Sam Adams Infinium

Back in college, before I had yet to discover discernible taste towards beer, if we wanted the taste of fine champagne without the hefty price tag, we’d pick up a case of High Life and a few orange flavored Mad Dog 20/20’s. Mix a half and half and enjoy.

Now I haven’t tried this in years, and I really don’t think I ever tired it sober, but as best my memory serves me, it’s the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to a Champagne/Beer, until Sam Adams released Infinium that is.

Brand new to the market this holiday season, and kudos to Sam Adams on the great timing marketing wise, Infinium is supposed to be a brand new style of beer. Taking the essentials; water, hops, malt, and yeast; and brewing them in the method used to make champagne. As a beer connoisseur, I was intrigued to give this beverage a try.

Initially I was impressed; it had a very sweet aroma that smelled almost exactly like a grapefruit. The rest of the experience immediately went downhill. I have never seen a beer carry so much head before, seriously, nothing even somewhat close.

I’m very good at pouring a beer to match just the perfect amount of head for my tastes, Infinium just would not cooperate. Seventy-five percent of the glass was a thick head that took forever to dissipate. It took at least 7 minutes to get from the initial pour to the first drink, and the reason I say at least 7 is because that’s how long it took after I started keeping count.

Once the head fell to drinkable levels, it didn’t even carry any taste, like drinking watery suds. The beer itself didn’t taste any better. The best way to describe it would be calling it a really bad pale wheat without any of the citrus taste that seemed to be awaiting me after I popped the cork. Extremely acidic, this beer was very difficult to drink and only got worse as it warmed.

As we all know, craft beer can be hit and miss, so I try not to judge someone’s craft too harshly, but at twenty dollars a bottle I feel like I can expect a lot more. That being said, the next time I feel the urge for beerpagne I’ll spend that 20 bucks at Wal-Mart and pick up some high life and mad dog. It may not taste as good as I remember but, at least if it sucks, I’ll still have some cheap wine and beer for the money I spent.

Sam Adams Infinium comes in at 1 mug out of 10.