Beer Styles

What kind of beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager? It's an amber lager, malty-sweet, with a seasoning of noble hops and a clean, crisp finish. It's not a style with its own formal guideline, the brewery sells it as a brand, and it represents American craft lager from the very start of the movement.

American IPA is the second pillar. It's clear, golden to copper in color, with pronounced bitterness and aromas of grapefruit and resin. Harpoon IPA represents this style in Boston. The difference from English IPA lies in the hops, American varieties like Cascade smell of citrus and pine, while English ones smell of herbs and earth.

And the Hazy IPA? It's cloudy, juicy, with little bitterness and plenty of hop aroma, and it's what made Massachusetts famous internationally. Trillium leans toward very dense, creamy beers, while Tree House goes for the impression of fruit juice. Trillium's Congress Street IPA and Tree House's Julius are considered prime examples, more on that in the tasting section.

How does Hazy differ from American IPA? It's the flavor, not the strength. Both often sit around 6 to 7% ABV, but the clear IPA tastes sharp and dry, the hazy one soft and round. With hazy there's another difference too, it tastes best fresh, while a clear IPA keeps longer. Tasting both side by side, you quickly notice that the haze isn't a flaw, it's intentional: it comes from yeast, hop oils, and protein that stay suspended in the beer.