Samuel Adams Pale Ale Review

Samuel Adams is undoubtedly the most popular craft brewing operation in the United States and its products can be found everywhere. Ask someone to name a Samuel Adams product, however, and you will likely hear one of a handful of styles like Boston Lager, Boston Ale, Cherry Wheat, and others even though the company brews about thirty different beers. One product you don't hear much about is Samuel Adams Pale Ale, an English style pale ale.

Beer Commentary:

Samuel Adams Pale Ale offers a golden/orange color with carbonation that is below average, leading to an average or below amount of foam, even though the foam does leave some lace. The body of this beer is completely clear and the nose is a little bit grassy and herbal, with the faintest touch of fruit.

Samuel Adams Pale Ale offers a flavor that doesn't emphasize any one flavor. It combines the tastes of pale malt, toasted caramel, a touch of apple, and some earthy hop notes. The body of this beer tends toward the lighter side, and it is an easy drinking brew. The ale is made using two row pale malt, Fuggles, and East Kent Goldings hops. The final product contains 5.25 percent alcohol by volume.

Samuel Adams is a brand familiar to most anyone who loves fine brew, but its pale ale product is among its lesser- known beers. It doesn't get the attention that the other Samuel Adams products receive and it certainly doesn't have the advertising/promotion budget of the others in the Sam Adams portfolio. Thus, it is one of the few Samuel Adams products that seems to get pushed into the background.

One reason that so many people dismiss Samuel Adams Pale Ale is the fact that it doesn't meet the expectations of many who sample it. I can remember the first time I sampled this beer and I, too, was surprised. It wasn't bad beer, but I was expecting something very different in taste. I had my mind set on a West Coast pale ale flavor, overflowing with citrus hops and also a little fuller in body. This Pale Ale is actually brewed in the English tradition and thus it is softer and smoother in taste. I appreciate it now, but my initial impression was negative because I was expecting something different.

Samuel Adams Pale Ale tends toward the lighter side, but it still offers a good deal of flavor. There is an earthy hop presence and even a touch of apple in the taste and the ingredients are a little more balanced overall. I would like it better with a little more body, but the taste is actually pretty good. It is also super- clean, with a see- through body that makes it look like a glass of water with light food coloring added. The taste, while on the light side, is not as light as its appearance indicates.  

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Samuel Adams Pale Ale is a good tasting product and one that I recommend. It isn't anything incredible, and there is nothing about it that stands out as highly unusual or intriguing. But it does qualify as a good glass of brew and it is one I will reach for when I want pale ale but don't want the familiar taste of citrus hops so common with American versions of this style.