It’s Longshot time! I always look forward to spring for a number of reasons, one of them being the release of the Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Competition sampler. I’ve only missed these beers once, and that includes going back to the very first sampler way back in 1996, with beers like Longshot Hazelnut Brown Ale being selected by judges including the one and only beer hunter himself, Michael Jackson.

The 2017 sampler offers several tasty brews chosen as winners in 2016, and our first congratulations go out to David Cousino of Avon, Ohio for his Longshot Barnstorm Saison. You’ll get two bottles of this saison along with two each of an imperial coffee stout and a wild ale.

From the label:

This saison blends a soft malt character from white wheat with delicate floral notes from English hops and finishes with a hint of pepper from Belgian yeast.

David commenting on homebrewing, from the Longshot website:

In my profession as a pharmacist, everything is hard science. While that serves me well in this hobby, it does not begin to describe the magic of fermentation. I create the best wort I can by carefully calculating, measuring, and observing. Then the real magic happens. That transition from what I can control to what I cannot is the heart of the allure of this wonderful hobby.

Samuel Adams Longshot Barnstorm Saison has an alcohol content of 7.8% by volume with 30 IBUs. I paid $9.99 for my six-pack this year, about the same as it has been running for the past several years. My bottle is notched as best before September of 2017. This is the second saison to win a Longshot spot. Fans may remember that Samuel Adams Longshot Lemon Pepper Saison was featured in the 2010 sampler.

Samuel Adams Longshot Barnstorm Saison pours to a brilliant golden color with a medium fluffy head and a tart spicy nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a surprising chewy maltiness for the style, with caramel and soft toasted malt, grassy herbal English hops, white pepper and a faint sourness and more pronounced bitterness in the finish.

ESB meets saison? If Saison evolved in England, this is what it might have been like. The beer didn’t seem as strong as it is in the alcohol department, either, so sip carefully! Stylistically, I’d give this a 3 as a saison; it just didn’t fir the classic definition of the style for me. Hedonistically, though, I very much enjoyed the beer and its interplay of soft malt, hops and yeasty spice. 4 stars judged that way, so 3.5 between the two. I’ll tack on another ½ starts for originality and reasonable price. Well played, Mr. Cousino!

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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