Samuel Adams Irish Red Brewmaster’s Collection

It’s time to try something a bit different from the Samuel Adams branding. Boston Beer Company has always done well with their beers by shipping a high quality product of homebrew standards with great tastes sticking to traditional recipes.

Irish Red is no less. Truly, I was worried when I poured the Samuel Adams Irish Red into my tall pint class. I’ve had many Red’s and plenty which were “so so” standard fair and I wanted Samuel Adams to be better. They did one well with this recipe, a beautiful amber color and a 1-inch high thick white head was met with a smile.

The aromas are earthy with hints of caramel malts melded well with a hoppy grainy scent. The aroma was surprisingly strong considering other reds I’ve tasted which had barely any scent at all. The lacing upon the side of the glass was strong and well defined. The taste was slightly fruity, slightly earthy with a good deal of caramel malt balanced against a slight hoppiness.

This is a well balanced brew, starting off with a sweet medium bodied highly carbonated tickle down to an earthy hop finish. The taste of this Irish Red is much like its nose (or aromas), with a bit more caramel smell than taste. Most of the caramel you’ll “taste” is probably its scent rising through your nasal passages greeting you with a happy glow.

The major downfall of Samuel Adams Irish Red is in its small selection within the Brewmaster’s Collection. There are only a few bottles in the twelve pack leaving me wandering around for more. I sat here expecting a mediocre microbrew from Samuel Adams because I’ve always found the best Red’s coming from the UK or… Ireland!

Samuel Adams has shown their serious about making a great Irish Red by sticking to a well formulated recipe and creating something distinctive and their own. I highly suggest you rush out and pickup a Samuel Adams Irish Red.