Sam Adams goes Old World for a sweetly brewed braggot

Samuel Adams Honey Queen

Boston Beer Co., Boston, Ma.

www.samueladams.com

7.5 percent ABV

The Boston Beer Co., maker of the Samuel Adams brand, has done it again with a finely crafted beverage called braggot.

The brewery recently released its Honey Queen braggot, a mixture of honey and beer with origins dating back to the medieval ages, when it is mentioned in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," written in the late 1300s. It wouldn't surprise me if earlier evidence is found in Egypt, where beer and mead were regularly produced in B.C. times.

While true mead is honey wine (not simply honey added to wine) and there are many examples of beer that has honey added to it, braggot differs from having around a 50-50 mixture of malt and honey. It can be as little as 30 percent malt, however.

Examples I've had in the past were somewhat rough — either too sweet, too thick and syrupy or, in one case, the buckwheat honey used was simply too overpowering.

Samuel Adams uses clover, alfalfa and orange blossom honey and lighter malts for its braggot. The first aromas I noticed were pear and orange, then floral notes from the addition of chamomile.

I could taste malt and honey in each sip, so the balance was spot-on. The light fruits from the aroma carried over into the flavor. While the braggot was sweeter than a typical beer, it was not overdone and tempered by a slight background of hop bitterness.

The malt produced a frothy head with nice rings of lace, and a steady cascade of bubbles swirled through the liquid to the top of the glass. There was a pleasant, creamy mouthfeel that lingered after each sip.

Samuel Adams' decision to use delicate honeys and malt was an inspired choice, resulting in an outstanding example of the style.

I jokingly told a Samuel Adams representative that since the company has succeeded in both beer and cider, maybe they should think of starting a mead line. She laughed it off, saying SA has enough on its plate. But, who knows what the future may hold?

While Samuel Adams products are available nationwide, Honey Queen is a limited-edition one-off that may not be carried in many outlets. You can search specifically for it with the brewery's "Find a Sam" link at the bottom of its home page.

Beer Man sez: An Old World beverage meets modern brewing to great success with Samuel Adams' Honey Queen braggot.

—Todd Haefer of Scandinavia, Wis., gets paid to drink beer and write about it for Weekend. He can be reached at beerman@postcrescent.com. Read past reviews at www.postcrescent.com/go-920/beer.