Review: Sam Adams Chocolate Bock

So I picked up a bottle of Sam Adams' Chocolate Bock a few weeks ago, and had been saving it for a chance when I had time to drink and enjoy it. At 15.99 a bottle, I wanted to make sure I got my money's worth.

Poured two glasses out of the bottle. The color was very dark brown, almost black, with an off-white head that dissipated quickly. Very little lacing.

The smell was chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, with hints of coffee. It smelled like a melted candy bar...and pretty much tasted like one too. The chocolate taste overpowered, with virtually nothing else coming through. It was definitely good, but barely tasted like beer. Only a bare hint of maltiness and alcohol reminded me that I wasn't drinking a chocolate milkshake. The chocolate also had a slightly weird taste to it, almost like an artificial sweetener.

It was definitely an enjoyable beer...but not worth the $15.99 a bottle. I'm a big fan of chocolate beers, and there are others I would choose over this (Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout comes immediately to mind). If someone offered me some, I would most certainly take it, but I don't see myself spending the money on another bottle.

On a homebrew note, my 'Cherries in the Snow' has aged beautifully. The tartness has mellowed, and the other smell I noticed in the first bottle (I think now it must have been acetaldehyde) is long gone. A bare hint of cherry flavor is starting to come through. This beer should age pretty well, so I plan on taking a couple of bottles home with me, and leaving the other case here to age over winter break.

So as for my next few brews, when I get back from winter break I plan on bottling the Chocolate Thunder porter (with how it's looking so far, this will probable be another chocolate beer I will prefer over Chocolate Bock). Then, I will probably start brewing two different stouts, my "Andromeda" Valentines Day Stout (a raspberry-chocolate stout), and my "Starless Night" Imperial Stout. I've been coming up with recipes, and I'm pretty excited for both.

Until next time...