Third Voyage Double IPA - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

3.2/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into Tulip glass.

A. Pours 2 fingers of head. Thick lacing. Good retention. Color is a light amber. Pretty dark for an IPA.

S. Not much smell at all. Maybe a bit of biscuity malt. No hop smell. Basically void of any smell at all, what smell there is, is not that pleasant.

T. Taste has a little bit of bitterness, with some pretty sweet caramel malt flavor. Again this is probably one of the weakest tasting beers I have had in a while. Can taste a bit of alcohol.

M. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Lingering bitterness.

O. Tastes like someone's first homebrewed DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 22:00:34 | More by siradmiralnelson

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.19/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - deep copper body, crystal clear, big foamy head with staying power. Great looking beer, but I guess I usually like my IPAs a bit cloudy.

S - tropical fruit and citrus, some harsh astringency, caramel notes. Some good, some bad.

T - Not surprisingly, this is very malt forward. It's fairly bitter, and it's got some earthy hop notes, but this would probably qualify more as an English DIPA, if such a thing exists. This is basically missing all of the hop characteristics of a good IPA

M - Big, smooth, creamy, with a biting bitter quality.

O - Probably my least favorite of the Sam Adams IPAs. Not much hop character beyond the bitterness. Fairly disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:33:16 | More by ColdPoncho

Beaver13

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle. Pours a clear copper orange with a huge creamy off white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is some bready malts, a little fruit and piney peppery hops with a little resin.

The flavor is sweet caramel malts and some fruit with a big acidic peppery bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste - a bit of salt(?) too. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, a kind of surprising hop bomb from Sam Adams. I didn't really care for the hop profile though.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 06:42:24 | More by Beaver13

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a really nice looking copper color with a big fluffy white head that didn't quit. It had a really good lacing and retention. The smell of the beer wasn't hoppy like more Imerial IPA's out there. The nose has a slight sweetness to it with some earthy hop aromas. The taste of the beer wasn't that hoppy either, I'm not sure how they did this since there were supposed to be hops like crazy in this beer. The taste was soft and very drinkable though I was just hoping for something a little more abrasive I guess. The mouthfeel was was creamy, not too carbonated but still not too bad. Overall I was hoping for something a little more from this, but I still found it to be pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:26:25 | More by Knapp85

bnes09

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Transparent copper color. Big head with exceptional retention and plenty sticky lacing.

Aroma of rye and mild grapefruit. Lacks some of the essence of the cascade hops (i.e. citrus and pine).

Semi-rough and unbalanced rye bread and herbal, soapy hop bitterness. Mild maple sweetness.

Medium bodied, well carbonated and drying in the finish.

Relative to other examples of the style, this beer is lacking in complexity, hop character and balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 01:19:37 | More by bnes09

beertunes

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in tulip. Poured a clean, clear copper color with over an inch of just off-white head that had good retention and lacing.

The aroma was mostly pine and citrus hops with just a bit of malt in the background. The taste was the same, just a bit of lightly sweet malt and a dominant pine hop taste, with just a bit of a citrus hop finish.

The body was thinner than I like in the style, but is probably more what most folks look for, and was clean in general. Drinkability was good, the went down quickly and easily enough. Overall, a decent, if unspecial, brew. Worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 21:54:20 | More by beertunes

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance - Dark orange/amber body with a sticky white head. Very resilient head that clings to the glass. If it weren't so dark, it would be quite nice.

Smell - Citrusy, but loaded with malt. Caramel and sweetness come through and push the citrus hops out of the way.

Taste - Like the aroma, it's citrusy at first, but all malt throughout. It's not terrifically sweet, but it's got a good dose of caramel sweetness at the start. It's quite bitter at the back, which saves it from being overly sweet, I suppose.

Mouthfeel - Pretty thick and syrupy for an IPA. Not an easy beer to put away, either.

Overall - A big, lumbering IPA that doesn't really deliver any exciting flavors. Certainly not worth the price tag and a beer I've had so many times before from other mediocre breweries. That said, there's nothing unpleasant about it.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:19:57 | More by Alieniloquium

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.15/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Consumed 12/6/11

Appearance: Pours a dark orange/amber color, fluffy off-white head, fades to nice lacing

Smell: Fresh, spicy, leafy hops - orange, pine, resin - some grass - some serious malt under this - syrupy biscuits, kind of smells like malt extract - overall, interesting

Taste: Some problems, but not bad - lots of citrus - orange and grapefruit pith, mostly - nicely bitter - a little leafy, grassy - kind of a strange combination of hops, and this oddness seems to build over time - malts could be better - syrupy, over-cooked - a little too sweet - the combination of sweetness and grassiness is suboptimal

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy, sticky, nicely carbonated, but the grassy dryness reduces the drinkability

Overall: Acceptable for Samuel Adams, but definitely not great

The aroma is nice, but the combination of hops is a little weird, and the malts are lacking quality. This was worth a try, but I'm really not excited about drinking the second half of this bomber.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 06:56:20 | More by angrybabboon

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle out of the new hopology mix pack. Into a duvel glass.

A: an almost ruby amberish hue with a nice finger of a slightly caramel colored head.... Head looks creamy... Can see tiny carbonation bubbles rushing to the top through the clean body. Very nice head retention, and a bit of sticky lacing as well...

S: pine a citrus, with a caramely malt backbone... A bit of breadiness in there as well... I feel like the hop aroma is a bit subdued by the caramel and toffe ish malt aromas.

T: much like the nose... The hops are deffinatly there. Citrus and pine with a very malty caramel and toffe ish back bone... A bit of breadiness in there as well, along with a touch of alcohol.

M: sticky and a bit syrupy... With lower carbonation and a bit of a lingering bitterness on the finish. Deffinatly dry on the finish.

O: not a bad dipa... I feel like the malts were dialed up a bit to high though... Especially the caramel... I think the hops are good and present but unfortunately subdued.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 23:20:58 | More by PeterIngemi

waldoiverson

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle into nonic

a: very clear, golden amber color with sticky lacing and somewhat unimpressive head

s: sweet, cracker aroma with both herbal and citrus notes, alcohol present

T: sweet maltiness, slight graham cracker notes, light citrus but mostly herbal mint/menthol tone with semi sweet bitter finish

M: moderately dry, a bit coating but cleans off with the alcohol and carbonation

O: It's OK but the hops seem to have a foot in the citrus and herbal camps. I'd prefer one or the other.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 21:13:03 | More by waldoiverson

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into an imperial pint glass

Pours an extremely clear deep red amber with tiny streams of bubbles. A thick, foamy cap rose two+ fingers to fill the glass and never fully retreated. Some clingy lace along the rim of the beer.

The aroma is of sweet caramel malt, pine resin, and some astringent grapefruit. The malt really dominates here.

The hops do their best to cut through all this malt--5 different kinds according to the label. Sticky caramel, toasted bread, and honey with grapefruit and dry, earthy cascade hops poking through. Some heavier hands with the simcoe would do wonders here.

Smooth and creamy with a touch of sweet malts coming in a rush on the finish. Medium bodied, a bit chewy. The finish is mostly sweet caramel and honey, but some grapefruit and orange rind bring a dose of bitterness.

Overall, this is imbalanced, in the wrong direction, for a dipa. This drinks pretty easy, and can easily be accepted by many palates, so I do understand the direction BBC was heading with this one. Slightly above average. This actually reminds me of a cleaner, maltier, less hoppy version of Yakima Glory.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 03:03:09 | More by ColForbinBC

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. No date, but it has the fine print: "enjoy now or age it to further develop rich and unique flavors." Not the advice I'd give for a DIPA, but whatever.

A: Clear, dark reddish-amber body under two fingers of dense off-white head. Great retention and solid lace. Dark for the style, but an attractive brew all the same.

S: Pretty intense, with lots of caramel malt and spicy, grassy hops. Some pine as well, and a hint of booze. Not bad, but nothing special either.

T: Big caramel and fig sweetness up front, followed by pronounced grassiness and a bittersweet, boozy finish. Citrus and bitterness on the aftertaste. Too sweet, but drinkable.

M: Highly carbonated - a bit sticky right away and creamy thereafter - with tons of body and stickiness. A bit over the top, but fitting for what the beer is doing elsewhere.

O: No better than average for a style that, to my tastes, demands some serious hoppy character especially if the malt backbone is going to be so pronounced. This one is definitely on the DIPA/barleywine border, so I can now see why the label suggests cellaring as a possibility, but at least for now it's not a terribly good representative of either style. It's not a terrible addition to the IPA mix-pack, but I wouldn't buy it again. There are just too many top-notch DIPAs out there to bother with mediocre ones.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 00:40:56 | More by woosterbill

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass- pours a clear dark copper color with two fingers of off-white head, decent retention and very little lacing.

Smell is an even mix between caramel malts and pine hops. Nothing extraordinary.

Tastes fine- malt background is ever present, with some caramel and a little booze, and the hops are kind of muddy; indistinct. Pine, earthy, a little floral brightness.

Mouthfeel is fine also- medium body with light carbonation and a moderate amount of resin-y feel to it. A very average DIPA in an extremely competitive field. Tasman Red is certainly a better IPA from Sam.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 03:32:08 | More by Hopdaemon39

jeffjeff1

California

3.08/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I picked this up in the Hoptology pack.

Appearance- dark copper color, thin head but good retention

Smell- breadiness, slight amount of citrus hops but not much

Taste- mostly bready malt, not enough hops for a DIPA at all, disappointing

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- Very disappointing, not nearly enough hops

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 20:47:19 | More by jeffjeff1

alex_hart

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

appearance: dark auburn with a half finger head and good lacing throughout.

Smell: bitter hops, sweet malt, spice, and something wierd I cant put a finger on. A little off-putting.

taste: much of the same with alot more of the sweet malt coming through at the front and hopps coming through at the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied with a slightly oily linger.

Overall: this is alright, but not really what I was hoping for with this style. Not a huge recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:38:39 | More by alex_hart

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Perfectly clear copper. Head is rocky, bubbly, and clings to the glass. Light khaki. Carbonation is lively. Head retention keeps it at a thin cap for the duration.

Smell: Pears. slightly floral, and a touch earthy. Some mint. Malts run toward a sweeter caramel with a little bit of a roasted compliment on the back. Orange juice and some light brown sugar. Very sweet, but packs enough hop presence to mute it a touch.

Taste: Gritty, earthy, and slightly spicy hops. Malts are sweet as expected and hit on toasted bread crust with a slight cooked sweetness. Loads of citrus. Some orange and grapefruit rind. Grassy and the malt sweetness builds over time.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body that leans toward heavy, but the carbonation is on the high side. Slightly sticky and dry on the finish.

Overall: A unique hop profile, but it feels like it's missing something. The malts are too sweet and the hops come across as grassy. It's decent, but doesn't blend well.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:29:51 | More by Goblinmunkey7

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours a dim amber color. Body is transparent. Head is a suitable size. Head is frothy and has staying power. Looks lke ost Sam Adams beers: clean, textbook and attractive.

S-Spicy and citrusy hops counter a decent malt bill. Balanced. Breaded maltiness. Pretty solid nose. Fails to display a distinguishing aroma, but it smells good overall.

T-Hops were more attractive in the nose. The hop flavor fades back into the same profile as the rest of the beers in the mixed 12 pack. Instead of bright, vibrant citrus flesh, I taste that same old sugary, candied citrus flavor. Not much hop complexity. Malt is even more noticeable here. Very balanced...far too balanced for my taste. Simple and unoffensive.

M-The beer's feel is a miss. Not bitter enough. Too clean. Feels filtered. Not coarse enough for my taste. Malt lends a chewy feel.

O/D-Not happy with this. So inconspicuous it's offensive. Not assertiveness and no individuality. A balanced, simple DIPA. Just boring.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 22:05:33 | More by VelvetExtract

smakawhat

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A big solid simple off caramel colored head, three fingers deep lots of retention and swiss cheese bubbles. Body color is a very dark amber brown, nearly red and fairly clear.

Nose is pretty closed. Mild toasty brown sugar malts, hop presence feels English tea like and very buried.

A good bitter hop blasts comes through that feels very burnt and tannic tasting, even splintery wooden. Aftertaste hits with a faint dry cheap black pepper. Malt presence hinted on the nose seems to have sugar caramel richness but it not really brought to the forefront. There's a good body behind this beer with a thick malt backbone feeling, but not in taste.

Overall it's quite underwhelming and not that enjoyable for me, this isn't doing it for me. In the realm of DIPAs out there I can't see myself even enjoying this, or ever wanting to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 22:26:15 | More by smakawhat

BurpingtonDC

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Nice light mahogany color with a creamy tan two finger head that disappeared mighty quickly.

S - Nice pine aroma upfront, then caramel, toffee, and butter and malt.

T - Meh. Really ordinary. Little toffee and malt up front then wham! Hop bitterness. That's about it.

M - Little sticky, abundant bitterness that sticks on the tongue for a good long while. I think I might still be tasting it.

O - Well, I don't know. It's not bad. Tastes like a lot of other nameless brews, but it's not terrible either. Just kind of...plain, Jane.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 00:33:26 | More by BurpingtonDC

homebrew311

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Served on tap at the Lucky Monk. Appearance is deep reddish gold with thin white head and sticky lacing. The nose has light herbal hop notes with mellow caramel, grass, and lemon. Taste is mild with minimal hop bitterness. Heavy sweetness towards the end that overpowers anything hoppy. Mouthfeel is thick and mildly carbonated. Overall, not a great dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 23:36:10 | More by homebrew311

stickynotes

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this bomber for $6.

Poured into a tulip. A rich, brownish-reddish head with good retention. Body is clear amber, looks nice.

I am disappointed with the aroma, its weak, I like a hoppy wiff when I crack an ipa open. Grapefruit, other citrus, a little sweet malt, pretty weak.

Taste is not too bold but well rounded. Subdued citrus up front, nice bitterness throughout, ends with caramel. Not too much hop presence. just a hint of alcohol warming.

Mouthfeel is medium, nicely carbonated.

Overall this is an ok dipa. All the components are there and come together well but not too boldly.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 22:54:45 | More by stickynotes

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Finishing up this new line of SA bombers here. It pours a clear sunset amber topped by a a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises musty pine needles, lightly minty balsa, sweet caramel, and grass. The taste holds notes of celery, mint, light cilantro, dark greens, dusty pine, honey, sweet caramel, and dry, flaky biscuit. A strange, minty bitterness pervades long after the liquid leaves my tongue. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, I'm not a fan of this DIPA. The hop mixture just didn't work for me, and the dry bitterness at the end made it hard to go back to the glass for more. It's not all bad, but nothing I really wanna have again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:49:52 | More by TMoney2591

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

2.95/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle poured into a tulip. No bottling or best-by date, just "Batch No. 1"

First reviews are from 10/29, so it can't be THAT old. i had a small sample of this from a big-breasted distributor rep back in November, but i don't remember anything remarkable (good or bad).

Color is pretty close to amber, pretty close to clear. Billowing head is the color of "white" sand and clumps of it stick around forever, both on top of the beer and stuck to the side of the glass. Aroma strikes a good balance between citrus hops and sweet malt, to which it may lean a bit too much.

WTF- flavors are all over the place and way out of whack. First recognizable taste is straight butter, literally. Hops sweep through a second or two later and try to wipe that out with bittterness. That works at first, but there is an odd grainy finish.

I was pretty pleased with getting a bomber of 8% for less than six bucks, but in the end this was a chore to finish. Disappointing after such a good look and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:14:25 | More by coachdonovan

russpowell

Oklahoma

2.95/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Batch#1

Pours amber with 4 fingers of cream colored head. Great head retention & lacing. Good looking beer, shame it didn't deliver in other areas..

S: Light breadyness

T: Leafy hops, pears, slight lemony & piney hoppyness, plus pears up front. More leafy hops as this warms, pears, just tastes old.
Hops in play here are not flattering at all to the style, woody & piney hops along with some pear notes, Finishes dry, & with woody hop bitterness

MF: Medium bodied, fairly creamy, not so great balance.

This is a very dissapointing mess. I usually like/love Sammy, but not this one

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 03:10:59 | More by russpowell

Jadjunk

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

"Bright and Intense with a Vivid Hop Punch: This unique double IPA takes the style's origins a step furhter. IPAs were born out of making an ale that could sustain a long voyage. For our take, we were inspired by the indominatable Capt. James Cook whose 3rd voyage made him the first to navigate a treacherous route from England to New Zealand to the Pacific Northwest. Using Cascade hops from each of these regions, we created a brew that's citrusy, earthy, and full of bold character." Third Voyage Double IPA is brewed in the style of a double IPA. Available as 12 oz. bottles in the Hop Collection (June 2012), there is no bottle date, and the label suggests aging as a possibility for this beer, so I did. This bottle is 6 months aged.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a snifter. Served above 50º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a creamy eggnog tone head of a thick consistency over a very hazy maple-orange body. Carbonation is plentiful. Retention is nice and lacing is medium but drapes solid. Very good appearance. 4.75

(Smell) Very bready malt-forward. Heavy caramel and buttery malt presence with a much lighter hop essence. Hops are earthy and mildly floral, not quite citrusy as Cascade usually is. Tones of booze shine through. Not quite as bright or bold as expected. Smells sweet and boozy. 3

(Taste) Very thick caramel with a spicy rye tone. Hops are again, faint in flavor but adequate in bitterness with a piney finish. The balance swings this beer towards very sweet, a slow drinker with a strong boozy maple finish that quickly becomes cloying and not particularly enjoyable. All-in-all the balance is off, with not enough subtleties to keep the drinker interested. The flavors are too intense in one spot and not enough in the other. It's a malt-heavy IPA with little emphasis on the hops themselves. Very sweet and in general not enjoyable. 2.75

(Mouthfeel) Thick and chewy pine with an oily slickness, a very full and heavy mouthfeel and a moist, resiny thick finish. Body is heavy for the style, medium-heavy overall. Alcohol presence is high. As continuing with the flavors, the body is just too high for this beer. It could be far more enjoyable and drinkable with a reduced malt profile and a bigger emphasis on the limited hop character. It's sharply out of balance. There's work to be done on the mouthfeel of this beer. 2.75

(Overall) I did not personally enjoy this beer. I found it to be too heavy on the malt character, which droned out most of the hop notes, which were surprisingly subtle in flavor for what is usually a bright and vibrant citrusy hop varietal. The sweetness became too much quite quickly with a super-sweet finish and dragged down the drinking experience. The beer itself isn't terrible, but certainly is far from an exceptional double IPA, focusing too hard on intensifying flavors while sacrificing drinkability. I couldn't have more than one of these in a single session. 3

Boston Brewing Company's
Samuel Adams Third Voyage Double IPA
2.95/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 22:05:36 | More by Jadjunk