Samuel Adams Imperial Series Double Bock

Brewer: The Boston Beer Company
Style: Double Bock
Location: Boston, MA
Brewer Homepage
Rating: B+

The Samuel Adams Double Bock is deep tobacco brown with a tan head. The lead aroma is sweet maltiness. This is complimented by a slightly tart, winy character.

The Double Bock has a powerful bready malt flavor.There are also bitter hops notes, and some residual sweetness. In the background I detect some sweet spice and a squirt of citrus.  The mouthfeel shows a hint of syrupiness without being too heavy. There is a crisp finish that has lingering sweetness as well as some hoppiness.

There is some definite potential for aging with this beer. Beers with high alcohol and residual sugar tend to stand the test of time fairly well. The Sam Adams Double Bock has quite a bit of complexity that seems a bit muted by the powerful, sweet malt. I plan to check back in a year or two to see how this beer ages. My one complaint here is that there is no vintage, or even a "bottled on" date on this bottle. Samuel Adams suggests right on the bottle that the Double Bock can be aged, so it's disappointing that we don't know how old the beer is.

Harpoon Winter Warmer

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Style: Spiced Ale
Location: Boston, MA
Brewer Homepage
Rating: B

There's nothing like sipping a spiced beer while watching the snow fall. To me, Harpoon Winter Warmer just tastes like Christmas.

Winter Warmer is a deep, rosy amber color with a golden head. The nose picks up aromatic cinnamon and nutmeg with some sweetness, like a pumpkin pie baking in the oven.

Winter Warmer's lead note is a smooth malt flavor. There are cinnamon and nutmeg spice notes on the palate, but they are not overpowering as the aroma may lead you to believe. The spices play a complimentary role to the malt. There are some bitter hops up front that fade rather quickly. There is a moderate-length finish that is highlighted by the spices with a touch of sweetness.

Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Style: Porter
Location: Middlebury, VT
Brewer Homepage
Rating: A

Otter Creek has long been one of my favorite breweries. Their Stovepipe Porter is one of the main reasons why. I love drinking porters in the wintertime, and the Stovepipe Porter is my go-to choice for a easy to drink porter.

Stovepipe Porter is a deep brown-black, which is nearly opaque when poured into a pint glass. The head is a dark tan. The nose is balanced between roasted notes and fruity hops, similar to a coffee with high acidity.

The Stovepipe Porter has a creamy mouthfeel without being too heavy. There is a deep roasted malt flavor that plays the lead here. A tart, hoppy zing as well as some herbal notes and a hint of spiciness compliment the roast. The finish tails off rather quickly, but the bitter hops and roasted notes remind me of a good espresso or dark chocolate.

All-in-all the Stovepipe Porter has some big flavor, but still manages to be smooth and drinkable without being too heavy. Highly recommended.

Long Trail Double Bag

Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Co.
Style: Alt
Location: Bridgewater Corners, VT
Brewer Homepage
Rating: A-

Double Bag is a potent brew at 7.2% alcohol, but it is very well-balanced. Drink this one in moderation, because it can really sneak up on you.

Double Bag is a slightly hazy in the glass with a deep amber color. To me, the aroma of this beer reminds me of walking through a brewery. The nose is sweet and malty with a touch of hops.

On the palate, there is a sweetness that comes to the front. There is a touch of bitterness and a hoppy tang that is a a bit subdued, but acts as a nice undertone to the sweetness. The sweetness and hops then start to fade, leaving a nice malty finish.

Harpoon IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale
Location: Boston, MA
Brewer Homepage
Rating: A

At the intersection of hoppiness and drinkability we find Harpoon IPA. To many New Englanders (including myself), this is the gold standard to which all IPA's are compared. On a personal note, this was the beer that introduced me to the world of microbrews. I never really enjoyed beer until I realized that beer could have such distinctive flavor.

In the glass, Harpoon IPA has a golden-copper color. Fine, prosecco-like bubbles continue to rise long after the beer has been poured. The nose has a powerful hop-flower aroma.

On the palate hops again takes the center stage. Bitter hops are well balanced with floral/fruity notes. There is a long, crisp finish as the hops slowly fade away. There is a pleasant, almost fizzy mouthfeel that really compliments the crisp hops notes. Despite the dominant hops character of this beer, the bitterness never gets to the point where it affects the drinkability. This is a perfect beer for a warm summer day.

Please feel free to share your own tasting notes for this beer in the comments section below.