Samuel Adams New Albion Ale
Jack McAuliffe’s pioneering spirit paved the way for the American craft beer revolution. We’re rereleasing his original Pale Ale, with its distinct American hop character for the first time in 30 years in honor of Jack and his contributions to craft brewing. Cheers!
3.1
354 reviews
Boston, United States
Community reviews
pours a dark amber color and small white head. the aroma was very floral and some what grainy. the taste is very similar.
Had no idea this was a Sam when I picked this up. Not very impressive! Has a fairly decent pale golden pour with a nice white head and ok lacing. Aroma is lacking with almost a sour hop undertone if there is such a thing. The taste is oddly bitter w/ not much else going on. Average at best!
Poured from 12oz bottle. This beer from Sam Adams far exceeded my low expectations. Really a great session beer with fantastic flavor. Something i don't see much of these days from Sam Adams.
--you've been Dubbed.
Ok, so I was fooled that it was not sam addams. In my clear Harley Davidson mug from Iceland, thanks daughter! Smell? is very mild perfumy hop aroma. Yep, smells quite like a good beer. Nice clear yello pour with a big head. First taste is aggressive ale attributes but never approaches ipa territory, just a simple ale. Some decent co2. Yes, there is no sediment on the bottom of this bottle. Keeps annoying my taste buds but it never gets over the top in rude hop flavors, just simple cleaner hop flavors. Not cloying nor is it lasting. more cloudy yellah as I get near the bottom of the bottle. Towards the finish it seems to be ok. Could deal with it again. Well, fairly good overall beer experience, pleasantly surprised. Yes, not really too bad for an ale, heheh. This coming from a lager lover.
Pours an amber color with a small bubbly head. Notes of fresh air, dusty malt, burnt bread, and muted citrus.
Golden amber with a thin white quickly fading white crown and some lacing. Aroma is grainy and floral with caramel and sweet malt. Taste is floral and grassy with caramel and mild honey.
On tap. Hazy dark fellow with a fluffy white head. Big grassy citrus hops aroma and taste with a lightly sugary malty finish and a smooth bright palate.
Not usually a huge fan of Pale Ales, but this Samuel Adams New Albion Ale was certaintly delicious!
2,700th Rating! This packs a surprising punch for a beer with such a simple recipe (two-row, Cascades, and that’s it). Very pale color, like any standard pale lager, bubbles up to support a thick head. Mild hop smell. But on the tongue it’s a different story. But burst of hop bitterness. Cascade hops un-mellowed by any thing with pine or flowers or citrus. Probably made to feel more bitter by its lighter malt bill. Holds up well in these modern times, and I have to wonder what someone who discovered this back in 1976 after a lifetime of Bud would have thought. Hope the McAuliff family gets a chance to bring this back around.
Bottle purchased in a liquor store in Tewsbury, MA. Cool story about this beer. Solid pale ale, with medium bodied, rather bready beer. Hops of grass. Slightly cloudy pale gold color. Nothing special, but very solid.
10/26/13. 12oz bottle from Five Points. Mostly clear orange pour with a small khaki head. Wondering the freshness on this bottle... a touch of citrus on the aroma, but mostly malty, some tart orange, seems a bit oxidized. Malty flavor, lightly chalky, some tangerine, a hint of tartness. Meh.
Bottle on the Metro North train into NYC. Pours clear gold with a large, fluffy white head. Smells of dried pale malts, light spruce and thyme. Light to medium sweet flavor with some rindy citrus bitterness, pine needles, hints of white bread and melon. Light to medium bodied with fine, massaging carbonation. Moderately citrusy to finish with simple pale malts and white bread, and mellow stone fruits. Not bad.
The New Albion Ale pours a clear bright yellow color with an off-white head that didn’t last long and leaves no lacing. The aroma is light but I sense floral hops with just a bit of fresh bread. The flavor is also light, but I get a touch of honey up front with bread and floral hops. Overall this is not impressive, but it is also not horrible. This is average at best.
6th April 2013
Almost clear gold beer with a small white head. Palate is light and crisp. Sharp fine carbonation. Slightly sweet pale malt, tastes like there is a spot of ginger spice, well buried. The malt turns a little creamy. Light sweetish citrus and then a crispy finish. Pleasant sweet Pale Ale, refreshing.
Poured from bottle. Aroma of hops and ocean. Good lookin cloudy gold with lacing white head. I taste piney hops with malt, Pepper and other spices, which dance nicely on the tongue. Great beer. A pleasure to drink.
12oz bottle. Pours a dark gold color with a one finger white head that dissipates quickly. Aromas are of pale malts, slightly sweet, then hay-like and grassy hops. Taste is similar to the aroma. crisp, lightly grainy, moderate bitterness, light floral hops. Hops come out a bit more as the beer warms. Body is light with a medium amount of carbonation.
Oh, so Boston Brewing makes this? I’ve been wanted to try this legendary brew, a pioneer in the craft brew movement, but they stopped making it years ago, in the early 1980s I guess. Sweet, yeasty aroma. Dark gold pour. Full, bready flavor - wheat, a touch of molasses, and American hops. Really good - but is this really the way it tasted in 1981?
Picked up a single 12-oz bottle at Heritage Liquors in Maplewood, Minnesota. Pours a clear golden pale colored brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a film top. Aroma of golden grain malt, grassy hops, and a hint of citrus. Taste is medium bodied, plenty of carbonation, with flavors of noble grassy hops, light caramel, golden grain malt and a touch of citrus. Finish has a short lived spice hop aftertaste then some golden grain and grassy hop secondary flavor.
Very nice. Entered this beer on a different app and I'm not able to import my comments unfortunately.
Shared with Strykzone on Facebook Chat. Poured gold with a creamy white head and good lacing. Nose of light malts and grassy and floral hops. Light to medium body. Flavor is grassy hops and light bitterness. Finish is mild and lightly bitter. Quite drinkable and I can see why it spawned the craft beer revolution. .
12 ounce bottle from Hayduke. We had it together via facebook chat. So this was what brought about a revolution? Today it more resembles a golden ale. It is clear gold and has an off white head that leaves some lacing. Light hops, a bit of grain, oatmeal, and very light pepper. I guess that when compared to what else was available then this was revolutionary. Maybe we have gotten spoiled. I like being spoiled.
Tan wheat colored beer, with okay cover. Crisp nose of gently apportioned malt and hops, that harkens the end of fall. Medium-bodied, but rather light on the flavor. Grains are really subdued, although a touch of sourwood shavings break through. Mild and forgettable.
Pours light golden yellow with a small white head that quickly disappears. Aroma is light grains and earthy hop. Taste is much the same. Solid beer.
It tastes similar to how it looks: A kind of below average american macro lager. Definitely not a fan. Fancy labeling, but tastes like a poor lager.
Wow. I was impressed. I think it’s seasonal. But this did not disappoint. Flavorful without a bitter aftertaste. Well done
Pale yellow from bottle. Grassy cider aroma. Cereal malts. Light hops. Kind of boring.
Pours a clear solar yellow with a very thick and fine-bubbled buttery pale tan head. Strong, crisp aroma is mainly malt and yeast with a fruity, floral undertone. Well-rounded malty flavor has a nice hoppy undertone and a fruity hint plus a touch of hoppy bitterness. Smooth, firm texture has only a little fizz, but this is the brew’s weakest point, and it isn’t weak by much. Overall, a satisfying and highly worthy ale, an excellent tribute to Jack McAuliffe and his contribution to craft beer.
Bottle: Straw, thin frothy white head, little lacing. Pale and musty hop aroma. Dull and mealy start, very pale hops. Body and mouthfeel are moderate. Stale hoppy finish. Nothing off, except
that perhaps its musty and more basement like than usual. Otherwise, this is the definition of pedestrian. Little to no hops, soft malt, very soft sweetness. Its like they made an Pale Ale to not offend anyone.
Super duper boring, and offensive to craft beer. Blech... Standard Sam Adams brews aren’t like this stuff, thankfully!
12oz bottle poured in a Sam Adams perfect pint
Best by July 2013
A - Pours a clear honey gold with a clingy white head of foam. Good looking beer but, ok retention with minimal lacing.
S - Clean pale malt, slightly sweet, grassy, spicy hop,
T - Honey kissed grains, dried grassy hops, a touch of lemon pepper hops, sweet cracker pale malt, golden delicious apples, lemon twang, the bitterness is light and peppery. Finishes tangy sweet but dries out right at the end.
M - Light to medium body, has a prickly carbonation bite, crisp finish.
Not sure how accurate this is to the original but it’s good and I’m glad they resurrected and paid homage to this recipe. It has a nice apple sweetness with a peppery finish and would go great with grilled pork.
Serving type: bottle
02-18-2013
Bottle. Pours light amber color with a short white head. The carbonation is a bit too high for my taste. Mostly caramel flavors with a bit of malt and citrus. Nothing special.