Samuel Adams Triple Bock
No date, but a 95A on the bottom of the bottle, but referring to Uncle Jimbos quote According to the Sam Adams rep, the 1994 and 1995 vintages have the yeard on the back label, but the 1997 does not. There are only 3 vintages. Im thinking I have the 1997. Wow, how often do you find 7 year old beer on the shelf? Please dont answer that. Aroma: Oh Momma! It has an alcoholic maple syrup aroma with almost paint thinner intensity. The alcohol is massive with a bit of a sickly sweet maple wrapped up in it. Somewhat of a vinegar/soy sauce smell as well with some wood characteristics. Other reviewers noted burning rubber, and raisin wine, not too far off. Very powerful. Appearance: Completely flat, no head or carbonation. Very black with clear black edges and colossal legs, the beer seems to ooze down the sides of the glass. Flavor: A taste explosion. Malt, malt and more malt. Dark, heavy, black hearted malt. It builds until the point that it approaches sickly sweet, then oddly, the alcohol cuts in and thins out the taste with a wisp of maple before it quickly disappears. Black fruit notes: black cherry, black dates, black raisins, black sugar, Im not sure how you make black sugar, but they did. Very mild aftertaste lingers a bit, but a mere shadow of the monster that spawned it. All in all, extremely sweet. I found the aftertaste built as I worked my way, carefully, through half of the tiny bottle. I probably started a bit too cold. Mouthfeel: Maple syrup thick consistency, an extremely heavy body. I think it remained solid long after I swallowed. A hefty alcohol burn as well. Overall Impression: This is like the essence of beer. Condensed beer. If youve seen Time Bandits Dont touch it, its pure evil! Hard core, heavy duty malt monster. Small sips, recovery time between, like drinking whiskey. Im going to have to get some food to pair with it just to cut it down a bit. It is enjoyable, but VERY intense. I can see this as a Love or Hate beer. Im drifting toward the love side, but more from a respect of the brewers art. The taste is beyond what we mortals call beer. Drinkability?!? Im working hard to finish the half bottle I poured, but enjoying the climb. Would I drink it again? Sure, Im glad I got some more bottles, but with only 3 years of vintage available, its pointless to get hooked. A little goes a long way, and this beer builds lasting memories.