Yankee Brew News Archive

Boston Beer Company Celebrates Homebrewing with LongShot Beers

Originally Published: 10/96

By: Brett Peruzzi

The Boston Beer Company is the latest craft brewer to pay tribute to the millions of homebrewers who inspired the American rebirth of craft brewing, by sponsoring its own World Homebrew Contest. After judging 1,680 entries from seven different countries, Boston Beer selected three beers from the winning entries to be brewed as a special product line, dubbed LongShot due to the overwhelming odds of winning the contest. Following are reviews of each of the LongShot beers.

Beer: LongShot Black Lager

Brewer: Boston Beer Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Based on a homebrew originally made by Jeffery Grisold of Victoria, Canada.

Appearance: Deep reddish brown; sparse tan head; clear.

Aroma: Rich, toasted/nutty maltiness.

Taste: Robust, dark malt body. Sweet in middle, finishes slightly hoppy with a tinge of smokiness.

Summary: Tasty dark lager, roughly in the dark Munich style.

Brewer's Notes: Original Gravity: 14.6 degrees Plato; 33 bittering units (provided on bottle label).

Beer: LongShot American Pale Ale

Brewer: Boston Beer Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Based on a homebrew originally made by James Simpson of Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Appearance: Clear, deep gold; retentive off-white head.

Aroma: Intense fruitiness with some hops.

Taste: Medium malt body, very fruity with moderate to high hop bitterness. Finishes dry and hoppy.

Summary: Enjoyable session ale, straddling the golden and pale ale styles (hence, perhaps, the designation as an American pale ale). Complex hop character is from use of four different hop varieties.

Brewer's Notes: Original Gravity: 12.6 degrees Plato; 31 bittering units (provided on bottle label).

Beer: LongShot Hazelnut Brown

Brewer: Boston Beer Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Based on a homebrew originally made by .Doug and Vicki Parker of Leesburg, Florida.

Appearance: Deep copper with reddish-brown highlights; highly carbonated; tight, lasting tan head.

Aroma: A walloping blast of hazelnuts.

Taste: Medium dark malt body with a strong hazelnut flavor, sweetish in the middle, with a vanilla note. Finishes drier, with a slight astringency.

Summary: A brown ale gussied up with hazelnut flavoring. The trend for exotic adjuncts was a homebrewing innovation that many craft brewers currently emulate. Interesting novelty brew, perhaps paired with dessert, but definitely not a session beer.

Brewer's Notes: Original Gravity: 13.9 degrees Plato; 17 bittering units (provided on bottle label.