Samuel Adams Imperial Double Bock
Ratebeer 3.33 85th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

This one is going to be good; the nose is sweet with cherries, caramel and faint alcohol. It's mouthfeel is medium-full, with light carbonation and a creamy texture. The alcohol warms the soul and burns like syphilis in July. On the plus side, it carries the toffee, cherries and mild oak flavours very well.

Aftertaste +1

The sweet alcohol and cherries burns, but it only lasts a few seconds.

Alcohol Content +1 9.5%
That explains the creamy and the burn.

Value +1
If you like'em strong, grab a four pack of this one.Please read the small print, it mentions that this beer will age well. Into the back of the cellar you go.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This was a Seattle beer sampler. My notes got a little messy after this one.

Overall 7/10

Yum, this is what every beer lover must have at least once. A good dopplebock that is rich, creamy, lightly fruity with a good alcohol burn.

Phillips Instigator Dopplebock
Doppel-Hirsch
Phillips Springbock

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Ratebeer 3.39 78th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

Your standard 341ml bottle poured off an almost black brew with a thin, tan head. The nose was to be expected from something this dark; a little chocolate and burnt malt. This was surprisingly nice for a box beer. After the pronounced carbonation tinkle up front, you are graced with a medium feel of bitter chocolate and deeply roasted grains/malt. There was not enough floral hop bitterness, so it was a little sweet beer.
Aftertaste +1

The lingering chocolate bitter sweetness mixed well with the understated hop bitterness, but it didn't last long.

Alcohol Content -1 4.9%

Value +1

This beer I would get again; if only I could find it in Canada

Ingame Enhancement 0

This was the final flavour in the Samuel Adams beer box. I hid these ones in the back of the fridge.

Overall 4/10

A very nice brew. If it was any fuller bodied or stronger you could call it a porter or stout.

Samuel Adams Scotch Ale

Ratebeer 3.27 69th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +1

Your nose is teased with hints of light malt sweetness and smoke. The taste is very malty, a little too sweet I think. This is all mixed in with smoke, wood and peat moss flavours.

Aftertaste -1

The leftovers were a little burnt toast like. Not the good 12 grain organic kind, think more along the lines of wonderbread.

Alcohol Content 0 5.4%
No redeeming itself here.

Value 0

At least it was free

Ingame Enhancement 0

Overall 0/10 On par with water

There must be balance in a box of beer. This was certainly the anchor. Perhaps it is a style bias; it got higher ratings on the beer sites.

Flavius: I have scientific proof that drinking beer is good for you!
Meterman: All one has to do is look at us. Umm. Perhaps just me.
F:I have proof; in the December 2008 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition consumption of beer (<2 per day) was associated with a lower progression of coronary calcium (CAC) when compared to non-drinkers. However, more than 2 beers per day was associated with a greater CAC. CAC is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease.
M: Wow, I am impressed with you Flavius.
F: Why? You didn't think I could read?
M: Some of those words had 3 syllables. I found a few flaws in the study.
F:How so?
M: None of the recruitment populations were from the Pacific Northwest, so they must have been drinking crap beer.
F: Right, none of that stuff is good for you!

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Ratebeer 3.2 63 percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +2

This is surprising; a nose of light hops, coffee and roasted malt. The taste is very plain for a lager with above average carbonation. The Sam Adams selection was nicely flavoured with roasted caramel malts whose sweetness was nice kept in check with a floral hoppy bitterness.

Aftertaste +1

All the flavours fade fast. Only the carbonation tinkle, slight roasted caramel and bitterness resides.

Alcohol Content -1 4.9%

Value 0

It was alright, but I have had better lagers.

Ingame Enhancement 0

This was another of the Palm Springs beers. If someone asked me to bring them a beer, I gave them one of these. They rarely asked me to bring them anymore beer.

Overall 2/10

Meh, in all boxed beers there must be balance.

This was part of the Samuel Adams Fancy beer box; every brewery produces them. Sadly the Canadian ones only contain 12 beers, while the US one contain 24.

Samuel Adams Honey Porter

Ratebeer 3.16 58th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

This brew pours a dark brown/ruby with a huge fluffy head that never goes away. The nose is usual porter style; roasted malt, cocoa but this one adds a hint of raw honey. Your first taste is unexpectedly shocking from a big box beer mix. Straight off you are flooded with a blast of roasted, bittersweet malt with just a slight hop bitterness at the end. Hints if cocoa are also present. The bitterness fades off to release a flowery honey ending.

Aftertaste +1

Very pleasantly, a full mouth coating of honey/malt slides all the way down your throat and fades away slowly. This is followed closely with a roast/hop bitterness.

Alcohol Content 0 5.25%

It comes in a box, so I was not expecting much.

Value +1

I would get this one again, if available.

Ingame Enhancement 0

No zombies here. This was purchased at some nameless, cookie cutter big box grocery store in Palm Springs. It was the best choice among the boxed beer variety pack.

Overall 5/10

This was above average American big brew; which is not saying much.