The Year in Beer

Name: Alpine Spring

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.

By the numbers: 186 calories per 12 oz.; 5.5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This is Samuel Adams’ newest spring seasonal, replacing Noble Pils, which debuted two years ago and is going year-round in March. Spring beers can be tricky, since you expect them to be lighter than the dark beers of winter, but you still want them to pack some flavor. In that regard, White Ale - which once had the spring slot - failed, but Noble Pils was a huge success. I got this one in a Brewer’s Choice 12-pack (which includes two more new SA beers), but you can find it in six-packs and on draft at places like Buffalo Wild Wings. Anyway, I like this one, but don’t love it as much as Noble Pils. It poured a hazy gold from being an unfiltered lager. The aroma was citrusy and the taste followed though with a light noble hop bite and a bit of cereal aftertaste. All in all, a pretty refreshing spring beer. It was chosen by Samuel Adams brewer David Grinnell for inclusion in the box.

Try it with: Hope that our mild winter holds out a little longer. We’ve had an unseasonably warm winter here in Central Illinois, with temps in the 40s and 50s and only two snowfalls, neither of which lasted more than a week before melting. I know I’m jinxing it and we’ll get another 15 inches in February, as we did in 2011, but I could get used to this.

    — Posted by Mike Freimann