Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
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What the brewers say
“This beer has a big, malty character with the added sweetness of chocolate. It is slowly aged on a bed of rare dark cocoa nibs. Known for their quality, these cocoa nibs, harvested in Ecuador, impart complex aromas and flavors from chocolaty to fruity, nutty, earthy, and citrusy.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Prominent malt of dates, toast, and cocoa. Light brown sugar. No hops. Rich, almost velvety, malt with chocolate, plum, and toffee. Chocolate comes through the most, and the bock-malt character seems a bit low.”
Flavor: “Prominent creamy cocoa. Tastes like a Tootsie Roll—mild chocolate, toffee, with an underlying toffee sweetness. Finish isn’t overwhelmingly sweet because there’s enough hops bitterness to balance and keep it from being cloying. Some nice warmth to the finish as well. Will make you think of a chocolate milk shake.”
Overall: “Cocoa Puffs in liquid form. Well-fermented. If Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney made a beer together, this would be it. Ebony and Ivory. Chocolate and Vanilla.”
