Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale, IPA & Coffee Stout – A First Sampling

Way back in August I brought you an early peek at Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale, Nitro IPA and Nitro Coffee Stout.  We were excited to get a peek at these new cans back then and even more excited to see them chilling in the mybeerbuzz ‘fridge this afternoon.

A big thank you to everyone at Samuel Adams for not only giving us an early sample of these beers, but also including the proper glassware to sample them in (more on that later).

The team at Samuel Adams spent three years experimenting with packaging of nitro-charged beers, and more specifically, how to deliver that nitrogen charging in a can.  Samuel Adams calls nitrogen the fifth ingredient in the beer (after water, malt, yeast & hops) and I couldn’t agree more that this 5th ingredient is an important one.

Nitro beer use nitrogen and carbon dioxide to charge the beer and the nitrogen has a significant contribution to how the beer tastes and how the beer feels.  Nitrogen bubbles are smaller and the resulting mouthfeel is softer, richer and creamier.

So how does the can work?  Samuel Adams includes what they call the “nitrogenator” (aka a hollow plastic widget–see photo below) in each can.  Once the can is open, the nitro pressure is released and away we go.  The idea is to replicate the nitro-draft experience, without the need for a skilled bartender to do the pouring.

So without further nitrogen-adieu, lets get to the sampling.  First off I should mention that Samuel Adams included a specialty Nitro Project glass.  This glass is similar to a nonic glass, with a much more pronounced bulb and a shorter squatter stance.  The glass is flared at the top to enhance aromas and mouthfeel; and the size is perfect for aggressive pouring.

I should mention up front that once the can is opened, the rush of nitrogen requires a pretty immediate and aggressive pour….so down the center we went with each beer we tried and I dare you to not get caught staring at the cascade of bubbles as the beer settles out!

Up first is Nitro White Ale.  The aroma of this beer has notes of orange and grains and you can’t help but notice how the soft and creamy mouthfeel really works well with this wheat/white beer.  The beer is spicy, citrusy, velvety-soft and it finish clean and slightly peppery.  I suspect it will get better, but this white ale is a really good fit for nitro charging.

Next we had to try Nitro IPA.  I personally drink an IPA in one out of about every two beers I drink (maybe more), so I couldn’t wait to see how the nitro charging affected this IPA.  The aroma is very citrusy and hoppy, and once again, the mouthfeel is creamy and velvety-soft…however, with six hop varieties on board, I was pleasantly surprised at how the hop character of the beer shows itself.  While you’re enjoying the mouthfeel, the resinous and bright citrusy hops come pushing through in a big way.  Somehow the creamier mouthfeel actually revealed the hop flavors even more rather than masking them…grapefruit-y, floral, citrusy, pine-y and even berries all come through.  All in all a very drinkable and fun IPA, with new flavors peeking out at every sip.

Finally we sampled the one beer style we actually had some nitro-history with, Nitro Coffee Stout.  This is perhaps the most mesmerizing beer to pour, so be sure to pour it aggressively and stand back and stare.  Once you’re done gawking at it, you’ll get notes of chocolate, coffee and even some raisin.  The mouthfeel is like velvet and the finish is roasty and complex.

We really enjoyed sampling these beers and I think Samuel Adams has some really unique beers here.  All three are available nationwide in 15oz canned 4-packs so be sure to try them for yourself, and as always, be sure to let us know what YOU think.

And if you want a peek at what may be coming next from Samuel Adams in the Nitro Project, click here.