Brewed By: The Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: IN, PA, NY, or MA
Type: Double Bock
ABV: 9.5%

What They Say: “Samuel Adams® Double Bock was first brewed 20 years ago as the first of our Samuel Adams® seasonal offerings, and it is now one of our most acclaimed beers. Double Bock became one the first big beers to be brewed here in the US, and we are now happy to offer it year round.

We use an enormous amount of malted barley, half a pound per bottle, to brew this intensely rich lager. Its deep mahogany color and velvet smooth flavor is a testament to the beer’s high quality two-row malted barley.”

Website: Sam Adams (The Boston Beer Company) is currently the largest domestic producer of beer in the country (now that Budweiser has become a Fine Belgian Ale™). As you would expect, there’s a pretty huge marketing budget, and this is seen in the site as well. Enter your date of birth, confirm the year in a 2nd screen (annoying), and it’s cleanly laid out from there. Under the “World Of Beer” umbrella, there’s sections for Beer Styles, Brewery Tour (virtual tour—under construction), Beer Encyclopedia, and a Food & Beer pairing section. Beer styles are broken down by type (year-round, seasonal, imperial styles, etc.) making finding the info on a specific beer quite easy.

Why this one, Show?: Though Sam claims this beer is 20 years old, it was new to me. I’m a sucker for any sort of new strong offering from Sam Adams, because they tend to be surprisingly drinkable. Plus, I’m not going to be able to go to the $125-a-plate MA brewer’s beer dinner to try it there. Very malty, according to the label, and I’m always down with that.

Presentation (5): Breaking from the usual tradition of bright label colors, this is a black label with a brown accent. Dark brown bottle, black cap, “Imperial Series” in a banner below the Samuel Adams logo, Sam Adams the man has been relegated to the bottom of the label, poking his head up to cheers us with his perpetual pewter mug. The small label on the back tells us that this is brewed with almost as much malt as a loaf of bread (a half pound). Beer pours very dark amber/mahogany, and there’s malt very evident in the nose. There’s a decent but quickly-dissipating head. By sight and smell, this beer makes me want to drink it. (4)

Originality (5): As a double bock (doppelbock), there’s a few of them out there, but the style can be seasonal. As a Sam Adams, it’s a strong lager, and they don’t do the high-octane stuff very often. I’ll split the difference. (3)

Body (10):  As you sip, the malt presence is very evident. There is very little hop bitterness (almost nonexistent), which makes sense given the sheer amount of malt in the brew. But this is a Sam Adams, make no mistake. Like some Sam beers, once the initial taste is felt, the rest of the sip goes down with almost no body at all, to the point that there’s nearly no finish. I was hoping there would be more of a 2nd half to the mouthfeel, but it’s just not there. True to form, this is a drinkable beer, even with the impressive alcohol level. (5)

Taste (10): Tastes like a malty lager, and that’s good. Due to the malts, there are sweet notes there, which make their presence felt right from the get-go. Also due to the malt, there’s very little (if any) hop bitterness. As the sip glides through the mouth, however, as it loses its body it also loses some of its flavor. Sad to say, but it’s hard to get any taste past the mid-point of the swallow. Is it good? Yes. Is it a good bock? Ehhh, kind of. I did find that as my taste buds deadened with each new beer, a slight syrupy, sweet, taste began to emerge at the back of the throat as I sipped. (6)

Efficiency (10): Most beers labeled “Imperial [Brew Style]” will succeed here, and this beer is no exception. With not a lot of body, no hop bite, and a very impressive (Sam Adams brew or not) ABV of 9.5%, this beer will sneak up on you before you realize it. Sam Adams very kindly packages this in 4-packs of 12-oz. Bottles, and that’s all you really need. You can even give one away and still come away very pleasantly glowy. Very efficient beer. (9)

Versatility (10): This beer works from a versatile standpoint, more or less. You can bring a 4-pack with you someplace, and you’re set for the evening. If you’re bringing this someplace for poker, football, et. al., you’d be wise to spread them out over the evening. On the other side, this beer doesn’t really work so much for drinking games or the like. Well, not if you want to play for more than an hour or so. (7)

Final grade: 34 (out of 50) – Good beer

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