90 Samuel Adams Boston Ale, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.1% ABV (3/10)
Brilliant amber color. Lightly honeyed toast and caramelized nut aromas follow through gracefully on a to smooth, finely carbonated dry-yet-fruity medium body with great balance and depth. Finishes with a long, honeyed citrus fade. Delicious and highly drinkable.
Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers
Continental Ales
Exploring a Rich Foamscape of Ales
Alt
Put simply, an altbier has the smoothness of a classic lager with the flavors of an ale. A more rigorous definition must take history into account. Ale brewing in Germany predates the now-predominant lager production. As the lager process spread from Bohemia, some brewers retained the top-fermenting ale process but adopted the cold maturation associated with lager—hence the name “old beer” (alt means old in German). Altbier is associated with Düsseldorf, Munster and Hanover. This style of ale is light- to medium-bodied, less fruity, less yeasty, and has lower acidity than a traditional English ale. In the United States, some amber ales are actually in the alt style.
Interpreting the 100-point Scale
Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:
| Point Range | Quality Band |
|---|---|
| 96-100 points | Platinum |
| 90-95 points | Gold |
| 85-90 points | Silver |
| 80-84 points | Bronze |
| Less than 80 | Not Recommended |
Legend
= Brewpub- ABV = Alcohol by volume
- Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted
