I tend to resist the transition to fall beers because it means summer is coming to an end and colder weather is on the way. I’m still in summer mode when I spot my first fall release of the year. This year I spotted New Belgium’s Pumpkick, a spiced ale brewed with pumpkin juice, at Harris Teeter on July 31. Pumpkin beer in July? No thank you!
But now it’s mid-September, and we’re enjoying beautiful sunny days and cool evenings. It’s a couple of weeks into football season, and I’m ready to make the switch to fall brew. As I do every year, I’m starting my exploration of this year’s fall seasonals with the Sam Adams Harvest Collection.
The 2013 Samuel Adams Harvest Collection includes:
- Boston Lager
- Octoberfest
- Harvest Pumpkin Ale
- Latitude 48 IPA
- Hazel Brown
- Ruby Mild
Hazel Brown, a delicious Nut Brown Ale, is the most interesting brew in the mixed 12-pack. This flavorful dark brown ale has a distinct hazelnut aroma and taste.
Ruby Mild is new to the Harvest Collection and is described as a smooth, sweet, malty brew with a hint of ruby color and delicate hop note. According to the Sam Adams website, Mild Ales rose to popularity in the 1800s as the refreshing brew of choice for English railway laborers. The term mild originally meant fresh beer as opposed to “stale” aged beer. Today the name is more often interpreted as representing a “mildly hopped” beer.
This post marks the fifth year in the row that I’ve blogged about the Sam Adams Harvest Collection. I sampled the mixed 12-pack while watching football games over the weekend of September 14-15.
Boa Beer Blog 
This is a great reminder that I need to head to Elbe’s and pick this up. I love how the Sam Adams seasonal 12-packs have a mix of old reliables and interesting new options each year. I guess it won’t be that long before my favorite seasonal 12 pack from them will be on the shelves – the winter one. I know it is crazy to start looking for that already.