12x12 Review Samuel Adams Juicy IPA

Beer Included: Samuel Adams Juicy IPA

Purchased: 2 May 2025

Price: $17.99

Initial Impression 

I first tasted Samuel Adams New England IPA Jamaica Plain taproom in Boston back in 2017. This was before the beer was packaged for national distribution. At the time I thought the beer was excellent and if Sam could make an IPA that good at a lower price point than smaller taproom-type breweries, they would be onto something. Would people still buy a $20 4-pack if they could buy something just as good for less in a 12-pack? My comment at the time was "If I can find this fresh in stores its a game changer".

I first saw the new Juicy IPA at Fenway Park

That beer was eventually released in four packs, and I remember liking it if not quite as much as that trial batch. Then Wicked Hazy was released and now Juicy IPA is here. Is this the same beer that has undergone a second rebrand? The ABV and IBU of all three beers are the same. That doesn’t mean the beers aren’t all different in some way. I’ll be approaching this with an open mind. 

Brew Day: North Shore Brewers 2025 Q2 Kellerbier

For Big Brew Day 2025 I did something a little different, went on Facebook Live during my brew day. I wanted to see what kind of engagement it would get and to see if it helped the page get any visibility. Video is not my strength, and I do not have the patience for video editing. 

Since Meta started deleting Facebook Live videos after 30 days, I uploaded the video to YouTube which made it easy to embed here. 

I shoot from the hip here talking about the recipe and process for this beer, and my system in general. 

12x12 Review: Allagash Variety Pack

Beers included: Allagash Lager, White, Hazy IPA, Tripel

Purchased: 24 April 2025

Purchase Price: $20.99 

Initial Impressions 

When I saw a couple months ago that Allagash was releasing a new pack I decided I would need to review it in this space as soon as I could find it. Allagash is a brewery that has always embodied everything that is right about craft beer. Allagash White is a beer that still transcends craft in that it attracts drinkers who aren’t beer geeks. 

Brew Day & Tasting Notes North Shore Brewers 2025 Q1 Australian Sparkling Ale

When Australian Sparkling Ale was the style pulled at random for my club, the North Shore Brewers first in-club competition of the year, the reaction was “huh?” and “what?”. That is because nobody had ever tasted or brewed an Australian Sparkling Ale. 

That’s is partially true. I brewed an extract kit from Northern Brewer back in 2015. While my initial tasting notes were positive, I recall not finishing the batch and dumping some of the bottles. The recipe kit has since been discontinued. The Pride of Ringwood hops used in the kit and by Cooper’s Sparkling Ale are also no longer available from any homebrew retailer in the US at least that I could find. 

Back to the drawing board it was.