Boston Brewing Co. - Sam Adams New World trippel (United States)

I came across today's beer at Costco. I knew in the back of my head that Sam Adams released special, experimental brews, but I had not seen one in the wild until I found this three-pack special. It's called the "Barrel Room Collection" and features three bomber-sized beers in cool bottles. There are three: the Tetravis, the Thirteenth Hour, and the New World. Today I'll be reviewing the New World, a trippel.

The New World is Sam Adams' take on a Belgian trippel. I can't resist a good, spiced, unfiltered Belgian, so this was of particular interest to me (as is the Tetravis.) I also really like the bottle, it reminds me of some Old World-style drinking goblet. Something you'd find on a shelf in a rustic French hamlet pub or something.

Nice pop from the muselet-topped bottle. The pour was swift and formed a nice, frothy head. There were serious aromas of spices and an interesting, tangy smell I couldn't immediately identify.

The beer is a cloudy orange, as it should be. There are lots of little bubbles in there.

It was tasty! The taste is on par with spiced Belgian ales, providing lots of floral notes, honey, sourness, and strong alcohol tastes. I'm having a hard time nailing down the right word for it, but there's a taste that's common to most Belgian beers. Yeast, maybe? Anyways, this has it. And it's pretty good. The finish is clean, which is nice, and full of floral tastes. There's no burn at all, just a pleasant aftertaste of honey and spices and alcohol.

Judging by this, Sam Adams has done a good job venturing into the spiced Belgian ale market. This beer is a pretty solid example of what a Belgian beer should be. My overall opinion of Sam Adams is that they make good beer, but are rarely innovative or unique. I enjoy their beers, and have only had a few that I haven't enjoyed, but they don't push the envelope like Southern Tier, or Boulevard, or Great Divide does. And I don't expect it to. Those breweries are constantly coming out with new and crazy beers, while Sam Adams sticks with good, drinkable session ales. The New World was a serviceable take on Belgian beers, but wasn't anything out of the ordinary. That doesn't mean you should turn it down if you see it, especially at the Costco price.

Now all I need is some Chimay-washed cheese, fig jam, and some unsalted butter-laden baguette rounds to complete this pairing!