Samuel Adams Triple Bock
A 250 mL bottle of the 1995 vintage purchased at Joe Canal's in Lawrence Township, NJ. It also marks my 1,000th review. A: The beer opens without a pop and pours with no sign of any carbonation. The ale is a dark ruby red to black color and sits still a glass of tap water. S: The nose is strong! At an arm's length, the aroma is quite formidable. There is maple syrup aroma, not quite as intense as Utopias. Some buttery oak aromas come through as well, adding a very powerful sweetness to the body. T: A sip reveals a very complex beer. The maple syrup, much like Utopias, has added a depth of sugary sweet flavor that most beers can only dream of. Some vanilla and alcoholic heat round out the flavor. The sweetness is strong, often over the top and a worthy predecessor to Utopias. M: The syrupy sweetness, mixed with vanilla and a ton of alcohol make this an interesting one. The smaller size certainly helps. D: This is a mouthful! Big flavors abound and even in its old age (12 or so years now), the beer has held up admirably. At 17.5% though, one bottle is enough.