Samuel Adams, the major beer brand offered by the Boston Beer Company, is well known for being the only “good beer” with a multi-million dollar ad campaign. Some beer drinkers shy away from any beer they’ve seen a commercial for, but I’ll give something a try if it sounds or looks good to me.
Enter the Samuel Adams Thirteenth Hour stout. The beer gets its name from the 13 ingredients that comprise it, which isn’t particularly obvious without inspecting the bottle. I picked this brew up specifically for a few distinct reasons — I’ve been eyeing a few beers in the Sam Adams Barrel Room Collection for a few months, and stouts are a close second in the running for my favorite type of beer. I finally caved and bought one.
Aesthetically, this beer just begs to be tried. Anyone who has read my reviews in the past knows that the aesthetics of a beer’s bottle are important to me. Decorated in high-quality white and blue printing on the bottle and shaped uniquely to mimic the look of an oak barrel, the beer stands out from most other pints on a shelf.
Waiting for the beer to reach cellar temperature (somewhere around 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit), I popped the cork — yes, a cork — and began pouring. The beer produces a fluffy, dark tan head that quickly reduces to a centimeter-tall layer of brown bubbles that persist throughout.
Staying true to the style, this stout is dark, nearly black, but has a slight reddish hue when held to the light. My suspicion is that the red coloring is due to the beer being aged in oak barrels.
The aroma is faint, but offers traces of dark fruit, such as cherries or raisins. The first sip confirms this as a strong flavor profile, which conflicts with the bottle’s promise of coffee and chocolate notes.
To be fair, this is no ordinary stout. Most stouts are indeed rich with chocolate and coffee flavors, but this is more of a dark American-Belgian ale at its roots. Coffee and chocolate make faint appearances along with a slight smokiness from the oak in the aftertaste, but the fruitiness is the main flavor profile in this brew.
The mouthfeel is pleasant, with a slight carbonation that doesn’t distract from the beer’s flavors.
This stout/ale hybrid is smooth and easy to drink. The bitterness of a true stout is mildly present at the front of this beer, but quickly dissipates to make way for its fruity flavors. The nine percent alcohol by volume ensures a slow drink, but doesn’t bring about any unnecessary heat to the swallow.
If I were to recommend this beer, it would be as a dark Belgian-style ale, not as a stout. For what it ended up being — not what it’s supposed to be — it’s a truly enjoyable brew. Unfortunately, I picked it up and drank it with the expectation of drinking a stout, so my experience wasn’t stellar.
With some careful rebranding and better advertising, this beer could easily make its way into my top 50. As it stands, it was an average experience for me.
Connor Tarter is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Dallas, Texas.