Sam Adams & Weihenstephan Infinium

So, the much awaited Infinium, the collaboration between Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) and Weihenstephan of Germany. I have to be honest here, I'm having majorly mixed emotions about this brew.  I mean, Samuel Adams has become that mildly annoying, used-to-be craft brewer that I get tired of hearing about.  Yeah, yeah, I know, you like their Octoberfest, and so does my 22yr old cousin.  Big deal.

On the other hand, Weihenstephan is the world's oldest brewery, and produces 2 of my top 20 favorite beers.  They've been around for over 900 years, and I've been making the joke that "Weihenstephan has been around longer than Christianity."

So, the Infinium is a collaboration between the two, boasting over 1,000 years of brewing expertise.  The concept behind this brew was to "remain true to the Reinheitagebot", which was a German purity law from the year 1516.  The foundation of the Reinheitagebot being that you can only use the four classic ingredients to make a beer:  malt, hops, water and yeast.  From that concept, and two years of hard work, arises Infinium.

The tag on the bottle describes Infinium as a "champagne-like" beer, with fine bubbles, and a fruity, spicy aroma.  It also suggests serving the beer fairly cold, about 40-42 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as consuming before July 2011.  So, without further adieu, let's pop the cork!

I have to tell you, right off the bat, the description from Sam Adams is right on the money!  It pours a light golden-amber color, with plenty of carbonation and a nice thick head.  The foam is just slightly off-white, with a mild to medium amount of sticky lacing.  The aromas, however, are nearly out of control!  I'm getting just a tiny backbone of hops, mostly the soft, floral, funky kind of hops.  There's plenty of soft floral, fruity characters, as well as some nice earthiness and German/Belgian style funk.

Once I take a sip, the flavors nearly knock me off my seat!  There is layer after layer of new flavors!  There's some soft, smooth hops, just a touch of malty sweetness, as well as some citrus and wheat notes reminding me of a hefe.  Everytime I take a sip, there's more to taste.  There's just a bit of funk, earthiness, and yet still light and drinkable.

At just over 10% abv, I'm not getting any alcohol burn at all.  The beer is so seemless and structured that I am mildly amazed.  Seriously, Sam Adams, why can't you brew beers like this all the time?!

BTW - if you wanna buy some, check out our website...we ship all around the U.S.

Sam Adams & Weihenstephan Infinium
T.C.S.H. Rating:  (out of 1-10) the Infinium gets an 11
aka - I am really impressed, nice job!

Eli
Bibo ergo sum