United Nations of Beer

Samuel Adams Cranberry

by Matt Dodson
(Beer Delegate, AB, USA)

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic
Samuel Adams, MA, USA

Let me start out by saying that I have an ongoing love affair with the Samuel Adams Brewing Company. No domestic (though seemingly hand-crafted) beer company in the US can even come close to the rich, bold and inquisitively complex hoppy flavor of their beer. I applaud Sam Adams for not being shy of hops and malts.

Now that my adoration for this company has been exposed, let me now say that I absolutely LOATHE Samuel Adams cranberry lambic. This is a complete bastardization of what a lambic is supposed to taste and look like.

Now, it's common knowledge that we Americans are notorious for reinventing the wheel, so to speak, and adding our own twist to perfectly sound inventions. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it's a complete flop. This is definitely a text book example of the latter.

A simple definition of a lambic is as follows. Belgian beer style: a strong, sour-tasting draft beer brewed in Belgium from aged hops.

Well we all know that this beer is NOT Belgian by any stretch of the imagination, as it's brewed by an extremely proud and patriotic American company, so we won't count that against them. Another point worth mentioning is that most American beer drinkers are not used to or ready for the taste of a true lambic beer.

That said, it's no wonder that Sam Adams has "nerfed" this style of beer towards the palates of the American imbiber. But for anyone who has experienced the unique flavor of a true Frambois lambic they know that it can be a pleasant change of pace for the palate, with its strong sour-like taste complemented with (traditionally) RASPBERRY overtones, an earthy taste and a lingering head.

Sam Adams has confused the lambic with the fruit infused wheat beers a la Abita Purple Haze (which is an entirely separate and horrible experience). Samuel Adams Cranberry lambic is creamy, sweet and obviously nothing more than a heffe with a plethora of cranberry syrup added as cover up.

It's kind of like dressing a wolf as a sheep. It might look like a sheep, but it's still a wolf with ill intention: and when this wolf rears its ugly head, LOOK OUT! This is definitely a beer with an identity crisis.

Seeing how this beer is part of the Seasonal Mix 12 pack, the best advice I can give to a true beer lover is to hand this over (and as quickly as possible) to the wine cooler drinker of the house/party. They may not care for it either, but now it's their problem, not yours!

As for the other Sam Adams seasonal brews, I still love them and I still highly recommend them to the beer lovers everywhere. One horribly-made beer doesn't ruin the fun for me during the Christmas season!