Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 24

Taste: 8 Finish: 7 Visual: 5 Aroma: 4
Total: 24

As the beer reviews become reborn, I start with the benchmark of beer, Sam Adams Boston Lager. It separates the good from the great. Since all reviews are subjective and not absolute, I use this beer as the baseline to compare all others against. At a rating of 24 out of 30, it leaves just enough room for improvement for a truly great beer.

To start, the color is a perfect deep amber with no artificial overtones. The head is foamy with no brittleness. A nice hoppy aroma is present. The taste as it rolls over the tongue is of strong hops and malt barley without being overpowering. It is a bit dry with a little sweetness. It finishes a bit strong leaving a lingering hop aftertaste. This is its weakest trait. In bottles, the aftertaste can wear on you a bit. As with most beers, on tap it has a slightly smoother finish. It’s a beer you can enjoy on the couch or with a steak at a nice restaurant. To summarize it is bold without being overpowering.