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| Courtesy of Sam Adams |
BOSTON, MA - Samuel
Adams was one of the first craft brewers to offer rotating beers that
capture the essence of each season, and now, from January through April,
the brewers are introducing drinkers to two new
seasonal beers:
Samuel Adams Hopscape and
Fresh as Helles. It may be unconventional to have two seasonals at
one time of year, but Sam Adams has never been known to follow the
rules. The brewers felt that these two brews capture the essence of the
ever-changing season across the country from January
through April.
Available January and February, citrus and piney
hop flavors with a nice lingering bitter finish make Hopscape best
enjoyed during cold, brisk temperatures. While the honey malt aroma and
orange blossom notes of Fresh as Helles make it
a perfect pairing to welcome late spring weather during March and
April.
“At the start of 1988 we introduced our first-ever
seasonal beer, Samuel Adams Double Bock, a traditional spring beer
originally brewed by German monks,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams founder
and brewer. “While we pioneered rotating beers
for the season, this season’s beers have changed more times than we can
count. The variety in the weather during this time of year begs brewers
and drinkers to explore flavors that match the ever-changing season. It
might seem crazy, but after we brewed a
few test batches of Hopscape and Fresh as Helles in our Nano Brewery,
we knew we had two seasonal beers that captured the essence of the
schizophrenic weather around this time of year.”
Brewer Megan Parisi continued, “With Hopscape, we
knew we wanted to brew a hop-forward beer to match the bitterness of the
cold. Our Sam Adams Nano Brewery gave us the chance to experiment with a
variety of hop trials until we nailed the
citrusy and piney flavor profile we were going for. On the flip side,
for the more fickle side of this season, we knew we wanted to brew a
more delicate beer. We found that our helles recipe created the perfect
base for balancing the flavor of tangy Mandarina
hops and floral orange blossom petals. As brewers, half the fun is
brewing multiple trials until we get just the right flavor – or in our
case flavors – that we’re looking for.”
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| Courtesy of Sam Adams |
Hopscape, the first new brew for 2017, is brewed
with four varieties of West Coast hops that add bold pine and grapefruit
notes to the deep golden wheat ale. Chinook, Citra, Centennial, and
Zeus hops impart citrusy, dank resin and grapefruit
rind aromas that lead into a balanced flavor of bright citrus and piney
hop character. White wheat and a two-row pale malt blend add a crisp,
light sweetness, and the beer finishes with a slightly lingering
bitterness.
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| Courtesy of Sam Adams |
Fresh as Helles is a refreshing light amber,
medium-bodied helles brewed with Mandarina hops and orange blossom
petals. The beer’s lively, citrus flavors pair perfectly with the
changing season. Soft citrus notes of orange blossom add a
bright accent to the slightly sweet honey malt notes, leading to a
round, smooth finish.
Hopscape & Fresh as Helles Availability
Samuel Adams Hopscape will be available nationwide
from January through February 2017. Samuel Adams Fresh as Helles will be
available nationwide from March through April 2017. Both brews will be
available in six-packs for a suggested retail
price of $7.99-$9.99, 12-packs (bottles and cans) for a suggested
retail price of $14.99-$17.99, 16 oz. single serve cans for a suggested
retail price of $1.99 - $2.49, and on draft. From January through April,
both beers will also be available in the Samuel
Adams Spring Variety 12-Pack for a suggested retail price of
$14.99-$17.99, and 24-packs for a suggested retail price of
$22.99-$24.99. Price for each package varies by market.
ABOUT THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a
generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered
in his father's attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional
thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to
life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided
to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would
appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America.
That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston
Lager, in recognition of one of our nation's great founding fathers, a
man of independent mind and spirit. Little did Jim know at the time,
Samuel Adams Boston Lager would soon become a catalyst of the American
craft beer revolution.
Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 60
styles of beer. It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles
and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the
finest ingredients. Using the traditional four vessel
brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping,
barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. The
Company has also pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer'
movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions
of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to
elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and
competitions around the globe, and is one of world's most awarded
breweries at international beer competitions. As an independent
company, brewing quality beer remains its primary focus. Although
Samuel Adams beer is America's leading craft beer, it accounts for only
one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will
continue its independently-minded quest to brew great
beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For
more information, please visit
www.samueladams.com.
Samuel Adams, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Boston Lager are registered trademarks of Boston Beer Company.
