Samuel Adams Triple Bock - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

rlee1390

Indiana

1.15/5  rDev -59.9%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Picked up at a Consumer Beverage in Lockport. I new the reviews were bad for the beer but I figured a)it can't be that bad b)it is worth a try. Now for the review.

A-A deep ruby maybe it was actually brown. The carbonation was about as existent as an honest man on Capital Hill. It was so thick I'm thinking of keeping a few bottles in my car in case I develop an oil leak.

S-I'll admit I like the smell of my own farts and cow manure. This however was worse than those. It was nothing but alcohol, soy sauce. My roommate wanted to try it, I warned him it was awful, took one whiff, did that "I'm gonna vomit all over this granite counter top" and said, "I'm not trying that"

T-Words can not describe the taste. Soy sauce infused with alcohol. They say the beer was aged in bourbon barrels, it is more likely that it was aged in barrels that once contained 13 month old milk. After you stomached your first sip and decided to take a 10 minute break before going back, the taste still lingers.

M-Thick. Don't have a great grasp on mouthfeel as you wanted to get that stuff out of you as quick as possible.

O-I think the best way to recreate this beer is to buy a bottle of soy sauce, add homemade grain alcohol and mix throughly. As the Grinch song goes, given the choice between this and a seasick crocodile, I'll take the seasick crocodile. I give credit for helping to start the extreme beer movement but if you think about the Puritans founded New England and killed gays, non believers, witches and Indians and New England turn out sorta all right.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 02:53:36 | More by rlee1390

femond

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev +4.5%

06-13-2013 01:51:56 | More by femond

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +13.2%

06-12-2013 00:54:13 | More by Holland

Bluecane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +56.8%

06-08-2013 02:53:40 | More by Bluecane

bolanrox

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +39.4%

06-03-2013 16:44:37 | More by bolanrox

Kilhd

Alabama

3/5  rDev +4.5%

05-26-2013 03:13:36 | More by Kilhd

raffy313

Texas

4/5  rDev +39.4%

05-17-2013 03:19:21 | More by raffy313

BMart

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -4.2%

05-13-2013 17:01:13 | More by BMart

Rock740

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +50.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

1994 that my brother in law discovered in a house that he recently purchased. Turns out that was a great discovery for me since he gave it to me. With the mixed reviews that I saw on here I couldn't wait to try this and I must have got a well stored bottle because this could be the best sipper that I've ever had.
A-dark copper with no carbonation and a flat almost black calmness to it.
S-beautiful port wine smell with a nice smoky sweetness.
T-wow,this just hit my palate and amazing,complex,prunes and some alcohol with a very nice syrup sweetness.
M-smooth,with the same flat calmness that it has in appearance.
O-Amazing beer with more character and overall insane complexities than any beer I've ever had. I'm so glad that my brother in law passed this on to me and thankful to whomever got forced out of that house a couple years ago and left this well stored gem.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 15:57:20 | More by Rock740

dalepryor

Kentucky

1.75/5  rDev -39%

05-08-2013 04:41:31 | More by dalepryor

PHBoiler

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +56.8%

05-02-2013 13:36:55 | More by PHBoiler

tbunting75

Virginia

1/5  rDev -65.2%

04-30-2013 21:02:52 | More by tbunting75

murderofscarecrows

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +74.2%

03-28-2013 01:17:20 | More by murderofscarecrows

DirtyKurt

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +56.8%

03-27-2013 01:18:27 | More by DirtyKurt

egrace84

Illinois

4/5  rDev +39.4%

03-27-2013 01:03:17 | More by egrace84

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

1/5  rDev -65.2%

03-26-2013 04:25:54 | More by Zachtheporter

SuomiHobbit

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -12.9%

03-26-2013 02:07:16 | More by SuomiHobbit

writerLJBerg

Oregon

2.18/5  rDev -24%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Bottle bought for probably too much. 1994 vintage.

A: Falls out of the bottle like the nozzle is doing its best to expunge the material. Zero head and zero carbonation. Cork broke in the bottle, which is highly encouraging.

N: Nose is rich chocolate, soy sauce, prune and raisin. The oxidation you'd expect is here. Still has an alcohol presence, and honestly this, isn't the worst thing. It smells a lot like Dark Lord.

T: Mint, chocolate, prune, and enough oxidation to rust off a hubcap. Dark sherry and peanuts. Alcohol is muted by now. Port notes. Not the worst thing in the world, though there's too many discombobulated flavors to be good.

M: Placid and slimy. Not good.

O: Seeing as this was the 1994 vintage, I knew there was a chance this could be fairly decent. I was kind of hoping for a travesty rather than something merely bad and unpalatable because a travesty would be memorable and this really wasn't. That said, it was a great joy to me to watch peoples' faces shrivel when they tried this unpleasant concoction. I gather this was one of the 'good' bottles.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:24:39 | More by writerLJBerg

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.88/5  rDev +70%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Small blue bottle of the 1994 vintage, shared very kindly by our brewing lecturer with his class after a long brew day. My guess is that this was a particularly well-stored bottle, because this was still a very excellent beer when I drank it.

Pours dark and viscous, but, unsurprisingly given it was 19 years old, completely dead, with no head, no bubbling, no retention. Yeah. Pretty much nothing going on here. The colour is in fact a slight reddish brown hue, as seen when the glass is tilted. It looks thick and dangerous, but certainly dead.

Nose is gorgeous, despite of, or perhaps because of its age. Sweet/savoury combinations of kecap manis, smoked fish, dusty, oxidised chocolate mingle with the true characters of dusky oak and maple syrup, which still smells sweet after all this time. It all blends into a magnificent wholeness, a huge fragrant intensity still coiled up and dormant. It's insane.

Flavour is amazing. Big characters of cherry chocolate, stacks of booze, and a rich, juicy sweetness that tastes almost exactly like chocolate mudcake. More booze, sultana booze, kirsch soaked soft doughy cookies, booze, sweetness, booze. Holy moly. What an intense and insane experience. This is so complex and lovely. So rich and full even after 19 years sitting in its little blue bottle. Wow.

Feel is smooth and thick. This doesn't need any damn carbonation—this is perfectly happy as it is.

Overall, this is insane. It's big, boozy and rich, but with structure that stands the test of time. This was truly phenomenal stuff, and I'm not ashamed to say that this was one of the best beers I've ever had the pleasure to taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:44:43 | More by lacqueredmouse

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.11/5  rDev +43.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from little 8oz blue bottle into schlafly tulip glass to celebrate the last brew/last night in our place. Purchased at DeCicco's Pelham; no paper flag remains, so I dont know what vintage this is. Cork was so dried out it broke on opening and had to push it in...
Pours a viscous oily black...no head and thick/oily.
I can see the confusion of why many people say it smells like soy sauce...it kind of does; but more dried fruit and sweet chocolate than soy.
Taste of dried fruit, some slight heat and chocolate; but is somewhat salty and vineous. Its actually quite drinkable and one of the more intersting flavors ive had in a while.
Strange that it has such low reviews. Really cool brew and glad to have had.
Crazy to think this was brewed when I was in high school!...maybe even middle school.
With something that old, its really hard to pass up trying...dont let the low reviews scare you on this. Id like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 16:48:28 | More by DrinkSlurm

beertardis

Rhode Island

3/5  rDev +4.5%

03-18-2013 12:49:40 | More by beertardis

tectactoe

Michigan

2.79/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

1997 vintage, huge thanks to Kevin for graciously opening this one - definitely something I thought I'd never get to try. And based on the reviews, not so sure I would ever want to, haha. Triple Bock pours black as night with dark brown edges; thick as hell - the bottle is left with a sludgy residue all over the sides and at the bottom. No head forms and there are maybe four carbonation bubbles visible after an aggressive, down-the-center pour. To be expected, for an ale this strong and this old - 16 years.

The aroma was poignant as could be... So goddamn strong it almost knocks you on your ass as you go in to take a whiff. Heavy, heavy, sugary molasses, rich brown sugar, bittersweet chocolate, graham crackers... Lots of stuff to try and wrap your head around, here. I pick up a bunch of licorice, and it's weird because not only am I getting black licorice, but I'm smelling red licorice, too - something I've never gotten from a beer before. The alcohol isn't really contained well, this thing smells pretty hot right out of the gate. Despite being on the border of almost "too strong", the aroma really isn't that bad. Lots of sweetness and a hefty dose of alcoholic heat, but lots of clashing flavors; rich, powerful, prominent.

I take a sip and I immediately begin to feel my heart pump faster, my teeth shiver, and my lungs almost collapse. This is the sweetest fucking beer on the face of the earth. I know I've said that before (I'm sure) and there are tons and TONS of "sweet" beers out there... Dark Lord, Darkness, Chocolate Rain, etc.... It's not even close. This is sweeter than all of those beers combined. It would be like melting an extra pound of sugar into a half a pound of molasses. I really can't overstate the sweetness here; if you manage to get your hands on this beer, make sure you take an extra shot of insulin before ingesting. It may just save your life.

In all seriousness, though, the beer has lots and lots of flavors going on, despite the coma-inducing sweetness. Tons of dark fruits; dates and prunes being the heaviest with some raisins and figs in the back. Syrupy licorice, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, sugar, sugar, and more sugar. The alcohol is pretty hot, but the extremely sweet nature of the beer does a lot to cut down that heat. I've read through many reviews for this and people often describe it as "soy sauce", which absolutely makes no sense to me. Soy sauce is salty. This beer isn't salty. At all. It's sweet. Over-the-top sweet. Cavity-causing sweet. Nothing like soy sauce. As already mentioned, carbonation was nonexistent, mouth feel was thick, oily, chewy, and heavy all around. The aftertaste was a collaboration of molasses and dark fruit with an adhering boozy sweetness.

I'm super excited I got to try this and it made for a fun experience. Lots of heavy and robust aromas and flavors, but in reality - this beer was far too sweet for me to really enjoy it all the way through. I will say, however, that it maybe isn't quite as bad as most people make it out to be. It may depend on how old it is and what vintage you have, too. I also got no soy sauce or saltiness from it as many people have said. I need to go brush my teeth now.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 11:44:57 | More by tectactoe

leedorham

Washington

3/5  rDev +4.5%

03-11-2013 15:02:00 | More by leedorham

kencarman

Tennessee

1.36/5  rDev -52.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.25

I have had this many, many times and, to be honest, it always reminds me of motor oil. Retired? Praise the beer gods. In fact a few of my many samplings was at an annual barleywine bash where they are aged bottles: intentionally. Seems to get worse. Bering a lager, (Bock) that's NOT surprising, but you would think the complexity would help. Syrupy, rotted figs, almost greasy on the palate... what's to like? Sam usually does better than this, and maybe this was a grand adventure on the way to Utopia (haven't tried), but I view it like the Toyota Crown was to the Toyota Cressida... having to do it wrong to get it right: eventually.. Higher alcohols quite evident. As a beer judge I'd have to be careful what I say and try to NOT go below 13.
The aroma was where the rotted fig sense started, going on into the taste. Slippery, slick: YUCK.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 22:21:09 | More by kencarman

JDizzle

Indiana

1.5/5  rDev -47.7%

02-21-2013 00:48:22 | More by JDizzle