Review - Boston Beer Company's Chocolate Bock
"Samuel Adams® partnered with Scharffen Berger Chocolate to develop their newest innovation, Samuel Adams® Chocolate Bock. Tettnang Tettnanger and Spalt hops were hand-selected from the world's oldest growing area and combined with a complex selection of malts including two row Pale, Munich and caramel to create a rich and satisfying brew. This dark beer has a big, malty character that is combined with the subtle sweetness of chocolate. The chocolatiers at Scharffen Berger crafted an exclusive blend of chocolate for Samuel Adams® made with cocoa beans from Ghana called forastero. Samuel Adams® Chocolate Bock was aged on a bed of this chocolate to create its unique layers of flavor. As the beer matured, the fruity, tart, earthy and chocolate aromas were infused into the liquid to give the brew a complex, full-bodied taste with a velvety finish. A hint of vanilla was added to meld the symphony of flavors together. Due to legal restrictions, Samuel Adams® Chocolate Bock can not be sold in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Utah." -- Sam Adams
Pours a medium brown hue with a bit of a garnet tinge, producing a small, fizzy, tan-colored head. Head almost completely dissipates. Body is reddish-brown with excellent clarity. Aroma is of light, slightly roasted malts with some light chocolate and some very mellow bitterness. Initial taste is very malty with some dull chocolate like hot cocoa, gaining some slight bitter chocolate notes towards the finish. Medium bodied, it has a very malty texture with a thin mouthfeel. Malts are roasted with a slightly burnt finish.
Very ordinary tasting beer with a non-descript flavor profile. Great presentation. The bottle and the price point had me expecting better. At 5.5%, will it get better with age? We will see.
Reviewed on December 14th, 2008.