Samuel Adams Double Bock

April 15th, 2009 beckel

Today we have the first review of a beer from the Samuel Adams Brewing Company to grace this website additionally the two beers I picked up are the only Samuel Adams brews I have ever purchased. Though I have been incredibly tempted by their Utopia series only time will tell if I ever get the chance to try any but as many of you know Sam Adams has come out with an Imperial Series of beers that are sure to spark the curiosity of even the most apprehensive. Though this series has been out for a while I declined purchasing any until Sean of The Four Firkins pointed out the fact that they sold single bottles and I figured I should give them the benefit of the doubt and let the beer speak for itself. In addition to the Double Bock I picked up their Imperial White which at 10.3% ABV is a feat in and of itself, if these two beers are tasty I might just have to see if I can still find any of the Imperial Stout. Though Sam Adams is definitely the Microsoft of the craft beer world I must concede a bit, first they have been pushing the craft beer boundaries since before the term was coined, crafting a vast variety of brews even if they may currently be mass produced. Most apparent to me though and what makes me continue to appreciate Sam Adams as it currently exists is what they did for the brewing community last year offering to share their bulk hops during the “hop shortage” and creating a lottery based hop sharing program that appears to have been a success. Looking out for your community is one of the most important things you can do and for a large brewery to continue that tradition earns my respect. Apparently their Double Bock dates back 20 years and appears to be a favorite of many, but this year they amped it up even more to 9.5% for their Imperial Series, lets see how it goes. This beer pours a deep red color that looks rather black when not in direct light but becomes very translucent and red in hue or mahogany as their website states. Head is just over a finger and cream in color only lasting a couple minutes. Aroma is full of caramel malt and some lighter fermented fruit scents, I particularly notice cherry as well as a little bit of alcohol. Flavor is very similar to the aroma with caramel malts defining the flavor and dark pitted fruits such as date and cherry accenting it. A bit of alcohol comes through in the flavor but considering it is 9.5% ABV it isn’t overpowering. The body of this beer is quite light considering how strong it is and the mouthfeel is a bit more watery than I would prefer. As I continue to drink this beer I can definitely notice a bit of hop bitterness in the finish but it is quite mild particularly considering how sweet the malt profile of this beer is. Over all not a bad beer that certainly has some nice flavors but frankly I would like to see more depth. This is a very drinkable beer that I would recommend to anyone who is weary of the craft beer scene but perhaps would like to slowly submerge themselves. This beer was a bit better than I expected it to be and  I could easily drink many of them if they weren’t so alcoholic.  If you enjoy sweet caramel malts you will probably appreciate this beer. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
Samuel Adams Double Bock