Sam Adams Light bills itself as a low carb beer - but it's 7.6g of carbs and 119 calories. Is the flavor worth the fairly high counts? Here are the details.

The site claims this is a "unique beer" and not a light version of its regular beer. We found that to be true in the sense of taste. This one has a different flavor, smooth but with a hint of bitterness. It's not watery like some of the other low carb beer. It tastes like a real beer. It has the lush texture of a real beer. You don't feel like you're drinking Sprite.

Still, if weight loss is your consideration, it's important to remember that this one beer has nearly seven times the carbs of some of those beer options. You might expect it to have more body!

"Real" Sam Adams Boston Ale has 4.94% alcohol, 160 calories and 19.9g carbs. You can go down to 18.0g with their Boston Lager and up to 23.94 if it's their Cream Stout you favor. So you could at least say that you're cutting the carbs in more than half by going with the Light instead.

I'd really say at almost 8g per bottle that Sam Adams Light doesn't quite count as a low carb beer. It's in the range of other beers' NORMAL carb counts. For example, Yuengling Ale standard has 10g of carbs per bottle. That's not a light version - that's just how their beer is.

Note that I live in Massachusetts and have talked to the Sam Adams reps many times at various wine/beer tastings in the area. They say they have tried working on low carb variations of their beer, but that for now there is no combination they can find that is both low carb and has the rich flavor they want. So until they hit on that combination, they won't be offering a "real" low carb beer.

And that's just one of those decisions you have to make. If you'd prefer to have one beer that is delicious, vs two beers that are watery, this might be your option.

Serving: 12oz
Carbs: 7.6g
Calories: 119
Alcohol: 4.3%

Note: When this beer was first released, it was 9.7g and 124 calories per 12oz serving.

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