The folks at Samuel Adams were at the very forefront of the craft beer movement, and to many beer geeks (like myself) ordering a Sam Adams used to be the only craft beer option on most menus.  Times have changed and hundreds of micro brews are now available everywhere from fine dining to TGI Fridays.  Samuel Adams is now a big beer producer, but still hasn't forgotten it's microbrew roots.  Their R&D team continue to introduce quality beers in styles outside the mainstream.  Look forward this fall to a Rauchbier made with smoked malts!  Right now, their East-West Kölsch is really turning heads.

Here's the official description from Samuel Adams: Light and fragrant, Samuel Adams East West Kölsch has a floral and herbal character that balances the refreshing German Kölsch style. A classic Kölsch is less bitter than a pilsner with a slightly fruity and sweet biscuit note. For our version we wanted to create a bright fresh flavor by using Alsatian Strisselspalt hops for a subtle lemon and grassy hop note. We added another layer of flavor by aging the beer on a bed of Jasmine Sambac, a fragrant night blooming flower from Southeast Asia. The jasmine creates a delicate floral aroma and flavor for a wonderfully complex and refreshing brew. 

Thanks to Samuel Adams for keping things interesting for us beer geeks while continuing to introduce new beer styles to the mainstream and educating the general public on how diverse and flavorful real beer can be!

  Official rating: B (Editor rating: A-)