Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Today I finally give you my review of a beer I bought at least 4 months ago and finally opened over 2 weeks ago, the Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. Sadly, I am again writing a review based more on my notes that my memory of the beer but, fear not, after this review I'll be completly up-to-date and only bringing you freshly sampled fare.

I had been saving this beer for a special occasion and the day my girlfriend and I moved into our new place seemed special enough to merit enjoying this $15 bottle of limited edition chocolatey goodness.

The Samuel Adams folks categorize this as one of their 'extreme beers' and it only comes out every two years (so I heard, I couldn't comfirm this). I won't bore you with the details of this beer, you can read them for yourself at www.samueladams.com, but just know that this beer is brewed with real, rare, cocoa nibs from a reknown Swiss chocolatier.

I picked this one up at my local Publix supermarket but it is a hard beer to find and rather pricey as far as 22 oz bottles go, although it is cool looking with the pewter lable. It's a keeper for sure.

This special brew pours a thick, near-black color that shows some red around the edges when held up to the light. The head is khaki colored and creamy, about a finger and a half's worth.

It smells malty - but wait, there's also some cocoa and some hops mixed in there as well. It's kind of stouty and inviting to say the least.

The taste is much like the smell, malts joined with chocolate and a touch of coffee, a slight bitter, grainy, expresso quality, with a taste and texture reminiscent of powdery cacao. On the back-end comes a hint of hops and the taste of cocoa nibs. Oh so tasty.

The beer is thinner than expected, considering the color, and amazingly easy to drink. It is complex, well-made, and truely special. I enjoyed it immensely and plan on picking up another bottle whenever I find one.

Remember that this is not an everyday beer, and not for those who don't like either dark beers or chocolate to begin with. So keeping that in mind, I call this a GLASS FULL brew as far as special beers go. If you're a stout lover or a chocolate lover, or both, I suggest you pick this one up whenever you come across it. Trust me, its worth the 15 bucks. Cheers!

And yes, I shared it with my girlfriend, a fellow beer lover and Samuel Adams supporter. She didn't like it as much as I did but she agreed it was quality stuff.