Here’s yet another beer from Boston Beer Company: Samuel Adams Ella Blanc IPL (India Pale Lager). I’ve never been convinced about the whole IPL thing myself. Basically, it’s a lot like an IPA, except that it’s a lager. Duh. These beers are generally brewed with oodles of American hops and similar malts to an IPA, though in my musings on Boston Beer’s other IPL, Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL, I pondered on what kind of beer the Germans might have made for the long ocean voyage had they conquered India. Instead of the Brits, you see. I suppose we already have that in Imperial Pilsner after all.

You can only get Samuel Adams Ella Blanc IPL in the 2016 Adventures in Lager 12-pack. I never saw the 12-packs here, though Costco had them in case lots. That was more beer than I wanted to buy (I’m overload with beer at the moment, I know, a terrible problem) but got a bottle of this beer from good old Scott White. Thanks Scott! You’ll also get these in the sampler:

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Double Black Lager

Samuel Adams Double Bock

Samuel Adams Double Pilsner

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

From the label:

New age hops are the spotlight in this brew, combining an IPA’s hoppiness with a lager’s crispness. Australian Ella hops are piney & tropical while newly developed German Hallertau Blanc are floral & wine-like, creating a delightfully flavorful beer with a delicately distinguished hop character.

Ingredients from the website:

HOP VARIETIES: CTZ (Columbus Tomahawk Zeus), Cascade, Centennial, Ella, Hallertau Blanc

MALT VARIETIES: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60, Flaked Oats

YEAST STRAIN: Samuel Adams lager yeast

Samuel Adams Ella Blanc IPL has an alcohol content of 6% by volume with 65 IBUs. The Adventures in lager pack was running $25.49 a case at Costco when I saw it. My bottle is notched as best before end of June 2016; I drank it a little after that in early July.

Samuel Adams Ella Blanc IPL pours to a pale golden amber color with a thick creamy head of foam and a grassy, slightly resiny nose. Taking a sip, the beer is smooth malty up front, piney and citrusy with lemon rind notes followed by very grassy, earthy herbal German inspired Hallertau notes leading into a long dry grassy finish.

A very nice beer indeed, I love the fusion of hops here all working together in sublime harmony. It was a treat for sure that I’d love to see brought back again. And maybe it will be, if we’re lucky.

Update 5/25/2017: Looks like we're lucky! Samuel Adams Ella Blanc has returned for the 2017 Brewnited sampler. I picked one up for the Super Bowl and I'm just now drinking my second bottle of Ella Blanc IPL from that 12-pack. The label is notched best before May of 2017 and I'm drinking this bottle a little past that, but it is wonderful indeed, packed with smooth creamy malt and thick with herbal, earthy hops. The beer is grassy, long dry and beautiful in the finish with a long lingering bitterness. The hops are still amazingly earthy and herbal, and the beer is literally Exploding with them, though I am not getting the piney citrusy hops from last time around. This one is a keeper folks!

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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