Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Beer Review
July 10, 2009
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat is a beer that I’ve been tempted to try from time to time, but for some reason I’ve just not been able to bring myself to buy it. As it happened, Liz, our intrepid Brew Club member brought it in for our latest beer exchange!
I also thought that reviewing this particular Sam Adams beer would be a good follow up to the Strawberry flavored beer review that were recently posted. We do like themes here at The Brew Club!
Not being overly impressed with the strawberry flavored beers from Lancaster Brewing or Pete’s, I’ll admit to being more than a little jaded about the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat – even before I opened it. Still, I’ll try putting that aside and review the beer on its merits.
The Sam Adams Cherry Wheat is a 5.2% ABV fruit-flavored ale. The first thing I noticed about the beer after opening it was the aroma! Pouring the Cherry Wheat into my glass, the cherry aroma became even more apparent. Even though the cherry smell was really strong, it smelled to me, very natural and not as synthetic smelling as the aforementioned strawberry beers did. It says right on the bottle that its a “wheat ale brewed with real cherries and natural flavors added.”
As you can see in the picture, the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat poured into my glass creating a white foamy head typical of wheat beers. The Sam Adams beer itself was an amberish color that didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary. It might have a very slight reddish tint, but maybe that’s just me knowing its a cherry flavored beer?
On to the taste! The taste of this beer was initially a little surprising to me because the cherry smell seemed so strong – and then the cherry taste was not quite as bold. Cherry is DEFINITELY pronounced in the flavor, just not as much as it is in the ‘nose’. I thought this beer would be like drinking cherry juice – but it wasn’t.
The beer was relatively light bodied, and very drinkable in the sense that it was smooth and slick. Just a little hop toward the finish, but otherwise I mostly tasted cherry (obviously) and some malt flavors. The Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat left an OK mouthfeel and wasn’t really that bitter and it provided a lingering cherryish aftertaste that wasn’t bad.
My overall impression of this particular Sam Adams beer is mixed. I certainly enjoyed it more than either of the two Strawberry flavored beers I just had, but I’m still not a fan of fruit flavored beers. Ain’t gonna happen – not today anyway!
That all being said, if you ARE a fan of fruit-flavored beers, than I think you will like the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. Its a quality beer, as are most of the Sam Adams beers, but this simply boils down to personal preference. It doesn’t taste like a cherry wine cooler, but for a beer it is on the sweet and fruity side (kind of like Neil). Did I say that?
So, if you want to try a good fruit flavored beer, give this a try. Its better than the Lancaster Strawberry Wheat and the Pete’s Strawberry Blonde, and also better than the Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss which is probably modeled after this beer anyway.
On the other hand, if you like beer that tastes like beer, you won’t feel like you’ve missed anything if you skip it, but you can’t go wrong with the Sam Adams Chocolate Bock!
Rating: 
Have you tried the Cherry Wheat? What did you think? Do you have a favorite fruit-flavored beer?
Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Ales, All Brews Reviewed, American Beers, Flavored Beers
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July 10th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I actually likes this beer, I would have gave 3 or 3.5 stars. Better than Berry Weiss, yes.
July 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I can’t wait for you to try a cherry lambic (Kriek). That is a good cherry wheat beer. I think it is far better than Berry Weiss and infinitely better than Blue Dog, too. I think I would be inclined to go 2.75/3.0 on it simply because it is that much better than the above options. Did you think it had a cherry medicine quality to it…I kind of do.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Ten Fidy: Oskar Blues
July 10th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Michael- I did have the raspberry Lambic and it was just great! On your suggestion, perhaps I’ll grab the cherry next time. The Lambic review is ‘on deck’ of publishing, so stay tuned!
Regarding the Cherry wheat – no doubt it is a quality beer, I just couldn’t get into it. Its much better than the others, but I think I would still pass on it given options. I think it did have something of a medicinal taste going for it – I think anything cherry-flavored just reminds everyone or cough medicine!
Scott-TBC’s last blog post..Liberty Ale by Anchor Brewing
July 12th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Don’t get me wrong, I would rarely get this one. In regards to the Lambic…they are simply terrific. It goes to show you how great fruit can be in a beer if done right.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Simcoe Single Hop IPA by Mikkeller
July 13th, 2009 at 5:47 am
i have never enjoyed the Cherry Wheat from SA. As opposed to Pete’s Strawberry Blonde, which to me has a real strawberry taste, the Cherry Wheat has a fake candy taste similar to ice cream shell topping. To me it overpowers any taste the beer itself might have. scores 3 out of 10 with me…so far the lowest scoring of all the SA beers ive had. Barely beats SA Blackberry Witbier.
For reference, the only fruit beer I have enjoyed (and only wheat beer Ive enjoyed) is Hangar 24 Orange Wheat.
Mike R’s last blog post..Ep. 011 — Top 5 Firsts In History
July 13th, 2009 at 11:12 am
@ Mike R, that Hanga4 24 Orange wheat actually sounds pretty good. I find myself enjoying a good wheat beer, and orange seems to be a natural choice to flavor it as opposed to berry flavors. I’ll keep a lookout for it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
It’s from a small brewery here in Southern California. They just started bottling their beer so I severely doubt they have any distribution outside this area. They use locally grown oranges which give its a fresh and natural orange taste. Very light in color, hazy for a wheat beer. The brewery itself is expanding rapidly to meet demand. Where are you at Scott? beer trade?
Mike R’s last blog post..Ep. 011 — Top 5 Firsts In History
July 13th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Mike – N. NJ right outside NYC. Sure, I’m good for a trade – anything in mind?
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Liberty Ale by Anchor Brewing
July 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am
The first time I had this, I thought it was ok, but then I couldn’t take it. It is way to up fron with the cherry flavor, which is an unnatural cherry flavor.
I have a ton of respect for Sam Adams and enjoy many of their beers. Just not this one!
nate’s last blog post..The Sour Beer Trend?
July 15th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Anything the beautiful west coast has to offer…Stone, Alesmith, Port Brewing, Deschutes, Rogue, Bruery, Hangar 24, etc. i dont have much collector wise
Mike R’s last blog post..Ep. 012 — Top 5 Villains