no.52 - Sam Adams Cherry Wheat

Every so often I will see a seasonal variety pack of Sam Adams on sale and my first thought is:

"Is this from last year?"

If I determine it is not, and it is the start of the season, I will likely buy it. I like variety. I like diversity. It's almost like bringing home my own little liquor store. It isn't until I get a few beers in that I discover why this is a bad idea.

These seasonal "collections" are a Trojan horse. They sneak unwanted beers into my kingdom. Ten out of twelve will be fine, but two, I am convinced, are packed in so the brewery can fob them off onto an unsuspecting public.

This season's sneak beer is Sam Adams Cherry Wheat which is like Sam Adams lager except it tastes like someone dropped a Sucrets* into the bottle. I'll put up with that weird, pseudo cherry flavor to sooth a sore throat. I will not accept it from my beer. (My wife disagrees with me about the flavor suggesting, strongly, that it tastes more like Luden's.)

The bottle states it is a "Wheat ale brewed with real cherries." This might be true if the good people over at Sucrets use real cherries too.

I will admit that the slightly raw throat that I have been nursing for the last 24 hours does feel just a little bit better.