BIG BATCH, BIG FLAVOR, BIG VALUE – SAMUEL ADAMS HOPSCAPE
HOPSCAPE, SAMUEL ADAMS, Hoppy Wheat Ale, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. Abv 5.5 IBU 30
For decades, small European brewers have regaled us with praise for the big brewers of the United States. “Do you know how hard it is to brew big batches of beer with no off flavors?” they would say, and our reply of “Yes, and no flavor at all to speak of” didn’t change their admiration for the US powerhouses. It’s interesting to watch those big batch brewers get into the small market game, however. Some do it pretty well (Saranac) some not so great (fill in your favorite Crafty calamity here.) Samuel Adams has brewed beers in big kettles almost from the beginning and continues to prove they can get small batch taste from kettles that were made for big batch brewing. They don’t hit a home run with every new formula, but their batting average is pretty impressive. We were pleased to see that Megan Parisi has found a home with Samuel Adams and was one of the brewers who formulated this beer — DC beer geeks will recognize the name.
(brewery photo by Ashley Leduc)
We stumbled into Hopscape in a chain hotel Abingdon, Maryland. In a cooler filled with yellow stuff, it was an easy pick. Even after a day of tasting small craft brewers’ specialty products, its flavors were marvelously moreish. Wheat can add a lemony note to a hoppy beer as well as brightening the overall taste. Used skillfully, it complements the hops, but the balance is tricky. Samuel Adams gets it right here. One of the things that big batch brewers do well fairly often is to create very clean flavors. The big guys just don’t release infected beer, phenols are very rare and diacetyl (buttery or cream tastes) are kept under control if they’re there at all. That cleanness, matched with quite respectable hop and malt flavors, made for a near-perfect end to a long tasting day.
Brewery description: Hopscape is brewed with four varieties of West Coast hops that add bold pine and grapefruit notes to the deep golden wheat ale. Chinook, Citra, Centennial, and Zeus hops impart citrusy, dank resin and grapefruit rind aromas that lead into a balanced flavor of bright citrus and piney hop character. White wheat and a two-row pale malt blend add a crisp, light sweetness, and the beer finishes with a slightly lingering bitterness.
(Brewery Photo by Ashley Leduc)
Our Tasting notes: Rich gold with a bit of haze. A soft and creamy start almost mimics a nitrogen smoothness. Spicy, fruit hops are West Coast American, but you find some similar flavors in Bavarian craft beers these days. Some lime and stone fruit perks it up and cleanses a very slight late cream.
Food Pairings: It’s soft enough to have with broiled fish, and the echoes of lemon and lime would complement it well. But it’s hoppy enough to hold its own with something spicier. Beer Review # 0096 20170401
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