Samuel Adams Triple Bock
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

 

It's 2023, and I still have an entire case of the 1994 "vintage" Sam Adams Triple Bock. I loved it when I first tasted it, and I put away a case as an investment. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to sell it with all of the regulations surrounding the sale (even private sale) of beer.

Dark Caramel gives way to warm notes of barrel aged smoothness. Unexpected reddish notes, not dark as one might expect. Fermented cherries and a medium dark chocolate notes on front of tongue. Velvet syrupy notes as it swishes the mouth, with a feeling of an aged Madeira wine. Some say it's like a Port wine, but this is much deeper, much smoother. This is a complex, sweet beer meant to be sipped and savored, very slowly. It starts out as one beer experience, but over the course of 20 minutes (give yourself this amount of time to fully enjoy it), it will lead you to an entirely different experience.

Final notes: Notes of stone fruit in here. Strong and proud. Dark, caramel and brown butter. Aged Cherries. Medium Dark Chocolate. Warming, like an old leather-clad library with a roaring fireplace. The beer that started it all. Madiera and old Oak.

'94: 4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5
'97: 4.25/3/1.5/2/2

1994 vintage, still great.
Dark brown appearance with a sparse tan head that recedes slowly to a collar, low retention, no lacing. Maple, whiskey, leather, tobacco. Moderate to light body, light carbonation likely due to age.

 

 

 

A friend had a bottle of 1994 vintage had been previously opened and recorked some time back, so that's out there.

That it poured a deep reddish-blown, almost black color. The aroma is richly sweet, like a concentrated tincture of dried cherries. The flavor is similar with lots of port wine character - dried cherry and prunes, leather and a bit of tobacco and molasses in the finish. Feel is dense and syrup-like, smooth and not bitter at all - again, like a tawny port. The alcohol was very present but not burning. I am sure this has lost some of its original character after all these years and having been opened before, but reading others here it appears to have held up very well. It was an honor to try such a legend.

I am giving it all fours as I have no idea if this is what the beer is supposed to be like. I enjoyed it enough to warrant a 4.

Purchased this 1995 Brew Reserve new for $3.19. Then it sat quietly and somewhat lost in a 50-degree Cellar for 25 years.

A bright ruby edge tops the opaque purplish black brew. Smell is a nice alcoholic prune juice that develops into much more. Taste is like and as sweet as prune juice with a tutti frutti blend of candy sugar, dried fruits, cherries, banana, a bit of grapefruit and some nice big bitterness growing to give balance. Feel is rich and creamy.

Enjoyed this more than expected when sipped quite slowly. Certainly a huge overly sweet brew that I find an exotic trip.

I am probably the largest single consumer of Sam Adams Triple Bock. My all 5 rating is a little bias. I loved every single bottle that I drank. Reason I claim to be the largest single consumer. Is my friend owned a restaurant/bar in Ventura, California. The restaurant was told that they bought more cases then anybody in the tri-county (Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara county) area. My friend bought (I paid my friend for all the cases) every case and bottle was only for me. The wholesale price was $76.90 from Lagomarsino Distributor. I should have bought the last case that Lagomarsino had.

 

 

 

1994 vintage. Got a pour at a share and for 25 years old I was surprised that this beer did not taste bad. Very strong, very sweet, really no soy for me. I thought it was like a super strong stout. On the other hand I couldn't drink my whole sample.

 

I loved this beer. FYI Monastic Triple are my favorite beers. So this ones thick heady body, rich flavors, aroma and alcohol percentage felt like home to me. Damn shame they don't make this one anymore.

 

Ran across a bottle in 94,can't say it was great beer,but as a liquor it was nice. Tried the 95 and it was not worth the cork

This bad boy is seeing the light of day for the first time in 23 years. 1994 Brew Reserve, 8.45 fl oz. very interested in this year’s as I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about the ‘97 bottles...

Opening this bottle was the real experience here. The cork was soaked all the way through and ridiculously fragile. Had to angle the bottle and pull it out piece by piece with tweezers, as the plastic piece broke right off from the cork when I initially tried popping it open. Finally got it all out with nothing falling into the beer itself.

It pours pitch black and thick, like motor oil. No head, no lace, no carb.

The aromas are full of stinging booze, molasses, and dark fruit, with noticeable hints of soy and chocolate ringing through as well. It’s not an unpleasant smell by any means, but it’s strength is a bit overwhelming.

Tons of dark fruit, chocolate, and molasses,. Actually a very sweet beer, can’t imagine how it was fresh. Even has characteristics of a dessert wine or cordial. You get some small tastes of coffee and oak present as well. So much going on, definitely a slow sipper.

Thick, syrupy, and very sticky, a little too much so. Definitely no carb, with a nice light boozy burn that makes sure it’s felt all the way down the hatch.

Never did I think I’d get to review this beer. At $40 for the bottle, I thought I got it for a pretty decent price (even for a 8.45oz bottle)... a true classic from Sam Adams, one of the original “extreme” beers that was released to the public. Amazing to see how not only beer has transformed, but how this particular bottle has survived over 20 years. An awesome experience.