So, Samuel Adams is launching a series of high-gravity "imperial" beers. The first beer in this new series, at least with the designation and packaging reflecting the idea, is an Imperial White - a bold choice in styles for a big beer, as witbiers tend to be among the milder of styles in terms of alcohol content. This one clocks in at an impressive 8.3% ABV.

According to the back label, this witbier will have the characteristic notes of coriander and orange peel, of course, but the mouth feel and body will be much more substantial due to the massive grain bill needed to produce a witbier this big. Should be very interesting, to say the least.

I've sampled several "imperial wheat" beers over the years and I've not been overly impressed. For me, the style doesn't really tend itself well to the kicked up ABV, but I'm optimistic about this one. If they can keep it from coming across like a mediocre tripel, which most of the big wheat beers I've had remind me of, then I'll be impressed.

More news to come on this new series from Samuel Adams soon!

Here's Dave ...

So I stopped by Red Top after work. As I have said they have nothing extremely out of the ordinary most of the time, but definetly more selection than your average small town liquor store. I did note tonight that I believe they have the largest selection of Sam Adams I have seen. Had to be 12 or more Sam Adams styles. So I spotted the Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale and had read your review. I too am a fan of vanilla flavoring for the most part. Love vanilla flavored coffees. So I thought it was worth a try, if for nothing else just to have something different. As you stated, after my first drink the vanilla flavor was almost too much. However after a moment I found myself saying "Wow...that was good".

It was somewhat like a really hot wing experience. Sometimes my brain will go so many places after a bite in a very short amount of time ..."WOW That is way too hot!...no it tastes good....no, it is definetly too hot...these are great....i don't like these wings my mouth is on fire..." Then after a drink of beer I will eat another wing and go through that same process again. I found the same thing going on with this beer.."WOW...too much vanilla.....but I like vanilla....tastes like I am drinking straight vanilla...yuck...no wait...that is actually kind of good...." Then after a moment my brain was saying "Take another drink....that was pretty good" I know you are not a huge spicy food consumer, but from your review it seems you may have had the same experience...the vanilla is too much, yet it is just right!

Strange phenomenon.

Much like the wings at Tres (Tres Hombres is a local bar/restaurant here in Carbondale). In many ways my brain says "Way too much....way too HOT!"..and yet moments later I am thinking "Damn those are the best wings I have ever tasted!" I like this beer. I really do. Definetly ranks high in the macro-micro brews that I have sampled. Probably one of the few I have sampled that I would purchase again.

So the other beer I sampled sounded interesting on the end of the box. Said it was a Belgian White...a Belgian Style Wheat Ale...had won the 2006 Gold Medal and 2007 Bronze medal at the North American Beer awards. Not knowing anything about the integrity of an award from this organization, I thought "What the hell...it won an award from someone!" Now first let me give the owners of Red top some props. The owner, who is an older guy and admitted Coors Light drinker, said "have you had that?' I replied "No" He explained to me that I need to drink it from a glass and that I need to pour all but a bit into the glass. Then I needed to turn the bottle on it's side and roll the bottle a bit, then top the glass off with that last little bit. Said it was a wheat ale and the wheat settled at the bottom...blah blah blah (this recommendation is on the bottle label - it's not so much the wheat in the beer, per se, although some residual wheat particles may be present. Unfiltered wheat ales often have a sediment layer at the bottom of the bottle that contains some grain particles as well as yeast. To A-B's credit, this beer actually does appear to be unfiltered). Now I know my friendly owners probably had not ever even tried this beer. They are willing to buy anyhting from a distributor and see how it sells. They don't know much about beer, but I respect that they will buy "John Boys Crazy Ass Summertime Blonde Beach Hooter Ale" even if they have never heard of it, just on the possibility a customer might like it. Anyway, at least he took the time to listen to the distributor, read the bottle, buy the beer, and talk to his customer.

It was a beer called Shock Top. So I get home and open one and pour it. I did not bother with the turning on the side and rolling the bottle thing. It was my first beer, a long and stressful Friday, and I just wanted to have a beer. As usual, I can't get too technical, but I was like "ummmm this is a boring beer....and I don't really like it!" So I started reading the label more, reading more about the rolling the bottle on it's side thing, and there it was..."Brewed and Bottled by AB!" Now I did not think this was a true gem when I bought it. If for nothing else Red Top doesn not carry anything of gem quality, though as I said, I respect that their selection is different. But I really was not expecting to find A-B! I really thought it might at least be a bit more "non macro". I guess what I came away with from this experience, beyond not liking the beer, was....and brace yourself because I believe this may be a stepping stone...I WAS PISSED! Pissed that I was duped by fancy marketing. Pissed that I could have gone with a more familiar "macro-micro" that I actually enjoyed. Could have just gone with a Sam Adams. Hell I could have just picked up a go to 6 of Rolling Rock. Yes...I found my self being "beer snobbish!" How dare the man try and trick me with fancy marketing only to sell me a crappy beer when I could have knowingly bought a crappy beer for $2 less!

Yes, I realized I do not like the A-Bs of the world putting on a "micro" beer costume in an attempt to out sell the true micro brews. What the hell happened to me? So, another amateur review for you. I like the Winter Cask Ale. Will probably purchase again. Probably a beer Tara (Dave's wife and a killer photographer, by the way) and I could enjoy together. Shock Top...Way to go marketing department....you kind of fooled me! But, though I do not read labels much, I will do so more now with beer. And where I see A-B, I will probably move on, if for no other reason than the principle. I knowingly bought the Winter Cask Ale as an A-B product. I made that choice. I did not make that choice with Shock Top. I was fooled by creative marketing. Pretty much the same they do with my beloved Rolling Rock. Making folks believe it is still brewed by Latrobe with their creative and deceptive marketing!

Thanks for another glimpse into your beer journey, Dave! As I mentioned to you in my reply email, you might try the Bourbon Cask Ale on tap if you like it in the bottle. I think there is a subtle difference - the tapped beer being slightly better. My wife, Erin, loves the Shock Top. She's a big fan of German Hefeweizens, primarily, but she digs Belgian Witbiers too. She sees Shock Top as a good "daily" beer - cheap and easily found at any retailer. There are, of course, much, much better Belgian wits out there, but this one isn't technically too bad for the style. We'll have to let you try a standard Belgian white, like Hoegaarden or an American-brewed version of finer quality like Ommegang Witte, to see whether it is the A-b beer you don't like, or if it is the style. Either way is fine, really. Beer styles, and the tastes we have or don't have for them, is a subjective matter.

Kinda like your bewildering affinity for Rolling rock! haha ... sorry buddy, couldn't resist that one. Best of luck on your beer journey, my friend!