What's so Noble? - Samuel Adams, usually known for its 24 (now 25) different styles of beer, most often succeeds in crafting a decent beer and a somewhat reasonable price. The Sam Adams Boston Lager (or, as it's known most everywhere in America, Sam Adams) is a decent vienna-style lager that focuses on two things - Crystal 60 malt and Hallertau Noble Hops. "Noble" is to the Hop as "hierloom" is to Tomato. That being said, the five varieties of Noble Hops are native to Germany and tend to be low in bitterness-infusing alpha acids. So, by using noble hops as opposed to say, Cascade or its beefed-up cousin, the Centennial Hop, you get a nice crisp hop bite that focuses less on back-of-the-tongue sting and astringency and more on flavor. The Noble Pils actually contains all five Noble Hops.
The Taste - The first word that comes to mind with regards to Noble Pils is refreshing. It's a lot like what Americans can expect from their pils' with such similar brews as Victory's Prima Pils that focus on hops, much like Dale's Pale Ale brings to the Pale Ale genre. However, the earthiness of the hops comes through nicely while remaining drinkable making the Noble Pils the perfect beer for a warm spring afternoon.
Cost - This beer usually goes for about $12-13 per 12 pack from what I've seen, and it's worth every penny. The best thing about this beer? Sam Adams, being as widely known as they are, has distribution is just about every state in the nation. Not only that, stores that don't necessarily specialize in beer, such as 7-11's and grocery stores, are more likely to carry this than Prima Pils or any other decent beer.
Bottom Line - If you're out and about, looking to pick up a good beer without it being too bitter and without it being sweet (like many of the faux-witbiers that are out there today) this should definitely be at the top of the to-try list. I will say that this beer even appeals to me, who is a very avid fan of Barrel Aged Barleywines and Imperial Stouts - obviously not in terms of similarities in taste, but that it offers a lot of good flavor for a good price. Normally I would be less than pleased with a new Sam Adams addition, but they can keep this one around as long as they want; I know they'll have a devoted follower in me. The one warning? It's getting pretty late in the season for Spring Seasonals. Yeah, I know it's the end of March, but breweries always push the envelope with Summer Beers, trying to get them out as soon as they can for some reason or another. I think perhaps those faux-witbiers that I was talking about earlier have a decent amount of popularity (but aren't nearly as good as this.) Anyways, check it out.
My current fall back!
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