REVIEW 9: SAMUEL ADAMS COLD SNAP

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  The Boston Beer Company

STYLE:  Witbier

ABV:  5.3%

PURCHASE:  60-oz. pitcher, $10.00

SERVING:  Said pitcher, poured into chilled pint glass. Pitcher arrived with a little over one inch of head. Slow pour from the pitcher into the glass resulted in less than half an inch. I got a tad over an inch on the second try, which was somewhat faster, but still steady.

APPEARANCE:  Golden-orange body with a white crown. Opaque and cloudy but also quite effervescent. Has a very inviting glow to it.

BOUQUET:  A seemingly equal meshing of wheat and citrus notes, mainly orange, but with soft assertations of orange zest and coriander. A permeation of banana slips in there.

PALATE:  Overall, a light-medium body with sneaky carbonation that pauses for a beat before making its presence known, then crescendos in parabolic fashion. Hop factor is all but null and void--that is to be expected with this style of beer. Juice-like entry and juice-like aftertaste (for the most part). In between, a zesty mid-palate takes hold, one with a slightly peppery kick. Spice notes become somewhat more aggressive in conjunction with the carbonation, but seem to recede right at the finish. Aftertaste is balanced between a reemergence of citrus notes and a short second wind of coriander and pepper essences. Most prominent at the back, however, are banana tones, though they seem to resemble banana liqueur more than actual bananas. Smooth overall mouthfeel where, remarkably, wheat is an afterthought. And this is a witbier.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Sam's answer to Blue Moon, and due to the spice factor, a bit more distinguishable. But it's not one of the strongest offerings from our friends in Massachusetts, although anything they put out is a safe bet. It's popular to drink witbiers--especially American witbiers like Blue Moon and Cold Snap--with an orange (or lemon) wedge. I don't do that. I want to taste the ACTUAL BEER. Thankfully, it passes all tests, and the drinkability factor is high. That said, I can't help but think that like its direct competitor, Blue Moon, it could use a bit more complexity. Though not a one-note Charlie by any means, the variety that was there didn't seem as expertly blended as it is in other entries in the Sam lineup, like Latitude 48 or the flagship Boston Lager. Sam's commercial tagline is, "Always a good decision." In this case, good but not great.




GRADE:  B