Comments on: Is the Sam Adams glass really better?

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:22:34 +0000

Rich – I don’t think it is totally wrong. But I also get bitterness before swallowing, sometimes even on the sides of my mouth.

By: Rich Ireland

Rich Ireland — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:43:55 +0000

Stan, I can buy into the fact that the “tongue map” is incorrect for the most part. I am struggling with the question on why bitter flavors always seem to be tasted near the back of the tongue? I know if I keep a beer floating around on my tongue without swallowing, I do not get the intended bitterness; this only happens upon swallowing…

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:28:17 +0000

Kevin,

I’d say it is worth as much as a Belgian chalice and $7.50 seems to be the going price for those.

In our house the rule is “new glass in, an old glass out” so there isn’t four of anything.

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:26:01 +0000

Dave,

One of the beers I tried in it was Deschutes Inversion IPA. I thought it brightened the hops. But I wouldn’t call that a “thick beer.”

I need to do an entire post on the laser etching. I’m told that in Belgium that bartenders/customers used to take chalices and scratch the bottoms themselves.

Anyway, I just sauntered over to your blog and noticed the post about your efforts at the Dobbelen Tripel IPA. That’s a beer I think would work well in the glass (not always available in NM and a treat). I suspect the glass will tell you how good a job you did.

By: Dave Selden

Dave Selden — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:08:43 +0000

My initial results based on 3 beers seem to indicate a significant change in Sam Adams’ Boston lager, but poor performance on NW IPA’s. I think it has to do with the “thickness” of the beer. My impression is that effervesence seems to have a lot to do with it. The “laser etching” made a discernable difference with SA; not much with the others.

By: Kevin Brandt

Kevin Brandt — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:04:24 +0000

Would you buy 4 glasses for $30?

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:25:49 +0000

Steve – you are right that the Willi-Becker is a damn fine glass. I put the Sam Adams glass in the same area of the cabinet, which probably says something about when I’d pull either out.

I think that when the glass is one-third empty to near the finish is where Sam Adams glass will do a little better with the aromatics. But you have to be drinking a beer where that matters.

If you turn away from this one and then back it kind of refreshes things. Which is why when you put an unbalanced beer in it you keeping noticing the lack of balance all the way through.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:04:05 +0000

Stan – have you compared the new design to the old-fashioned Willi-Becker glass? Still my favorite for sampling.