Samuel Adams Boston Lager Review

Undoubtedly a popular beer, but is Boston Lager worth it?

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Updated on 10/18/19

Samuel Adams Boston Lager is the flagship beer of the Boston Beer Company. It is the beer that this now famous brewery started producing in 1984 and it quickly became one of the most popular American lagers sold today.

Boston Lager is available everywhere and it is a very reliable, enjoyable beer that beer drinkers can fall back on. Of course, everyone who has tried Boston Lager has an opinion of it and this is one of those beers that can quickly lead to a heated debate.

Craft beer aficionados often knock it for being a big brand brew trying to come off as a hand-crafted, premium beer that is overrated, and yet, for other drinkers, it is the beer of choice. As always, it is important to remember that taste is subjective and people should enjoy what they like.

About Samual Adams Boston Lager

Boston Lager is based on the recipe for a homebrew that Jim Koch cooked up in his kitchen that was inspired by his family tradition. It would be very interesting to do a side-by-side tasting between that homebrew and today’s version to see if and how far the recipe has strayed from the original.

Koch comes from a long line of brewers and did not originally intend to continue this legacy and become the sixth generation in the business. However, in 1984 he saw what the brand calls a craving among beer drinkers to enjoy “something different in their beer.”

Though the craft beer market was around, it was nowhere near the scale that it is today and the Boston Beer Company quickly became one of the leaders in this revolution of brewing. Granted, the brewery quickly outsold others and the definition of “craft beer,” which had to be realigned with the growth of the industry. And that is where much of the controversy around Samuel Adams stems from: Is it a craft beer or one of the big breweries?

Whatever your position on that argument is, you have to admit that through good marketing and what has to be a decent group of beers, Samuel Adams is popular. They now produce a vast line of brews that is difficult to keep up with, including many seasonal offerings (see below for more reviews).

Tours of the Boston, Massachusetts brewery are available.

Tasting Notes

Boston Lager pours with a short but dense, white head. The body is clear and dark golden in appearance. The nose is full of floral, spicy hops. This continues into the first taste. It has a malty sweetness that finishes with a nice hoppy whack. The bitterness lingers and leaves a refreshed feeling.

The Details

Full-flavored American lager produced from Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops.
Boston Beer Company’s Flagship Beer
4.9% ABV
IBU: 30
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