I’ve already reviewed the regular Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA. This one is from the Latitude 48 Deconstructed 12 pack, where Sam Adams takes their Latitude 48 IPA and brews a beer with a single one of the five hop varieties used in the Latitude 48. It’s a good chance to see what each hop variety tastes like with an identical grain bill. For the first review of the deconstructed series, I thought I’d go for the big boy, and see what the single hopped Zeus tasted like.
Location: Enjoyed the bottled beer, in a pint glass, at home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 6% ABV, 14.8° Plato OG, 206 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts, Caramel 60, and Gambrinus Honey Malt; Hops: Zeus; Yeast: Samuel Adams ale yeast
Appearance & Aroma: It was a solidly clear copper-dark amber color with a really, really big creamy head on it. Although the head fell over a few minutes, leaving a nice lacing on the glass, there was a ton of carbonation in it. There was a good amount of piney hop aroma in the head, and after it fell, a decent caramel malt aroma came through.
Taste & Feel: The body was medium, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel from the big creamy head. Up front, there’s a bready and caramel maltiness, followed by a bit more caramel flavor with a bit of piney hop bitterness. The finish had a very piney and resiny hop flavor, which is a little bit harsh.
Food Pairing: This would go great with a nice, thick juicy burger. The bready and caramel flavors would pair nicely with the bun and flavorful beef, while the hop bitterness would offer a clean, flavorful, unique finish after each drink.
Overall Impression: I thought this was a great chance to see what a beer single hopped with Zeus would taste like. I enjoyed the flavors in the base beer, noticeable up front and in the middle. The Zeus hop flavor was good, but a bit strong and harsh in the finish. I definitely would not have this beer if I weren’t a hop head, and even being the hop head that I am, I felt the Zeus was a bit strong in the finish. While I appreciated the beer, it helped me to learn that Zeus is a hop that needs to be an early addition and mixed with milder finishing hops.
My Rating: 
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