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

Treebs

Illinois

1.18/5  rDev -58.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I shared this beast at the Star Wars tasting. 1997 vintage plit six ways. I would have preferred to split it 100 ways as to lessen the blow to my palate, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Corked nip bottle served in a plastic cup because I didn't want to ruin my glass. We strained this guy and unfortunately there was no sludge. What we got was all beer.

A: Pours a very dark black color with an oily, viscous sheen to it. Absolutely no head, foam or ring. Zero carbonation.

S: Rotten figs, stale chocolate, musty basement and dried out malts. Not terribly disgusting, but a far cry from palatable. The first few smells were the equivalent of water torture so I didn't have high hopes for this.

T: I almost vomitted upon first sip. Moldy bread with sweaty gym socks. A weird, sickly sweet aftertaste is there which might be the maple syrup? Minimal dark fruits with a dried out after taste of legit stomach bile.

M: I wrote down one word during my note taking and I'll leave it at that: HORRID

O: Nope. Never going to have again. Don't try it. Ever.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 18:35:26 | More by Treebs

russwbeck

Virginia

1.28/5  rDev -55.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

1997 Vintage

A: The cork was difficult to pry out, but it didn't fall apart at all. The color of the beer is red or black, and it's very thin. There is absolutely no head, not even a hint that there was head at any point.

S: The smell is completely of soy sauce and salt. Molasses and booze probably coming out as well. Very sweet and salty.

T: Just, wow. Burnt, charred, molasses, fifteen year old maple syrup. The residual char sticks on the palate forever. All of these flavors just clash horribly to create a beer that I wouldn't recommend to anybody.

MF: Thin body, no carbonation, undrinkable.

O: If you honestly want to try this, knock yourself out. I sure won't be. One of the weirdest beers I have ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 00:13:50 | More by russwbeck

rarbring

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev +35.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A black syrup/soy sauce kind of liquid, no head, little lacing.

Heavily riped green cheese, cellar and moldy mortar, cork, soy sauce, the nose grows and expands in pleasure.

Starting very sweet, and continuing sweet. Dried plum desserts and raisins, some soy sauce, dark fruits.

No carbonation, extremely sticky, smooth and oily. A huge body.

It is an extreme beer, but not at all in a bad way.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 19:39:31 | More by rarbring

ONUMello

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

8.45oz bottle poured into a snifter. 1997 vintage, received from a friend.

A: Pitch black and quite thick. No head or carbonation.
S: Pure molasses. A bit of coffee. Maybe a hint of brown sugar/maple.
T: Thick with mouth coating molasses and coffee notes. A bit of brown sugar. The finish is long, full of bitter coffee grounds.
M: Extremely thick, full-bodied and heavy. Like drinking a thin molasses, not entirely pleasant.
O: Unique and interesting for sure. Given I got this from a friend, I'm can't be 100% certain how it was stored though I think it was stored well. The cloying thickness & bitter finish are not pleasant & I ended up dumping about half the glass due to a gritty substance that filled the bottom of the glass. That being said, it certainly is a unique beer which I would be interested in trying at a younger stage if it is ever brewed again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 21:51:33 | More by ONUMello

BrewHawkeye

Iowa

1.5/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 1 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Tried about 10 years ago....1997 version.
A - Do you drink motor oil? If so...this beer is for you. It literally glopped into the cup I poured it into. "Poured" heavy, slowly, and again, looked like oil left open for about 20 years. Not appetizing.
S - Against my better judgment, I decided to smell this liquid abomination in front of me. I was expecting sulfur, or something similar. And...it wasnt bad! Fruit? Overwhelming booze smell. Some sort of coffee? Not what i expected.
T - Dissapointing. Ugh. Like someone threw a fig and some coffee grounds into the mud and fried it. Disgusting. Very memorable though. Like being shot is memorable, I suppose.
M - Mud. Incredibly unpleasant. Did not want to chew my beer.
O - This was probably the worst beer experience I have ever had. Still worth trying for the novelty, I suppose.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 14:05:13 | More by BrewHawkeye

EmEpps

Michigan

2.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I tasted the 1995 vintage from a snifter.

This beer is so thick the light can barely shine through it. There's basically no head to it and when swirling it in the snifter, it coats the side of the glass like syrup.

It smells somewhat sweet and you can vaguely get some burnt sugar from the syrup in it. The booziness takes over at the end though and is overwhelming. It's pleasant enough but reminds you how strong this beer really is.

The taste of this beer is strange. There is definitely some sweetness to begin with but it quickly punches you with the alcohol content. You can almost get a bit of nuttiness in the middle there but then the aftertaste is almost like vinegar. And then like something charred accompanies the vinegar. After several sips I'm starting to get the soy sauce taste as mentioned in other reviews but it doesn't really take over, the burnt taste becomes more and more pronounced. It's all very interesting but the combination isn't pleasing. It's too many extremes and there's nothing really tying them together.

It feels like oil on your tongue. It's not too heavy and it glides really quickly across the palate. There is no carbonation to speak of but you don't really miss it. There's so much going on in the taste of this beer that you won't even notice.

Overall, this beer is very interesting and worth trying once, but I don't think I'll ever reach for it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 23:35:06 | More by EmEpps

abraxel

Michigan

2.8/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I decided to give in to curiosity and procured a bottle of this infamous beast, vintage '95, courtesy of DaveHack.

The cork nearly disintegrated -- I just barely managed to prevent all but a few small chunks from falling in the beer, and those were soon fished out with a fork. Poured into two large snifters to share.

A - Very dark brown that turns to amber at the edge of the meniscus. No head whatsoever, but as I swirl the glass it leaves a thin film that turns the room yellow. Very unusual, but it seems appropriate for a beer of this age and gravity.

S - I smelled it even before the cork broke -- super rich, dense, chocolatey sweetness. There's booze, but it blends with the richness quite well and prevents it from becoming cloying. More delicious than I was expecting, that's for sure.

T - Well, it doesn't live up to the smell. The chocolate is still there, but it's joined by an odd fruitiness, with a touch of vinegar (it's not very acidic, though), some umami that's reminiscent of soy sauce, and smokiness in the finish. There's no way I'll ever know, but I might have loved this at least ten years ago and I suspect that this 17-year-old beer is *gasp* over the hill.

M - Extremely thick and crazy silky, it leaves a film on everything it touches. Not even a suggestion of carbonation. Barely a hint of alcohol burn.

Overall, after smelling it I was almost expecting to love this beer. After tasting it, I'm not really a fan. I wish I had been more than six years old when this came out, because right now it tastes like a potentially great beer gone to seed.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 23:29:44 | More by abraxel

Texasfan549

Texas

2.1/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours very thick with no head and a viscous black/dark brown color with tons of lacing

S: Smells like burnt prunes mixed with liquor, almost a burning sensation

T: Very syrupy, very port like but not enjoyable, honestly it tastes like a big stout left out overnight

M: Full and thick almost like wine

O: Awful, considering its from the mid 90's I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Two sips and a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:43:44 | More by Texasfan549

tewaris

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Nils! Tiny blue bottle with a cork shared among 3 people. The cork has some sediment on it. Beer pours dark, viscous and still. Legs are seen upon swirling. Very complex: chocolate, caramel, figs, sherry/port like notes abound. Sweet but somewhat bitter/dark and balanced enough in small quantities. No carbonation, silky feel. Boozy and potent. Not nearly as bad as I was led to think. And I have had it twice.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:28:05 | More by tewaris

davey101

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

1994 vintage. Cobalt blue bottle, room temperature into a tulip glass. I think a huge part of this beer is how the consumer goes about the actual act of getting it into the glass. For me it consisted of a slight twist of the cork. Instant breakage. The cork itself was really weak and moist. I played around with needle nose pliers for a few minutes but the cork eventually fell into the bottle. No big deal, I readied my coffee filter and slowly poured. I didn't get any large chunks. Well it turns out that the cork plugged up the neck allowing for the slime to stay back and syrupy ooze to flow past slowly. When I got most of the beer out I grabbed a brandy snifter and shook that bottle soy sauce style to get some chunky awesomeness out. The irony was not lost on me...

A - Tulip glass: Viscous black body with zero head and carbonation. A swirl produces some alcoholic legs and a bit of a lasting brown trail but no lacing to speak of. Snifter: Chunky black vile. A thick trail stains the sides of the glass and doesn't let go. Its like a glass of fermented mud. Did I mention that I spilled some and it stained my table?

S - Super roasty malts. Very deep and smoky. Its a very savory beer with hints of soy, Worcestershire sauce, oak and salted meat. There is just a hint of sweetness to make me believe this isn't just a condiment. Some darkly caramelized figs and maple syrup. Some alcohol on the finish. Super intense

T - Not that extreme, certainly less so than the nose. Salty soy sauce and oak predominantly. Each sip brings on a new slightly challenging but unique flavor. Maple syrup, molasses, figs, tobacco, rusty nails, dirt, chocolate and caramel. Complex and ever changing. Sweet and salty finish. Almost no noticeable alcohol. The beer is completely flat but thick and syrupy.

O - Despite all the negativity towards this beer, I like triple bock. I know the '94 and '95 vintages are supposed to be the best and '97 is rotten swamp ass, but I had a '97 a few months back and enjoyed it. I'm not ashamed to say that I am a triple bock lover! Its deep, complex, unique, and one hell of a sipper. Its amazing to think about how old this beer is and in my opinion its held up very well. Massive props to whoever properly stored it during its life. Gotta respect Sam Adams to have the audacity to brew a beer like this, when they did.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 02:07:17 | More by davey101

Steasy66

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Small bottle into snifter, we don't know the vintage.

A Black no carbonation
S Big marshmallow smells
T Complex, strange, sweet, cherry, port, soy sauce
M Thick, no carbonation
O I like this beer, would drink it again, it is strange and complex, I can understand some of the hate, but I also enjoy the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 18:21:55 | More by Steasy66

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev +45.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wow, what a divided bunch of people on this beer!

Poured into a mini snifter.

A: Black as night with absolutely NO carbonation, head, or anything that resembles bubbles in any way, shape, or form.

S: It smells like I should dip a chinese dumpling in this thing. Totally a soy sauce-like brew and that salty, soybean scent is INTENSE!

T: Ahhh... the sugar hit the palate and provided a much needed cushion to that salty soy-sauce quality. It tasted like a mallow creme candy, grilled, dipped in soy sauce, and then coated with high grade sugar.

M: I actually got a tinge of carbonation here. Sure, it was nothing to write home about, but it provided a much needed pointer to me to let me know that this is actually a beer rather than a spirit.

O: Lots of people hate this one, but I actually think it's a great achievement in brewing. I understand that a lot of peeps just don't get it.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 23:16:52 | More by Chaney

mjurney

Texas

3.33/5  rDev +16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1995 Brew Reserve. Packaged in blue bottle.

Appearance:
Black color with dark brown around the edge. No head. Looks like an old motor oil.

Aroma:
Molasses and whiskey like aroma. I could smell some hint of mint.

Taste:
Starts off sweet molasses up front, raisins, dried prunes, peppery, oak wood, little hint of fudge, dry cigar like aftertaste.

Body:
Fat and thick bodied, oily. No carbonation. Slight dryness in the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 20:56:41 | More by mjurney

plfahey

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +40.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

8.45 oz bottle (1994 Vintage) poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Black and tar-like with a hint of dark brown around the edges and some suspended sediment. Murky and totally impermeable to light. Serious legs on this one. Only the faintest trace of a head, though that is to be expected with this high of alcohol and 18 years out.

Aroma-Hot, fusel alcohols waft up to the nose, along with charred oak, tobacco, sweet blackstrap molasses, cigar, black currant, chocolate covered prunes and rum soaked raisins. Sherry/port-like oxidation notes are prevalent. Sweet toffee and caramel and light, peppery alcohol. This is intense and pretty awesome.

Flavor-Slightly less complex on the palate, but just as intense. Sweet raisin, plum, caramel, molasses, and toffee up front with an ashen, oaky, tabacco laden aftertaste. Dries up slightly, but is rather sweet as it finishes, and though there are some alcohol notes, it is impressively smooth for the high alcohol content. Aftertaste is caramelly and slightly ashen, with sherry-like oxidation flavors.

Mouthfeel-Thick on the palate, and without a trace of carbonation. Sweet, though never cloying. The alcohol is smooth on the palate, but quite hot in the mouthfeel, reminding you just how boozy this beer is.

I'm starting to think that perhaps the multitude of negative reviews of this beer are a product of poor storage conditions-properly stored, this beer is still pretty marvelous, even 18 years out. I don't think I'd age it much longer, but it's pretty good as it stands.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 03:45:57 | More by plfahey

output01x

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev +15%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 250 mL. corked and plastic wrapped bottle (1995 Vintage) into a snifter glass.

A vigorous pour yields not even the faintest resemblance of a head. The body is a almost perfectly black brown that refuses to let any light even think of passing through. The lack of head and high viscosity of the body permit no lacing to ever appear at any point during consumption.

This beer really does smell like soy sauce. Also of interest are notes of bourbon, licorice, and the darkest chocolate imaginable. This is one intimidating nose.

Dark and sweet, the first sip yields flavors of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, dark chocolate, and melted brown sugar. Swallowing the beer releases a myriad of dried fruit flavors onto the palate, including plum and raisin. Quick to follow, more flavors of soy sauce are accompanied by flavors of molasses and blackberry brandy. As these flavors fade, a bit of creamy coffee and maple syrup become noticeable. This is definitely one complex brew that my palate simply cannot do justice.

This beer is as full bodied as they come with absolutely no carbonation. The body is thick and sticky yet smooth, resting on your tongue with serious weight but gliding through your mouth with ease. The carbonation is quite simply nonexistent. The mouthfeel is literally like syrup with an oil like character.

This beer is definitely not for everyone. The bold and super-sweet flavors will turn many away and the practically undrinkable body will scare the rest. But for those willing to look past these qualities and dig into a truly complex and fulfilling desert beer, the Samuel Adams Triple Bock would definitely be worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 07:09:28 | More by output01x

billab914

Virginia

2.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

8.45 oz bottle poured into a tasting glass. It poured a thick and syrupy looking black color with no head or carbonation noticeable. it did leave some brown, oily legs on the glass though.

The aroma shows some dark chocolate mixing with a boozy, soy sauce like flavor. It's very rich and boozy but not that bad for it's age. I got a little more of the barrel character and some leathery notes as it warmed

Taste is very sweet and boozy with a lot of sugary brown sugar and soy sauce flavors to it. I get a little dark chocolate and some barrel flavors in the finish. It's overly sweet though making it almost in drinkable.

Mouthfeel is very thick and slick with no carbonation. Overall it just wasn't a good beer at this point. Aroma wasn't that bad but the taste was more like a sugary, barrel aged soy sauce. interesting to try, but not very enjoyable. I've had worse though.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 14:42:35 | More by billab914

themind

New Jersey

1.03/5  rDev -64.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Ok I bought this in 1994 when it was released. I was like "wow" a cork in a really cool bottle. Well let me tell you this beer lives up to the hype!

Pours like motor oil, smells like dog$*&! and lets not forget the taste....yup you guessed it more dog$*&!.

This is by far the worst beer I have ever had! funny thing is when I first bought it I tried to sip it out of the bottle, you know what I thought at that time? yup you guessed it again " did I just lick my dogs A#!"

Wanna have some fun? buy this Dog$*&! and share it with friends.

At one time this beer held the title of " Worlds strongest DOG$*&!"

Bottom Line: yup correct again DOG$*&!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 22:01:02 | More by themind

siege06nd

Virginia

2.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Huge thanks to IrishColonial for bringing this nifty guy. You're the man, Eric.

A. Pours a deep dark brown. Muddy at the top. No head or lacing, but some chunky, thick brown stuff coats the sides of the glass. These legs are kinda gross looking. The color of the beer itself though is good. Yay for color, boo for the shit stains it leaves on the side of the glass.

S. Surprisingly solid nose on this. The maple syrup on this was detectable across the room once the bottles was cracked. A good deal of vanilla and chocolate as well. Where it suffers is a leathery, soy sauce note creeps in on the back of the nose. Certainly not bad smelling though.

T. Maple syrup, raisin, vanilla, chocolate. Also booze, coffee grounds, leather, and something that tastes a little like raw vegetation. There are some good things here, but the awful things cover them up.

M. Horrid. Thick, syrupy, with lots of detectable sediment. Like drinking a milkshake.

O. There are a lot of good things and a lot of horrible things here. I could see this having been good when it was released. But age has not been good to this one. Leather, burnt coffee, soy sauce overwhelm and trigger the gag reflex. What you get is a pretty awful flavor and mouthfeel. Oh well. Still better than Idiots Drool

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 01:05:17 | More by siege06nd

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sample: 1 bottle vintage 1997

A: Pitch black, no internal carbonation, no head, more like a coffee liquor than a beer

S: Pure espresso, coffee grounds, sweetness (from maple syrup), very strong

T: Sweet, sour, acidic, bitter all at the same time. Almost like drinking the blackest coffee you can find. Maple syrup flavor apparent in the aftertaste, incredibly unique.

M: Very strange, almost ink-like, hard to drink honestly but interesting enough to make me keep sipping.

O: Certainly not for everyone, very intense but worth the experience; message for trades as I have a few of each vintage

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:50:49 | More by MatthewWilde

MasterSki

Illinois

2.4/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Thanks to dschuster03 for generously sharing the 1997 vintage. Served in a Craft Day Afternoon taster glass.

A - Pours still, with a used motor oil appearance. A brown film coats the sides of the glass, and about 10% of the bottle was filled with some sort of congealed solid. One of the few beers that is actually frightening.

S - I'm surprised by the hatred and vitriol towards this beer, as I find the aroma reveals this beers relationship to Utopias. There's copious amounts of maple, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and a bit of soy sauce and tobacco. Whatever oxidation has occurred has been pretty complementary, with some port-like fruity flavors rounding things out. After 15 years in the bottle the alcohol presence is quite reasonable. It's a bit saccharine and cloying, but isn't offensive.

T - The taste is intensely sweet - copious amounts of caramel, maple, vanilla, brown sugar, and some oak and bourbon character as well. As it hits the palate it's somewhat enjoyable, but the the cloying and sickeningly sweet finish is nearly gag-inducing. It's like drinking straight molasses, but with some alcohol burn as it goes down.

M - Still, viscous, smooth, medium-full body, with surprisingly well-hidden alcohol. There's only a moderate warming on the back of the throat. It's mouth-coating and oily and lingers, which would be enjoyable if it were delicious and not sickeningly sweet.

D - I got through an ounce or two before pouring out the rest. Still, it was better than I expected, to the point that I'd consider trying the other vintages. Other than the horrific, near-vomitous finish there's the makings of an interesting beer here, and I can see how this set the stage for Millennium and Utopias.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:15:47 | More by MasterSki

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +56.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 1994 vintage bottle on Feb. 2012. Thanks to Branson for this one!

A: Wow. Thick like motor oil. The thing is pure pitch black and never holds any light. It's like a black hole, incredibly dense and dark. Alcohol and lacing coats the edges of the glass. Hardly any khaki head is poured out. Looks awesome.

S: HUGE Molasses, big sweetness, caramel, licorice, toffee, sugar, slight bread and bittersweet chocolate.

T: Wow...another amazing beer by the Boston Beer Company. They never cease to amaze and impress. I love these guys. Beer is rich, decedant and incredibly complex. Molasses, brewer's licorice, caramel, sugar, toffee and alcohol. Large alcohol note but doesn't detract.

M: Slick and thick. Coats your entire mouth. Really impressive. Alcohol is noticeable but not a negative. Sweet finish.

O: Sipper City. This beer is so complex it took me almost 10 minutes to finish a 2 ounce pour. The smell was so overpowering. People from all around were asking what we were drinking. Sooo strong. But excellent. Too bad I'll never get another chance to have more.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 23:19:19 | More by JerseyKirk

grittybrews

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +49.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Seems appropriate for review #500. Sampled both the 1994 and 1997 vintages in 01/2012. From South Sound tasting notes (what a day!).

1994:
Poured near black with no head and lots of sludgy black floaties. Not that appetizing, but on the other hand, it doesn't look like much else! Super viscous in the glass as it's swirled around. Big aroma of leather, tobacco, burnt caramel, and dark fruit.

Almost no carbonation and a thick, creamy, super-smooth mouthfeel. Huge malt character with raisin, dark fruit, maple, tobacco, leather, whisky, and smoke. Big boozy warmth on the finish.

This one was an experience -- I didn't have more than a few sips but it made quite an impression.

1997:
As others have observed, this one was...weird. Soy sauce, boozy licorice, old maple syrup, chalk, and who knows what else. I'll base my score on the 1994 version, and yet...I would still try the 1997 again if I had another chance.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 16:25:30 | More by grittybrews

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.1/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this at the BA gathering. Thanks to youradhere for the opprtunity to subject myself to this. Also had the 94 and 97 vintages. This review is of the 94 since I don't feel the need to pile on this beer by reviewing the utterly terrible 97

A It pours a pretty flat black color. Carbonation is non existent. Also there appeared to be something living on the bottom of the bottle.

S Some chocolate, a bit of tobacco and something that resembled the marinade I make for tofu. Actually not bad.

T Some chocolate, more tobacco, a bit of wood smoke, and a lot of sweetness. It finishes with a bit of soy sauce.

M A bit thinner then what I was expecting. It leaves a strong taste in your mouth for a while afterwards.

The 97 was pretty similar except it just tasted like rancid soy sauce. Lots of fun.

Overall this is an interesting beer,the 94 wasn't bad. I wouldn't want to drink more then a few ounces but it is perfect for sipping on over an evening. However the 97 was about as bad as any beer I have ever had. Worth trying as a right of passage or something.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:05:09 | More by beerandcycling88

monkeyonmaibock

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

After much hype from my friends to try this beer, I finally found a bottle to purchase. Very excited to get home and open it, I was kind of disgusted to notice a thick, black sludge at the bottom of the bottle. I proceeded to examine the color (black which leaves a residue of dark gold on the glass). The odor that contaminated the air was of a salty, almost soy sauce nature. I hesitantly took a sip to discover it was as if I were drinking raisin/plum juice with a few blackberries thrown in for good measure. There was a sweetness to it up front followed by a quick burst of sourness in the finish. The aftertaste that lingered in my mouth forever was that of severely burnt toast.
While I gave the overall rating a 2.0, I think this is one of those beers that one must try once in their lifetime for history's sake.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 15:21:21 | More by monkeyonmaibock

cavedave

New York

1.83/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to Jeff M. for sharing two '94's at the HB club meeting last night. From notes.

Black as the end of the Universe with slight bubbling on top that may have been the fossils of extinct carbonation. Has a pretty nice look actually.

Rotted maple syrup and soy marinated pork are the main aromas, with some cardboard and burnt rubber in there too.

Super strong taste, less maple but all the aromas come to life like the living dead in this evil drink. I was craving some muu-shuu to dip in it.

Thick as quicksand, a finish that is horrific, no carb., and a resinous cling in mouth that may require surgery to remove.

Not the worst beverage I have ever tried, only because I have consumed my share of aguardiente de cana in my day. This beer is a must miss.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 12:10:05 | More by cavedave