Sam Adams Triple Bock

[cobra03]

I found several bottles of this at the local beer store and i figured for $6 it was worth a try. As best i can tell this has not been made since 1997 so it has been aging for at least 14 years. I have heard both good and bad about this beer so i figured i try it for myself. The Bottle it self is pretty sharp, its a deep blue with gold lettering. The bottle is corked. The cork broke in half immediately upon trying to open it. Once opened i am hit with a strong smell of what i can best describe as burnt chocolate. The beer pours thick and viscous sticking to the side of the glass with no head . it is a dark brown almost black resembling dark cuban coffee. Upon my first sip im am greeted by a sweet flavor that reminds me of chocolate covered cherries, the kind with the sweet syrup inside but someone burnt the crap out of the chocolate. The 17% alcohol is very evident and i get the burn just following the sweet flavor. After the burning im left with a bitter lingering after taste. The flavors are strong and sit heavy on the palate. im not sure if i like it or not. The flavor is very different. im still sipping on it which is about all you can do. This is more of a liquor than a beer and cant be knocked back in a hurry. The more i drink it the more i like it but im still not sure if i would buy it again even at $6. With that said it is worth a try if for nothing else just to say you had it