Samuel Adams Longshot 2014 Winners – A First Sampling

It’s always cool to get an early sample of a few beer that I’ve been writing about for months, so a big thank you to Samuel Adams for sending them along.

These are the 2014 Longshot American Homebrew Contest winners and the styles couldn’t be more different and more unique. 

We couldn’t resist starting with Teresa Bury’s Pineapple IPA so off we go.  The aroma of this beer comes in like a Broadway show….biscuity malt, followed by citrusy and grassy hops and then Pineapple as the finale.  My first sniff brought in lots of Pineapple flavors, but I’ll admit they became a bit more subtle as I went.  The beer has some nicely balanced flavors and again the Pineapple gets your attention, but it’s the hops that will get you in the end.  This is certainly an IPA with Pineapple and not a Pineapple beer that just happens to be an IPA.  The mouthfeel is pleasant and the beer finishes nicely, making you want another sip.  We also paired this with some Vermont goat cheese and the pairing was really nice.

Up next we sampled the Russ Brunner’s American Stout.  This beer is a classic stout and the color and head were gorgeous.  The aroma is chocolatey and roasty and the flavors do not disappoint.  Lots of chocolate on the palate with a bit of coffee and some nutty flavors in the end.  This beer has a balanced hoppy finish that tastes a bit dry and almost peppery.  The mouthfeel is a little lighter than I expected but the 7.2% ABV doesn’t hide behind anything.  I liked this beer and we really enjoyed sampling it.

By design, we finished with Cesar Marron’s

Grätzer.  Knowing that this brew was a smoked beer, I knew it would be best to sample last.  I’m probably a poor judge of smoked beers because I simply don’t drink them a lot. 

Grätzer has a lighter color than I expected and of course the aroma immediately hits you with smoke and malt.  There’s a citrusy almost lemony aroma there as well, but smoke dominates the nose for me.  This beer has lots of smoky flavors with a tart and almost sour finish.  I still managed to find the lemon flavors I found in the nose, but the smoke not only dominates your taste buds, but it also remains prominent after you swallow.  The mouthfeel is light but it had a creaminess I liked and at 4.4% ABV you can certainly have more than one.

Be sure to get out and try all three of these beers for yourself.  Each one is unique and the brewers should be very proud of their efforts.