A wealth of seasonals

Sam Adams Black & Brew Coffee Stout

Sampled: Thursday, Nov. 10 and Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011

Sam Adams’ Winter Classics always work best when they include a new style.No one will confuse Black & Brew with Cranberry Lambic for character or quality. Black & Brew  has the nose of a champion, a rich brewed coffee character. Thanks to a dose of Sumatran blend, it smells fresh and potent.  Aside from some residual roasted malt scents, the coffee dominates as it should in any good coffee stout. I don’t often go for beers so beholden to one flavor, but damn, Sam Adams really strikes a powerful tone with the coffee.

Clingy brown lace follows the body all the way down the glass. The inky body supports a heavy dose of coffee; it runs rich and deep. Flavors like chocolate and toffee also cut in. They create an interesting dichotomy as oily and dry characters meet each other head on. Moreso than most stouts, especially coffee varieties, Black & Brew tastes fresh and lively – almost unbelievably fresh. The roast throws off vibrant notes of hazelnut, almond and cocoa beans. It reminds me of old vintage of Terrapin’s Wake N Bank Imperial Coffee Oatmeal Stout. But Black & Brew weighs in at a more drinkable 5.8 percent ABV.

Sam Adams has produced plenty of fun and intricate dark ales throughout the years – Cream Stout and Honey Porter come to mind. Coffee Stout should join them and gain a spot in in Brewmasters Collection – provided it does not lose any of its potency, a fear when any beer like this gets brewed in greater quantities. 

 

New Belgium Lips of Faith: Fresh Hop IPA

Sampled: Nov. 24, 2011

The nose is all flowers and cream. Beneath the cream, Lips of Faith Fresh Hop simmers with fruity notes of lemon, apple and grapefruit. The body reminds me strongly of Sierra Nevada’s Northern Hemisphere Harvest, a beer rich in oil and grassy textures. The body begins light and viscous then takes a starkly bitter turn.

Lips of Faith Fresh Hop includes Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo hops, all added to the brew kettle within 24 hours of picking. The creamy head performs a nice opening act. I believe the Amarillo and Cascade hops push to the front, because they continue straight past the finish. There’s an oily, lemon tea feel to the whole affair, which largely works. The bitter finish does not linger in the fashion I’ve come to expect from many a bad IPA.

Give New Belgium respect for truth in advertising – too many fresh hop ales are IPAs masquerading as lighter ales. Lips of Faith definitely produced an IPA. Its 7 percent ABV fits just right, and while the IPA sometimes threatens to overwhelm the palate, it does not get that far.  It’s solid for a one-off blast of hops, but don’t expect this small-batch series to produce an everyday fresh hop ale. They’re seasonal, and should remain so.