Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
A: Dark brown, but not black. Warmer, nut brown on the bottom of the glass when held up to the light. Thick, two-finger head at first, although it recedes quickly. Head is a nice light brown color. Even after the full head is gone, a fairly decent layer of foam coast the surface of the beer, thicker around the rims. Almost no lacing. Overall, a beautiful-looking beer. S: When my fellow-reviewer opened the bottle, I could smell chocolate from about ten feet away. With my nose closer to the glass, there is a sweet and malty cocoa scent, tinged with a distinct alcohol scent. T: Here's where the beer started to let me down. The first sip was sweet, but quite dry. The soy flavor in most bocks is there, but not as strong. Coffee aftertaste. Not much flavor, in the beginning, just bready and malt. Slight, vague fruit develops mid-way. Hint of bitterness in the back of the throat. Rich chocolate develops towards the end. Sounds good on paper, so what's my problem? The flavor is good, and is present, but just not very strong. I think the too-high carbonation hindered my ability to taste. M: Strong, dry carbonation. Later, feels refreshing. Definitely too much carbonation. Felt smoother towards the end. Again, the over-carbonation really held back the beer. D: It tastes better the more you have. I would definitely have it again, but not two in a row. Also, the bottle was $15 at a package store in the Brigham Circle. area of Boston (Dara's Wine and Spirits). I had to try several stores before I found one that carried the beer, others (such as Huntington Liquors near Symphony Hall) said they were sold out.