Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic?(available as part of a Sam Adams Winter Sampler 12-pack for $12.49 at Hannaford)
This past week I treated myself to Sam Adams's annual sampler, which boasts six different styles of tasty beer. Intrigued by its name, I started with the Cranberry Lambic (classified as a Dutch Lambic beer). Upon taking the first sip, I was blown away by its sweet cranberry overtones; it was easily the sweetest beer I have tasted this semester.
As I continued drinking, I began to notice more of the dry, subtle beer flavorings that followed the cranberry tsunami entangled in the first sip. By the end of the bottle, Cranberry Lambic had taken my senses for quite a ride, characterized by fruity ups and seemingly bottomless downs. I definitely could not have taken another one of these brews, which taste like they're concocted by Ocean-Spray.
Overall, this is a pretty extreme beer, packing in as much fruit flavor as you would get from a Budweiser/cran-raspberry juice combo. I recommend it to those of you who like sweet beers and think it would be a good meal companion or dessert beer. My Ratings: Taste: 2.8, Partyability: 0.7, Benefit/Cost: 2.4.
Sam Adams Black Lager?(available as part of a Sam Adams Winter Sampler 12-pack for $12.49 at Hannaford)
When I first picked up this black beer, I was expecting the bitterness of a stout. I was pleasantly surprised when the crisp refreshment of this Schwarzbier hit my lips with a taste akin to a very dark brown lager. This beer's body features a bold presence of hops, located somewhere in between the neck and label of the 11-inch glass bottle.
Despite the dark appearance of this beer, it has a full-flavor profile and should be a welcome addition to any winter collection. Interestingly, when it is poured, this beer's head appears chocolate-brown, exhibiting a satisfying display of contrasting shades before the initial gulp. The beauty of this beer, like many other winter drafts, is that it can be consumed in multiple situations?dinner, dessert, breakfast, midnight snack, etc. Heavy as it is, the Black Lager will fill you up after two or three, but will sit in your stomach more comfortably than many of its dark brethren. All in all, I give this beer two thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone who likes full-flavor beers. My Ratings: Taste: 4.0, Partyability: 2.2, Benefit/Cost: 3.2.
Bud Light?($4.59 for a six-pack, available at Hannaford)
Of the three major light lagers brewed in America (Coors, Miller, and Bud), I would have to say Bud Light is the best. Compared to its competitors, Bud manages to pack enough flavor into each can to make it seem as though the brewers actually decided to include non-water/alcohol ingredients.
I find that Bud Light is the smoothest of the three light beers and can deliver the best response from party-goers?dudes and chicks alike rarely complain when someone shows up with a 30 of Bud Light. The worst part about this beer is the price, coming in at around $17.00 for a 30-rack. If you are trying to look classier by purchasing Bud Light instead of Natural Light, you're not kidding anyone and you just spent $4.00 more than you needed to.
Bud has in recent years made the bottle more streamlined and sleek in hopes of making its beer more fashionable and pleasing to the eye. I must say that this was genius?I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say they can chug the new cans "so much faster" than the old, slower ones. My Ratings: Taste: 1.1, Partyability: 4.6, Benefit/Cost: 3.9.