Samuel Adams Triple Bock

Formerly brewed at Boston Beer Company
Style: Barley Wine
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter

Bottle of 1995 vintage from uncle David. It was just amazing to me to be able to taste a beer that was 17 years old and not completely terrible. There are ratings-horror stories in here that just demonize this beer. Think about it. This beer sat sideways in a cupboard since I was a junior in high school. College, divorce, and kids later, I’m tasting this, with my current wife (ironically) that I met in high school. Anyway, on to the rating... Aromas of soy sauce, sweet molasses, and a little funk. It poured a murky dishwater-puke. Flavors of the aromas came out along with aged maple syrup and chocolate notes. The palate was amazingly intact, although you couldn’t identify the 17% alcohol. I was pretty impressed with the offering, and he also gave me a 1994 (first year) bottle to try. Cheers to Jim Koch for changing beer for the better. Without this beer, beers like Firestone XV, Dark Lord, and 120min IPA probably wouldn’t exist. Great beer. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Sauce soya, vinaigre balsamique avec une coulisse de mélasse et vous obtenez un liquide qui tache inévitablement l’évier. Peut-être excellent en salade...en bouche un désastre.

Consumed some time ago, but the unique taste lingers on my memory. After the hype and upon seeing the fancy bottle in the store I had to have it. The others mention tastes of soy or teriyaki sauce which is evident, and I’ll add hoisin sauce to those notes due to the fruitiness. Considering the cost of a single bottle, I won’t revisit this one unless it’s gratis.

Bottle 25cl vintage 2007 from Papsoe thanks. A very dark and thick beer, without any carbonation and head, nose is very powerful on dark chocolate, dry grapes and vinous notes. Amazing aroma, deep dark chocolate notes, toasted biscuit notes, sweet dry grapes, wonderful dried figs aroma, cooked vine notes as well as some oxydation, huge body and complex. The finish has intense sweet caramel vanilla presence which is pleasant and very long, even after ten minutes. This beer is so huge in alcohol and complex and so drinkable, even alcohol is not burning. Papsoe thanks a lot for this experience, one of the best ever.

1997 bottle shared with dasilky1. Alcohol and soy sauce in the nose. For 14 years old, this one has held up pretty well. That being said, this is not an outstanding beer at all. Soy sauce taste. Black pour with no carbonation. Glad I tried it for the novelty, but will never drink again.

UPDATED: AUG 27, 2011 Bottle @ home. 1995 vintage. I was warned by two people to avoid this beer at all costs but I did not heed their advice. Cork broke upon opening. After removing the cork, I was appalled at the incredibly offensive, unbelievably strong diesel, soy sauce aroma, even from several feet away. The aroma nearly induces vomit (and I mean VERY nearly). Black appearance with no head. Very strong caramel, huge fruity, toffee, wood, kerosene, trinitrotoluene, soy sauce flavor with a major burn (is that DDT that I am tasting?) on the finish. This is the most offensive, undrinkable beer that I’ve ever come across- this is the worst tasting flavor that I’ve ever come across. I would prefer to drink a keg of Keystone Ice over a two ounce glass of this. Absolutely obnoxious. There is no doubt in my mind that I will have nightmares about this beer and my experience. Please heed my warning: do not ever, EVER try this beer!

1997 Bottle pours deep brown/black with no head. Aroma shows notes of salted meat, soy, chocolate, and heavy roast. Flavor shows the same with additional notes of alcohol soaked dark fruit, oak, and burnt brown sugar. Overall body is extremely full and viscous with plenty of booziness and heavy roasted character. A little goes a long way and I wish I had shared this rather than tried to conquer the beast myself.

We are still talking about beer, dont we. A horrible liquor like something. Well, the bottle looks at least nice.