Samuel Adams Thirteenth Hour Stout (Barrel Room Collection) - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black body with maroon hues when held up to the light. Fizzy tan head.

Aroma: Dark malts and some yeast presence.

Taste: Some light chocolate flavor with a good dark malt character. Some plum and other dark fruit flavors that you usually get with this style. The 9% ABV is masked pretty well. Smooth finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body with slightly above average carbonation. Almost creamy at times. Good drinkability.

Final Thoughts: A good beer from a hit and miss brewery. Would I drink it again? I wouldn't turn it down but I wouldn't seek it out. I will be looking for other bombers in this series from Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 01:14:07 | More by JamesMN

warnerry

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-18-2013 03:05:02 | More by warnerry

JohnnieNepal

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -26.7%

05-16-2013 12:11:55 | More by JohnnieNepal

Zbeetleman

California

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

05-16-2013 03:10:23 | More by Zbeetleman

Damian

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Drank from a 1 pt 9.4 fl oz corked and caged bottle
Served in a snifter
Thanks to my dad for this bottle.

Thinner bodied and cola-like in appearance. The liquid was topped by a dense, frothy, bubbly, three-finger, khaki colored crown. Drippy ringlets of lacing cascaded along the glass. The head slowly dropped to a resilient cap of foam.

The nose was nondescript and quite simplistic. Powdery and dry Belgian yeast notes dominated initially. Slightly roasty, toasty and bready. Touch of cold coffee. Some unpleasant plastic-like notes were also detectible. The nose became a bit more punchy as the beer warmed. A bready, malty sweetness came forth. Some oak, vanilla and spice as well. The booziness also became much more pronounced.

The flavor profile was far more interesting than the aroma. Sweet, bready malts and Belgian yeast notes came through strong on the front end. Somewhat roasty and toasty. Noticeable dark fruit flavors. Raisins and tart cherries were apparent. Some caramel and toffee notes. Touch of coffee. Oak, vanilla and spices appeared as beer warmed. Somewhat boozy and sharp.

The mouthfeel was light and frothy with a crisp, bubbly effervescence. Lively and sprightly on the palate.

All in all, this is a respectable attempt at a rather unique style of beer. If it were available in smaller format bottles, I might consider buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:40:27 | More by Damian

JamesStreet

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-12-2013 16:28:20 | More by JamesStreet

Mumps

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

My most recent tasting of the Barrel Room Collection.

Poured into a pilsner style glass ( I still need to replace my goblet type).

Color was a dark red, almost black. Exhibited a nice half inch off white head, lasting through the first few sips. Moderate lacing.

Smelled remotely of raisins and some spice, with a malty sweetness backing it.

Tastes almost like smells, some chocolate tones, with light spice and raisins.

Mouthfeel was a little lacking unfortunately. Somewhat thin, and the carbonation was a little to high for me. Not unpleasant, but a little disappointing.

Overall I'd give it a solid 4, and well worth buying again.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 22:21:05 | More by Mumps

mixed_master7

Florida

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-10-2013 16:46:23 | More by mixed_master7

DangerDawg

Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-10-2013 04:15:56 | More by DangerDawg

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20%

05-09-2013 02:22:40 | More by tommyguz

apasternak

Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-08-2013 22:10:24 | More by apasternak

ZEB89

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%

05-06-2013 18:09:25 | More by ZEB89

Mersh

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -20%

05-05-2013 23:10:52 | More by Mersh

RichD

Rhode Island

4.14/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the cork and caged bottle into a snifter.

A: Poured a pale brown initially. As my snifter filled, the brown became more pronounced with a 1-2 finger tan head.

S: Chocolate covered raisins was the prominent scent that I picked up. Some oak came through afterwards, with some coffee and figs/plums also poking through.

T: The taste follows the nose pretty well. The figs/plums were more prominent in the taste than in the nose. The chocolate and raisins were pretty subdued with the oak and coffee coming through in the finish. There is a fruity taste that seems to taste like brettanomyces, but there was no indication that any brett is in here. Perhaps it's the cosmic mother funk, which would make sense. This brew is very deep. Perhaps the deepest Sam Adams brew I've had so far.

M: A medium to heavy body. There is a moderate to heavy level of carbonation. Overall nothing that blows my mind.

Overall: This is a solid brew. The depth of this makes it extremely tasty and interesting. I'm glad I picked this up to try. As I said earlier in this review, this may be the deepest brew from Sam Adams. I really like this one and I can see myself buying the rest of these Sam Adams barrell room collection beers. Great job, guys!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:00:07 | More by RichD

brownac5

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-02-2013 17:23:09 | More by brownac5

Ak555667

Illinois

2/5  rDev -46.7%

05-01-2013 01:36:12 | More by Ak555667

OB1

Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.7%

04-30-2013 03:26:53 | More by OB1

OoReFLuXoO

California

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

04-30-2013 01:08:50 | More by OoReFLuXoO

FliryVorru

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +20%

04-29-2013 17:38:28 | More by FliryVorru

jordanmckell

Texas

3.75/5  rDev 0%

04-27-2013 02:49:47 | More by jordanmckell

InfragilisBrew

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

04-27-2013 01:32:25 | More by InfragilisBrew

bigbeers84

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +26.7%

04-25-2013 09:16:55 | More by bigbeers84

Bung

North Carolina

3.59/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very dark cola black pour. Finger of dark cream head. The layer retains quite well. Sticks to the glass ever so slightly.

Aroma, very fruity and figgy/raisiny. Quite a bit of estery "Belgian" notes. Some tartness.

Taste, tiny bit of grape up front. Brown sugar and molasses. There is some earthy chocolate and coffee, but really only after it warms quite a bit.

Maybe medium body, carbonation is just a tick on the higher side. A very faint warming. Drinks pretty well, just a bit thin, like most dark style Belgians in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:03:58 | More by Bung

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

04-23-2013 06:15:28 | More by Kelp

SLeffler27

New York

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glows a dark, black walnut from within a wine sampler glass, with a thin, off-white head that provides no lacing.

The aroma is spicy with light, tart, Belgian yeast and plum.

Lightly sweet cherry is balanced by tartness, while notes of plums, cherries, and perhaps chocolate, linger in the background. The finish is short and spicy.

The medium body is lifted by high carbonation while the alcohol is as expected.

This was enjoyed with light conversation and sharp cheddar cheese.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 14:43:55 | More by SLeffler27