Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Sam Adams Triple Bock




A friend of mine discovered a six pack of Sam Adams Triple Bock he's had stashed in his basement since 1994. They've been stored in a cool, dark place for all that time; they just sat in a corner biding their time.

He must like me or something because he was sweet enough to give me a bottle!

Believe it or not, the bottle actually sat forgotten in the back of my fridge for several months before I rediscovered it.

Well, the time is now.

Triple bock was an extreme beer when such big beers were unheard of. These were the days when craft breweries were still newly emerging and tasteless mega beers ruled the marketplace. So, this beer was unlike any beer brewed at the time.


There are horror stories about how awful the Triple Bock is when stored improperly. One such review described it as tasting like "turpentine, dregs from an oil change". But there are plenty of happy tales, as well. I was hoping for the best but prepared for the worst when I busted into that bad boy.

The bottle is cobalt blue but there was so much sediment it actually looked brown from the neck down. Despite being extremely gentle when removing the cork a piece broke off and dropped irretrievable into the bottle.

Triple Bock (17.5% ABV) poured a thick, dense dark brown that looks very much like dark chocolate with deep cherry red highlights. There was absolutely no carbonation and, therefore, no head.

The aroma was sweet and boozy, like a very strong liquor.

The taste cannot be described as a beer. It's like dark chocolate covered cherries soaked in brandy. It is super heavy and coats the tongue. Very rich, very elegant. Very WOW!


I was exceptionally lucky to get a bottle in such drinkable condition. It was amazing.

Overall: excellent

I have awesome friends! Thanks, Robert!!


1 comment:

spookyspeeg said...

Amazing review. Thanks for sharing.