Samuel Adams

Belgium has been home to unique beers and brewing traditions for centuries. These methods originated, and in many cases still remain, with the monasteries. Monks are patient fellows. Their approach to brewing from open fermentation and wild yeasts to barrel aging, allows nature to take it's course to produce a world of flavor possibilities and creativity. At Samuel Adams we love getting inspiration and knowledge from what has come before. For our new Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection, that inspiration started in Belgium with their approach to blending, aging, and conditioning their beers for some wild and flavorful results.

Next: Mother Funk

Ah the secret fourth ingredient. Although, little talked about, yeast is the magic of beer that brings it to life. In the case of our Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection the yeast is what brings the wild and the funk. Many traditional Belgian beers used wild yeasts in a spontaneous fermentation to create their beers. For our Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection we developed a blend of yeast and bacteria in a beer we like to call the Kosmic Mother Funk™, or KMF. It's the soul of these beers and is blended into each at different levels. It's KMF that adds a whole new wild spectrum of flavors to the beer from earthy and spicy to floral and sweet.

Next: Wood I, Could I?

As the name of these beer's implies, the barrel is truly a part of the beer and these aren't just any barrels. After searching and testing many different woods and conditions we found the perfect match for the flavor we were trying to achieve. Our barrels are made of oak and were initially used to make brandy. The strong grain of the oak and the residual brandy character impart unique flavors to the beers that they house. The process of aging in these wooden tuns helps soften the beers and mellows out some of their ethanol character.

Next: Second Life

They may look like any large wooden tun but they have a history all their own. The oak of our barrels originated in Eastern Europe and then made its way to Italy to be used in making brandy. Their second life began as they were disassembled at a cooperage in Portugal and shipped here to Boston. The Portuguese coopers came over to rebuild the barrels by hand. The process was intense, hard work, no machinery needed, but the result was a barrel worthy of aging our beers.

Next: In the collection

Although inspired by Belgian brewing traditions, each of these beers is a truly unique taste experience due to their ingredients, process, and of course the character of the yeast. From deep cherry, to floral, to rich and earthy, there are layers of complex flavors to discover and enjoy in each.