Tried these beers today at a retailer exclusive event here in RI. The Longshot beers are the result of a homebrew competition sponsored by BBC and judged by, among others, Michael Jackson and Joseph Owades.
Samuel Adams Longshot
Black Lager:
IMHO, the best of the lot. Smooth, malty and flavorful, with a deep brown
color and a bitter hop finish. A very roasty beer, and if I were to have
any problem with it it would be that it was slightly fruity, but it was
definitely a delicious brew.
The beers were served with a buffet consisting of entrees prepared with
Sam Adams beers, most notably the new selections. Most notable was pork
tenderloin marinated in Cherry Wheat. The sweetness of the Cherry Wheat
came through quite nicely.
In addition to sampling these beers, I got to meet Jim Koch for the first
time. He is an amiable, pleasant man, and I spoke with him at length about
several topics. He seemed rather shy, but went out of his way to express
the fact that he could not have gotten to the point where he is today
without the help of the retailers who sell his product. He did not come
off as the "sheister" he has been labeled as by some, and seemed sincere
about his efforts to bring quality beer to the US. Neither did he claim
all the credit himself, instead he stressed the role of ALL craft brewers
in the beer revolution.
Great beer, great food, interesting people. Not a bad way to spend a
Thursday afternoon. Especially when it's free!
On June 7th I tried this in bottles:
Though definitely hyped as a German-style schwarzbier, the beer does not seem to me to be one, though it does come close and is my favorite of the longshot brews. The hop finish seems to me too strong for a schwarzbier, much more so than Kostritzer at any rate. I wouldn't say it is coffeeish enough for a porter, though the roasted malt is obviously very apparent.
Interestingly, when I first tasted the beer at a BBC sponsored tasting, I
remarked that it seemed to me far too fruity for a lager, though the beer
seems to be less so now. When I read the recipe on the six-pack holder, it
called for lager yeast but suggested fermentation somewhere in the 60
degree range. Perhaps this explains the frutiness I picked up. In any
case, It's not a bad beer, and I'd suggest picking up a six for evaluation
if nothing else.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
Bottom label courtesy of beerlabels.com .