It’s quite a feisty brew in the hoppy American IPA tradition. It will pair well with any barbecuing (err, sorry, I mean “grilling”) over the July 4th holiday and has a perfect summery taste. The US hits a winner with this one. It’s not one I’d dump out at all. In fact, at only 5.8 % ABV I can safely handle another bottle to sit down and watch the fireworks with. Happy Fourth! See you in Cornwall soon.
