Sam Adams Single Batch: Tasman Red

I have finished the Samuel Adams Single Batch series on a great note.  Tonight's final selection is Tasman Red.  I happen to love big malty beers as much as I love big hoppy beers, which is thankfully better than my college years when I loved Bud Light, or as I prefer to state: The Beer Years I try to Forget.

Tasman Red, a Red IPA, really pushes these two worlds together.  The name derives from the hops, which are grown around the Tasmanian Sea, an area previously never explored by the Sam Adams brewers, and an area almost exactly opposite of the hops found at the northern 48 latitude.

The beer poured a dark mahogany with a thick head.  I tasted hops throughout, however they became much more pronounced towards the finish.  In the middle, the malt kicked in with flavors of molasses and toffee.  The sweet maltiness really blended well with the bitterness of the hops.  Definitely, another win.

Typically, today is Wordless Wednesday.  However, I really wanted to talk about Tasman Red and I didn't want to just post a picture.  So instead, I'm posting my thoughts on the beer and adding something I call "Not Necessarily Motionless Wednesday":

I couldn't finish this post off, without Jim Koch's tasting notes.  I absolutely love the exuberance, knowledge and zeal he uses to describe the beer.  His passion is contagious. Cheers.

Note: In the beginning, they were just my great friends at Boston Beer, but after this final set, they are my fabulous friends, as they have provided me some great beer I've been thrilled to drink and excited to share.