Having survived another Oktoberfest season, I’ve moved on to winter beers.  And there’s no better way to kick off the winter beer season than with the Sam Adams Winter Classics 12-pack!

The 12-pack is called Winter Classics, but are these brews truly classics?  I set out to decide…here’s the 2009 winter 12-pack line-up and my verdict:

• Boston Lager – The flagship beer of the Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA)…truly a classic
• Winter Lager – When I think of winter, I think of Sam Winter Lager…that’s got to be a classic
• Coastal Wheat – This beer first appeared over the summer and is a disappointing replacement of the Sam Adams Hefeweizen…not a classic
• Cranberry Lambic – One of Beth’s favorite beers and one we’ve enjoyed since the Blizzard of 1996…yes, a classic
• Holiday Porter – One of the best Porters anywhere, smooth and robust…a classic, despite its relative newness (added to the Winter Classics 12-pack in 2004)
• Old Fezziwig Ale – The self-described Christmas cookie of beer, Old Fezziwig is the quintessential holiday beer and…most definitely a classic.

So five out of six beers are classics.  The Coastal Wheat is a head-scratcher, an oddball in this mix.  Instead, to round out this 12-pack, I’d include the Boston Ale or the Cream Stout.  Bottom line: The Sam Winter 12-pack is the best winter mix pack to be found!  (I found mine at Harris Teeter in Arlington on November 5.)