December 28th, 2011
Brew England . Sam Adams Winter Pack
Beer Advent Calendar – Day 28: Old Fezziwig Ale presented by Brew England
Beer Advent Calendar – Day 28: Old Fezziwig presented by Brew England
To celebrate the Holiday Season, 2Beerguys.com and Seacoastbeveragelab.com have teamed up with beer bloggers around the country to host the first annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you. 31Bloggers Blogging – click here for the running list of beers/bloggers.
- Blogger: Adam from Brew England
- Website: http://brewengland.com/
- Beer: Old Fezziwig Ale
- Brewery: Sam Adams Brewery /Boston Beer Company
- Website: http://www.samueladams.com and http://www.bostonbeer.com
Commercial Description:
Spicy and bold, a big Christmas cookie of a beer.Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale is bursting with spices of the season. With a remarkably full body and flavor it helps those long winter nights pass more quickly. The rich taste hits the palate with a depth of malt character ranging from sweet toffee and caramel notes to dark, roasty chocolate notes. Then the spices come in full force. Cinnamon, ginger and orange peel dance on the tongue bringing with them the celebratory spirit of the season.
Details:
- Style: Winter – Spice/Herb/Vegetable
- First Brewed: 1995
- Original Gravity: 15.6° Plato
- ABV: 5.8%
- Calories/12 oz.: 213
- IBUs: 25
- Malt Varieties: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts, Munich 10, and Chocolate Malt
- Hop Varieties: Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops
- Special Ingredients: Orange peel, ginger, and cinnamon
- Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast
- Available: Seasonal (November – January)
Why I selected the Old Fezziwig from Sam Adams Brewery:
For being my clear favorite seasonal brew within this winter mix pack, I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to actually review the Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale. I’ve been a fan of this beer since the first time I tried it, which must have been back in 2004 or 2005.
The Old Fezziwig pours a rich, earthy brown and slight reddish tinge liquid, with a light brownish head. Although the head doesn’t linger too long, it does leave a nice layer of foam which sits atop the brew inviting you in to take a sip. The beer features a pleasant nutty and slightly sweet malty aroma. Subtle hints of the spices used in the brewing process come through as well.
The Fezziwig has a slight sweetness from the caramel malts, balanced by rich notes from the chocolate and specialty grains. It’s pleasantly sweet without being too one dimensional. It should also be pointed out that although it’s brewed with cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel, no one of these ingredients overpowers the other.
The mouth feel of this beer is mild and quite silky smooth. I find that it finishes rather dry and isn’t too heavy. Because of this, and despite the fact that the ABV is moderate at just under 6%, the Old Fezziwig Ale is a very drinkable beer. Sadly though, this is only available in the winter Holiday Mix Pack (and allegedly available on draft, though I’ve never seen it before) and not in six or 12 packs alone. However, if it were, I would happily purchase more! This is, in my opinion, the highlight of this winter mix twelve pack.
Cheers and Happy Holidays to everyone!
About Brew England:
A hardcore beer lover who gazes as lovingly at a fresh glass of cold craft beer, as one may imagine other people gaze into their newborn’s faces. A budding homebrewer and a man whose passion for great craft beer knows no limit. Our mission is to explore the breweries, brewpubs and brews of New England and blogging about our experiences
There are so many fantastic breweries, so close to us. It’s an ideal road trip, a fun adventure and the craft beer movement in New England is gaining momentum every day. This blog is hopefully a way to chronicle our brew-trips as well as to celebrate local restaurants and bars that feature good selections of local brews on tap! Throw in some Tuesday Night Tastings, reviews of local beer, recipes using local beer, and some good stories along the way and that is what Brew England is all about.
About Sam Adams / Boston Beer Company:
The Boston Beer Company is America’s leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavored beers. Founder and Brewer, Jim Koch, brews Samuel Adams beers using the time-honored, traditional four-vessel brewing process, and the world’s finest all-natural ingredients. With over 30 distinctive, award-winning styles of beer, Samuel Adams offers discerning beer drinkers a variety of brews. The brewery has won more awards in international beer-tasting competitions in the last five years than any other brewery in the world.
Samuel Adams is an independent brewery and brewing quality beer remains its single focus. While the Samuel Adams brand is the country’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for just under one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Company’s flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, is brewed using the same recipe and traditional brewing processes that Jim Koch’s great-great grandfather used in the mid 1800s. The result is a beer renowned by drinkers for its full flavor, balance, complexity, and consistent quality. For more information, visit http://www.samueladams.com