I love Samuel Adams beers, so I was ecstatic when I recently stumbled upon the 2011 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest – Category 23 variety six-pack!

In case you hadn’t heard, the Boston Beer Company invites homebrewers to enter their innovative and creative brews in the annual Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest.  Three winning brews are chosen from among the entries and the winning homebrewers have their unique brews made available nationwide in the Samuel Adams LongShot variety six-pack.

The Beer Judge Certification Program classifies beer styles into 22 different categories depending on style and brewing process, and they reserve “Category 23” for beers whose ingredients are so unusual that they need a place all their own. This year, the brewers at Samuel Adams wanted to focus the annual competition on these innovative beers, hence the Category 23 variety six-pack.

The variety pack includes two bottles each of:

• Friar Hop Ale (9.0%). This beer combines a love of hops with an affinity for spicy Belgian ales. To develop his recipe, the brewer created a hybrid of two styles, uniting the big hoppy taste of an IPA with the spicy, fruity flavor of a Belgian. The toasty caramel sweetness from the malt and Belgian candi sugar mimics a Belgian ale, while the big citrus hop notes of an IPA balance the style. A spicy yeast fermentation and hints of orange and coriander round out the brew. Brewed by Richard Roper.
• Blackened Hops (7.0%). A perfect combination of deep roasted malt character and citrusy hop bitterness. Its black color hints at roasted malt and coffee flavors, but the big hop character really steals the show. Packed with citrusy and piney American hops, this beer has a big flavor and clean bitterness. Brewed by Rodney Kibzey.
• Honey B’s Lavender Ale (5.5%). Created with dried lavender petals, giving it a fragrant but soft aroma. A citrus tartness and slight sweetness from the honey and vanilla balance out the finish. Brewed by Caitlin DeClercq.

Read the complete announcement about the LongShot beers hitting store shelves on the BeerNews.org web site.

I loved all of these beers. This six-pack is an easy recommendation for its unique offerings. I can’t wait to get my hands on more!