Samuel Adams to start canning Boston Lager and Summer Ale.

[orchestrion]

Reading this reminded me of the thread a while back about bottles vs. cans. It seemed an overwhelming majority preferred bottles and some went as far as to say that cans affect the taste of the beer. Although the vessel doesn't matter to me when I'm having a beer at home or at a restaurant/bar (since I pour it into a glass), I prefer cans for when I'm camping, hiking, backpacking, or hanging out anywhere outdoors. Jim Koch provides a really good explanation of their decision to start canning and I think it's worth a read, especially if you're one who is skeptical about cans in the first pace.


http://blog.samueladams.com/sam-can/

 

[DevilDog0402]

I definitely prefer the taste of beer from a bottle over canned beer. Although, if you poor it into a glass, I'm not sure I would be able to taste the difference.

That said, I can't stand Sam Adams Boston Lager. I do like some of their seasonal brews.

 

[DogHair]

From what I've read cans are superior to bottles. No taste difference and the cans also block all light which can deteriorate a beer's flavor. I rarely drink from cans or bottles but I think drinking from a can could gives you more "can" taste.

 

[jtcoinflip]

thats interesting, I will have to do some sampling.

 

[LogisticEarth]

Cans are superior to bottles in almost every way, except aesthetics. They're lighter, easier to seal, block 100% of the UV, and are more durable. If you're drinking good beer, you should be pouring it into a glass anyway.

With a big craft brewer like Sam switching to cans, maybe we'll see more of it in craft beer. There's already a good number of small and mid sized breweries canning.

 

[Edcculus]

Pretty cool! The stigma about cans is starting to go away. I'm sure this will do a great deal to help.

For the record, cans vs bottles is ALL aesthetics. There is literally no taste difference. Go buy a good craft beer like Sierra Nevada or New Belgium that offers one of their beers in cans and bottles. Do a double blind taste test. I guarentee you will find no difference. The only way there would be is if the bottles were handled poorly in transit. Bottles are more prone to oxidation and other off flavors. So the only real possible tast difference is the bottle tasting WORSE than the can.

 

[buffdaddy]

Although I do prefer bottles over cans, whenever I see a beer I like sold in cans, which are traditionally sold in bottles. I just have to try it for some reason.

Prime example is one of my favorite Belgium ales, Wittekerke, which I can only find in bottles here in Chicago. I was at a restaurant a few months back and they only had it in cans and it was like trying it for the first time. I actually prefer it in the can now.

Although I've had Boston Lager and the Summer Ale more than a few times in my day. I'll have to buy a six pack and see how it compares to the bottles.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

That makes them easier to take camping for sure!

 

[orchestrion]

It looks like they're going to allow other breweries to use the can design royalty-free. Good sign for the craft brewing world!

http://www.brewbound.com/news/boston-beer-to-offer-patent-pending-can-design-to-craft-brewers

 

[ouch]

Your avatar is my favorite beer.

 

[jmwebster]

This does not surprise me much with so many craft breweries using cans (21st amendment, Anderson Valley, New Belgium, Breckenridge and Tommyknocker all come to mind).

That being said, I look forward try sampling this and seeing if it seems any different poured out of a can.

Also, +1 on Old Rasputin being one of the best beers ever. Love that stuff!

 

[Edcculus]

It looks like they're going to allow other breweries to use the can design royalty-free. Good sign for the craft brewing world!

http://www.brewbound.com/news/boston-beer-to-offer-patent-pending-can-design-to-craft-brewers

This is really awesome news! I know one of the limiting factors to small breweries is the licensing and royalty fees on current can designs.

 

[LabGuy]

A friend handed me a can of a nice craft brewery's IPA. I poured it into a glass - never dring from a can or bottle if I can help it). But anyhow, it was one of the nicest IPAs I had ever had. Wish I could remember the brewery.

 

[Edcculus]

Dales Pale Ale perhaps? Oskar Blues has been canning for a long time.

 

[shavefreak]

I love Sam Adams, Light, Octoberfest and Chery Wheat especially. I bought a six set of the SA glasses to enhance the beer drinking experience, the hour glass shape with the etching on the bottom for the best flavor and to stay colder. A lot of science in the glass I guess. I never enjoy anything out of the bottle or can compared to a glass.

 

[Dusty1]

It's interesting they would be switching to cans, but I found the article to be low on actual info beyond the obvious. Also, if I'm going camping I won't be bringing good beer anyway because it gets jostled around too much and warms up, so I would take liquor, unless they are talking about RV type camping then weight is not an issue. YMMV

 

[Dusty1]

Oh yeah, and +1 to your avatar being a nice beer.

 

[KyMash]

A local brewery espoused the use of cans over bottles which runs against everything I thought I knew about how to properly package good beer for resale and the results are better than satisfactory. I guess I see both sides of the argument. That being said, it seems that most of my beer purchases are to fill my growler right out of the keg.