Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA

Samuel Adams beers are from the Boston Beer Company of Boston, one of the grandaddies of the craft beer movement.

2012: This beer is a combination of a Belgian white ale and an IPA.   It sounds like an interesting combination at least.  The beer pours a hazy dark orange-golden in color.  There is a half inch of thick white foamy head.  The aroma is floral, herbal, somewhat spicy.  The taste is bitter and grassy, with a very fruity second wave of citrus and melons.  The white ale spices show up in the aftertaste.  This is pretty flavorful and interesting.

Trying this again in 2013, the label now says it is part of the Hopology Collection and notes it is a wheat ale brewed with apricots and spices.  It is 5.8% ABV. The beer pours a cloudy honey golden and orange. There is a tall half-inch of white, foamy head. The aroma is orange, apricot, malty, a touch of pine. The taste follows the aromas, after the initial wave of fruit and semi-sweet malt, it is a bit spiced. The finish has a bitterness that hits, backs off, and then creeps back up on you leaving grapefruit zestiness. Later, some of the apricot shows up in the flavor.

 

2016: Another new label, and party of the summer sampler pack. The beer pours a lightly hazed dark golden, apricot, and light amber in color. There is a very tall, very thick, foamy head of white. The aroma is citrus, apricot, bright and fruity, with a light pineyness. The taste follows the aromas directly, lots of citrus, lighter apricot and pine, with a citrus rind and grassy moderate bitterness on the end. The beer drinks easy and smooth, with soft carbonation. This is drinking really nice this  year!