Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the Sam Adams Summer Styles, from Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 5.3%

So here we are...drinking the final beer from the 2012 Sam Adams' Summer Styles mix-pack. It seems appropriate to finish with the Cherry Wheat...a beer I've had many times, and a beer that is not beloved by all.
As always, a word on Sam Adams:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

So...the Cherry Wheat. I've had this beer many times, and already know where I'm going to rate it. The question is: do I hate this beer like everyone else, or enjoy it? If you check out the Cherry Wheat profile page, you can find out all the goods about this beer. This is an American-style beer brewed with Michigan cherries, malted wheat, Noble hops, and a touch of honey. The malted wheat gives the beer a "cereal note," which I can vouch for. The beer is brewed by adding cherries to the mash, and then honey is added at the very end. Clocking in at 5.3% ABV, 176 calories per bottle, and 23 IBUs, this beer uses Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops (citrusy, fresh), malted wheat, cherries, and honey. This thing sounds like a cherry Wheat Beer. Does it taste like one? On with the review!

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

In low light, the beer pours a hazy orange/straw color, with 4-fingers of foamy, bubbly, wheat-beer looking head. In lower-light, the head has a slight straw tint. Held to bright light, this is a yellow/straw-colored beer, with hints of orange. The head is super white, and even after dissolving quite a bit, there is still a nice layer of foam on my beer (along with some lacing). The beer is just ever so slightly hazy, and has moderate to high carbonation in the form of medium to large-sized rising bubbles.

The aroma is okay, with cherries, a creamy wheat note, big cereal notes, cherry cough syrup, artificial cherries, mild hop notes, a hint of honey sweetness, and a seriously dominant wheat/cereal note.

The taste is really creamy, smooth, and full of giant wheat/cereal notes. You get a lot of sweetness, including notes of caramel and honey. And there are big artificial cherry notes in here. It's hard to believe this is brewed with real cherry, as you get big syrupy cherry notes...less cough-syrup-like than in the nose, but still artificial. It's not an unpleasant cherry note, but it doesn't really taste like biting into a fresh cherry. There is maybe a hint of tart or tang cherry in the taste. Lots of wheat and cereal notes. Maybe a hint of mild UK hoppiness. 

The one thing this beer really has going for it is its mouthfeel. This beer is amazingly smooth, and super creamy. There is a great cream/cereal/wheat note that drives this beer. It's oddly enjoyable. With moderate but supportive carbonation, this beer is super smooth and super drinkable at 5.3% ABV, but still has a medium-full mouthfeel. There's just a slight thickness to the mouthfeel. Palate depth is good, complexity is low. Up front you get cherry, honey, and wheat; the middle is cherry and wheat/cereal; the back end is lingering cherry and wheat/cereal. 

Rating: Above-Average

 

What exactly is this beer? Well...it's a cherry beer. A cherry Wheat Beer. This beer knocks everything out of the park, except for the cherry. And that's why I have to go with a Light Above-Average. But I still like this beer a lot. This beer has an awesome creamy/cereal/wheat note that I just find myself drawn to. The cherries? Not as much, with their slightly artificial flavor. But I can overlook that, because sometimes I don't mind artificial cherries. This isn't a beer I lust after regularly. One sixer every year or two usually hits the spot. But when it hits, damn. And again...maybe I'm biased by the nostalgia, friends, and Bears games I've enjoyed while drinking this beer. With that said, check out the Sam Adams Summer Styles mixer. Overall, it was pretty successful this year. And until next time...don't drink and inhale.