Samuel Adams Longshot Magnificent Seven

Samuel Adams beers are by the Boston Beer Company of Boston, Massachusetts. This 7.8% ABV beer is part of Samuel Adams Longshot homebrew contest, where each year they choose several home brewer's recipes for their Longshot release. This is the recipe of Zack Adams. It uses seven American hop varieties (thus the name), and is an Imperial IPA.

The beer pours a deep copper in color, with hints of garnet. There is a relatively short head of off-white foam. The aroma is ample orange, some melon and some pine over a solid base of caramel malt. The taste follows the aromas, lots of hop and malt, merging, each subduing the other, spicy, dank earth and pine. The finish is moderately bitter with dryness and sweetness fighting to a draw. The aftertaste adds strong tea with lemon and a bit of tobacco. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth, with ample, but subtle, carbonation. If you like crystal clear hop lakes with distinct flavors, know that this is a bit of a murky backwater of an IPA; it all muddles together somewhat and no part shines.