LongShot

So, the third installment of the resurrected LongShot series from Boston Beer/Samuel Adams has just started hitting the shelves, and I must say that while I look forward to and for the most part enjoy the chosen winners each year, I've never walked away thinking any particular beer was memorable. As such, I've typically purchased one six pack per release and no more, but that's about to change after sampling all three of this year's offerings:

The Traditional Bock is as spot on and solid as can be, but very simple at the same time, and that is what makes this one stick with you. Loads of malt all around with a toasty, bready vibe and a nice bit of alcohol warmth. A great take on the style.

I was a bit hesitant to try the Cranberry Wit, as fruit beers tend to be overly fruity more often than not for me, but thankfully this one avoided said potential issue. Cranberry lingers but does not intrude and mixes very nicely with the spices used here for a well balanced beer that I would love to see replace the embarrassingly awful Cranberry Lambic that wastes two slots in the otherwise great Winter Classics pack that the BBC puts out each Holiday season. This is a nice fall/winter beer for sure.

And finally, the Double IPA: hoppy as hell with citrus and pine notes, plus a big peppery bite, and backed up and balanced with a nice dose of malt. Who cares how this one came to be (it's an admitted clone/slight tweak of Russian River's Pliny the Elder recipe) as long as it's good, right?

Do yourself a favor and try to find this LongShot pack. It may seem a bit pricey at the $9.99 suggested price (although I found mine at only $8.25 here in NJ) given the lower average cost of most other SA products, but it's worth it.