I only have three beers left in my fridge, two of which are Octoberfest. So I figured, what the hell…I’ll just review them both at the same time. Doing so will give me a great excuse to go beer shopping tomorrow.
Coincidentally these are both hugely popular local brews. I’d love to call it a Beantown brew showdown, but I’m not going to pit these two lovelies against each other.
Identical color (dark amber) and head (healthy). Nearly identical ABV (5.5 and 5.7). The Sammy is more aromatic. It reminds me A LOT of a pumpkin ale. Spicy (cloves).
The Sam is bold, smooth, creamy. The flavor bounces back and forth between sweet & bitter. The Harpoon is tangy and has citrus overtones. Sweet to start, finishes bitter. Surprisingly similar beers. Both delicious.
I was actually pretty impressed with the SA Octoberfest. I thought it would be just a repackaged Sam's Lager with maybe a bit more maltiness. It really holds its own.
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