Game Day Beer Review: Sam Adams New Albion American Pale Ale

Sam Adams recently paid homage to the beginnings of the American craft beer industry with the release of its New Albion Pale Ale.  New Albion was a famed California brewery begun by Jack McAuliffe in 1976 -- the dawn of the modern day craft beer movement.  To celebrate where we came from, Boston Brewing returned to the very beginning -- borrowing even the original label art for its latest beer.

Poured into a tulip glass at the home office on a recent work night.   New Albion appeared a goldish-orange with a thick white head that dissipated fairly quickly.

The beer smelled of mild grains and yeast. It was mildly fruity on first taste, with a mellow, floral finish.   It was clean and fairly well carbonated. 

As the first craft beer, New Albion was a long way from the extreme beers that have dominated the headlines in the beer world recently. Drinking this beverage in a world filled with extreme beers was like being harkened back to older and gentler times, when all someone wanted was a good, clean-tasting, well-made beer that didn't get in the way of the moment. New Albion succeeded then, and it does now, as well. B

Game Day Beer Review: Sam Adams Octoberfest Marzen

If it's Fall (or almost Fall), it must be time for a marzen-style beer.  One of the most widely distributed, and conveniently one of my annual favorites, comes from Samuel Adams.  This one should be available pretty much wherever you are in the US.  My review is below:

(5.3% ABV)  Drunk at a farlieonfootie company-sponsored picnic on Fort Lauderdale beach, during a Sunday pig roast, while listening to a cartoon frog sing "Hello, My Baby!" from Correspondent Ed's iphone.  Apparently, it's on his regular playlist.  Enough said about that....





Sam displayed sweets malts and a little bit of fruit, balanced by just the right amount of hop bitterness. There's a slight lingering toffee and fruit taste on the finish. This is a very drinkable beer, much better balanced in my opinion than last year's version.  Great Fall-themed packaging, too.  I'll give it a B

 

Game Day Beer Review: Sam Adams' Infinium Biere de Champagne

(10.30% ABV) Well, I finally had it: the Sam Adams Infinium.  It's not every day you drink a $20 bottle of beer.  


Stashed away in the upper reaches of my wine refrigerator, with the large formats and the bottles of champagne, this particular bottle had rested for several months, along with the thought gnawing away in the back of my head the entire time: Infinium needs to be drunk prior to July 2011.  But what's the right occasion?  In the end I decided it's kind of like the US Supreme Court's definition of pornography: you'll know it when you see it.  And that occasion finally arived, along with an unexpected visit from some out-of-town friends, this past weekend.  But would the bottle live up to the considerable hype?


Soon, the bottle was opened and here's what I found: I poured the Sam Adams' Infinium from the well designed 750 ml bottle into a pilsner glass, all the better to showcase the steady stream of champagne-like bubbles which are a prominent feature of the beer.  It poured a deep golden color, with a fat, three-fingered head of luscious white foam.  


The beer was extremely yeasty smelling, with the strong scent of lemons and straw evident on the nose. But it's the taste that was really different: Wow!  Infinium is tart, with a strong lemon zest. It's also highly carbonated, with a mouthfeel that stands up to its promised vision. It started sour and finished sweet, maybe a bit too sweet for my liking. I don't know that I could drink more than one of these.  


It's unusual and daring, and I give Sam some credit for trying to pull it off, but I don't think I'll be back for more: B-, but worth a try..... 

Game Day Beer Review: Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Noble Pils Czech-Style Pilsner

(4.90% ABV).  Served on tap. Noble Pils pours a translucent golden yellow with almost no head. It has a mild but hoppy smell, with just a slight hint of sweetness. The beer is well carbonated and lively on the tongue.  It was served a little bit too cold for my liking -- making it difficult to discern the various flavors --  but it tasted mildly hoppy and mellow, with some grass or wheat notes added before the crisp, clean finish. Even as it warms the taste remains relatively mild. This is a nice Spring sipper, but not my favorite Sam: B.

Rocky Mountain High

photo by Muffet	via PhotoRee

farlieonfootie reporting from a recent visit to frigid Toronto, Canada, where he attended the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup, as the championship of Major League Soccer was decided before an underwhelming international audience:


BMO Field / Toronto, Canada / November 21

• It's FC Dallas vs. the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Cup Final from Toronto. Toronto, you ask?  Why in the world is the MLS Cup being played in Canada in November? Good questions, as it looks pretty darn cold and windy up in the Great White North tonight. This location was cooked up by the same geniuses who thought the Super Bowl should be played in New York rather than Miami. Steve McManaman looked frozen, as well as VERY orange, as his makeup man used WAY too much orange blush. McManaman looked like an Oompa Loompa.

• You know you're in trouble when the announcers speak about the two teams in the game being "not the sexiest" sides in the League, and hope that the winner can become "relevant in their home market" if they win.

• I will say I am suitably impressed by ESPN's production values, with the network employing both Ian Darke and McManaman in live roles, shuttling them over the pond from their typical English locales. It's yet another sign of ESPN's total commitment to the sport, in an effort to capitalize on the momentum generated in the US by the World Cup. My only request?  Please ditch Alexi Lalas; he's about as good an announcer as he was a player, and that's not saying much.

Little Sweet Pea? Perhaps We Should Call Him the Jolly Green Giant

photo by minnemom	via PhotoRee

Pre game thoughts:  Today could be a difficult one, given United's away form this season, as well as the Brittania's reputation for being one of England's most intimidating venues. Hard to figure, too, how the Wayne Rooney saga will affect the team. Although Rooney is in Dubai, celebrating his 25th birthday thousands of miles away, his presence will hang over the entire match. Whether or not the events of the past week will produce a hangover in United's form, we'll have to wait to see.

Starting in Rooney's place is Chicharito, whose starts are beginning to come more regularly now. Let's see what he can do with this one; fingers crossed he'll show us once again why we signed him. Other surprises in the lineup include RedNev making his 600th appearance for United, and O'Shea featuring as a left back(?), with Patrice Evra switching to left wing(!), likely due to the need for height on the pitch to deal with Stoke's free kicks and long throws.

Stoke start off the more aggressive of the two sides on a sunny but cool day, with United baring their teeth mainly on the counter attack.  Both teams trade jabs in a surprisingly open game with the crowd loudly in support of the Potters.  Berba, Nani and Chicha look fast and menacing when they're on the ball, but to this point the final pass or shot has been just lacking that little bit of quality that makes all the difference.

United are playing with fire as they concede several corners in a row, not usually a winning tactic against Stoke. Much of Stoke's pressure comes down the left flank as they look to take advantage of United's Old Man, Gary Neville.

Chicharito opens the scoring in the 27th minute, as it's surprisingly United that capitalizes first on the aerial game, with Hernandez knocking home a Vidic header across the goal mouth to put the Red Devils up 1-nil.  Chicharito had some significant work to do, as he was facing away from goal and somehow managed to bank it in off the back of his head. Not even the announcers can believe how he was able to generate the power he did; this guy is just an out and out goal scorer.

Ten minutes later and the scoreline and gameplan are still the same, Stoke trying to impose their physical brand of football on the Reds, and succeding only in drawing yellow cards from United's old guard Neville and Scholes.  Neville in fact could be gone, and probably should be a second half substitute, as his presence in the game is allowed to continue only through the good graces of referee Andre Marriner.  We go into the half with 11 men still on each side of a tense 1-nil scoreline.

The second half starts with a no-surprise-to-anyone substitution of Gary Neville (except, apparently, Gary Neville), as Wes Brown makes a rare appearance.  With only Manchester City having a better 2nd half record than Stoke City, United now has its work cut out to come away with a result today.

What referee Marriner gave in the first half, he's taken away in the second, as he forgets to bring his eyes back onto the pitch and misses a clear push on Evra in the box during a 55th minute counter attack that should have sent United to the penalty spot, and the scoreline to 2-nil. With the way this season is playing out, I feel fairly certain in stating that we'll come to regret that moment.....

Stoke ratchets up the pressure as the game hits the hour mark and tempers show signs of fraying, with VDS and Rio duking it out with Robert Huth in front of the United goal. Once again, United see little of the ball for long stretches of the match, as the weak underbelly of the current United midfield is exposed in yet another game.

My sinking feeling continues as Carrick comes on for O'Shea.  Chicharito misses a rare second half opportunity off a volley, and the Potters return to the attack yet again as the game enters its final quarter. United enjoy their first sustained spell of possession this half, before Paul Scholes gifts the ball back to Stoke, and my worst fears are confirmed: Stoke tie the game in the 81st minute, as United are undone again by late strike, this time courtesy of Tuncay Sanli.

Even as a United fan, I have to admit that Tuncay's strike was pure quality. In fact, it's hard to be upset at this point in the season, as rooting for a United win at this point would seem only to beg Einstein's age old question: What's the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.

But its right at the moment that I type this that Chicharito does something different: he scores to give United an 86th minute shocker, and a 2-1 lead. The Little Sweet Pea's touch is instinctive, with nowhere near enough time to think about slotting it home before he magically does so.

Chicharito with the brace, and United with its first away win of the season, as the goal holds up until the final whistle. Three points gained, and maybe the Rooney incident behind us with the emergence of a new superstar. Who says United haven't signed quality players?  Oh, it was Rooney, wasn't it.....

Well forget that, but remember this: The kid is good, and I've known it all along. I'm farlieonfootie for October 25. 

Game Day Beer Review:  Sam Adams Octoberfest Märzen (5.30% ABV). It's that time of year, so we might as well drain another Oktoberfest beer before it's too late. Sam pours a clear copper color with a fluffy, three-fingered off-white head that leaves behind only minimal lacing. Rich caramel malts upfront, with a just-this-side-of-smokiness overtone, and hints of herbal tea moderating into a quick and easy finish. Highly drinkable and very smooth, with just the right amount of carbonation, I think this could be the season's best Märzen: B+