Cinder Bock - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Ego

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch 1... a nice cold (it is winter right?) evening to sample a new brew from an old crew...

eyes...
2 fingers of foam rise up on a normal pour, the head sticks around to take note of the surroundings, slowly retreating like the summer sun ducking below the horizon on those long august days, left behind is a story of lace, not just a trace, but quite the micro bubble picasso curtain. A clean ruby hue through showcasing a cirque de soliel of bubbles performing to the north, quite the eye catching brew.

nose...
sweet malts up front which then lead into a smoky highway in the realm of smoked meats, the is also an earthy dryness to it, sort of like spring, not dusty but clean and dry, nothing as good as madonna's half time show.. but better than average.

taste...
alot like the nose but more assertive, very sweet up front but thank goodness for the smoke which helps to quell the dive into uber cloy-land, wow, the alcohol really lets you know that (wait for it...) 1... 2... 3... 4.... wow.. there it is smacking up my insides and clouding my brain. This one packs a punch, sure I can read, the ABV is clearly printed on the bottle but sometimes that is just bluster. The beer remains very consistent and honestly I think one bottle might be much for most people. The mouth feel is spot on, nice thickness without being syrupy but containing the right weight to carry this bag o' bricks.

verdict?
a bit heavy handed in some areas. Definitely not an every day thing, perhaps best as an aperitif split amongst friends with some nice muenster to snack on before a winter meal. Definitely worth checking out if you like smoke beers, this is like a double Bamberg, it is up to you to decide whether you like the more subtle backbone of the german ones or the brash frontbone-in-your-face of this one.

verdict

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 05:42:53 | More by Ego

johntfox

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

05-21-2013 18:02:58 | More by johntfox

seplo

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

05-21-2013 00:24:52 | More by seplo

Dave7500kl

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%

05-15-2013 00:38:11 | More by Dave7500kl

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -44.4%

05-09-2013 02:25:08 | More by tommyguz

yesyouam

New York

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Samuel Adams Cinder Bock is a very clear, dense, copper beer with a soft, fluffy, yellowed foam that has great staying power. It's mostly smoke in the aroma, but a tart malt is detected as well. It smells a touch sweet. It's very full bodied and smooth with a creamy, chewy finish. The flavor is much like the the aroma: smoke and tart malt. There's a slightly sweet, herbal flavor that's somewhere between cola and a cough drop. Smoke is the dominant flavor here. When combined with the malt, it comes off as umami. There's a sort of salmiakki aftertaste. This is reasonably bold and complex. It's a sipping beer with a lot of character. There are subtleties to it, but the overall flavor is quite bold.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:41:14 | More by yesyouam

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.64/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle served in a Allagash cervoise glass

Batch - 1

A - Dark brown tea colored body with 2 fingers of yellowish tan head. Bubbles are fine and stick to the glass quite well. Excellent retention for such a high abv.

S - Toasted bread, faint smokiness in the background, some fruity yeast wrapped in a hefty malt bill, toasted caramel, smokey molasses, candied bacon

T - Sweet upfront followed by salty caramel, molasses, brown bread, sticky dried dark fruits, smoke is very faint is only an accent to the strong malt base. Finishes sticky, nutty, and sweet.

M - Full bodied, creamy carbonation, sweet rich finish.

Sweeter than expected. Wish the smoke showed up a bit more. It needed another balancing component to combat the malts. Drinks very easy for such a high ABV. I would have never have guessed his to be ABV 9.4.
Not sure how old this is but I think batch - 1's smoke has faded.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 22:05:23 | More by StaveHooks

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in a dimple mug)
Batch #1
A- This beer pours a dense light caramel hued body with a raging carbonation of big bubbles supporting a rocky head of light tan.

S- The mellow cloth band aid aroma has some brown sweet malt notes to follow.

T- The big band aid and salty bacon flavored smoke taste stains the tongue with some slight sweetness in the finish taking on some salty sweet brown malt notes as it opens.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a gentle carbonation and no real alcohol

O- If I have to taste band aids this is the least offensive of the kinds but it grows stronger and stronger with each sip. I think there is a tasty beer in this bottle with nice hints of malt sweetness but it is well hidden in the loud salty bacon, band aid flavors. It was a bit to rough to finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:32:24 | More by rhoadsrage

FliryVorru

Alabama

3/5  rDev -16.7%

04-29-2013 17:47:03 | More by FliryVorru

gwiedman1

New York

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

04-28-2013 20:55:33 | More by gwiedman1

rx-beer

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

04-27-2013 18:05:04 | More by rx-beer

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-23-2013 06:08:58 | More by Kelp

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-23-2013 03:14:59 | More by mendvicdog

Gww1864

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.7%

04-20-2013 04:02:44 | More by Gww1864

seand

California

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a clear mahogany color with a fair amount of tan head. A spotty thin layer retains, which is enough to leave reasonable walls of lacing.

S: Smoky resin sweetness; it's deeply sweet, hinting at the ABV, but is nowhere near boozy.

T: Not much smoke. Sweet, and full flavored, with nice complexity. There's enough smoke and hop flavors to keep the sweetness from going out of control.

M: Full body, medium carbonation.

Overall, pretty good. It's also dangerously drinkable for nearly 10%.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:05:36 | More by seand

MickeyD

Kansas

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 22oz bottle into clean pint glass.

Appearance: dark red glow, one finger width head, good carbonation

Smell: dark caramel, smoked peat

taste: strong peat with roasted caramel and even slight floral hop with bite.

Mouthfeel: nice malt aroma with peat

Overall: I really liked this beer. I actually happen to like peat smoked beer and it is very hard to find and this beer has a good balance of smoked peat and a caramelized malt that I love. I would buy again if I can find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:38:10 | More by MickeyD

arnulfooxblood

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

04-06-2013 22:53:23 | More by arnulfooxblood

spedprof

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +11.1%

04-06-2013 01:51:32 | More by spedprof

juicebox

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-30-2013 01:10:29 | More by juicebox

SuomiHobbit

Connecticut

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%

03-26-2013 02:08:23 | More by SuomiHobbit

admonster00

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-26-2013 01:43:57 | More by admonster00

beertardis

Rhode Island

3/5  rDev -16.7%

03-18-2013 12:10:32 | More by beertardis

EricClayton

West Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -37.5%

03-15-2013 00:58:11 | More by EricClayton

Herky21

Iowa

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%

03-13-2013 01:59:09 | More by Herky21

cw577enfield

Virginia

3/5  rDev -16.7%

03-10-2013 17:32:38 | More by cw577enfield