Samuel Adams LongShot Traditional Bock

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Dunkler Bock
Boston, Massachusetts USA

September 2009 Best By Date; Sampled May 2009
A vigorous pour into my 25 cl tulip glass produces a four-finger thick, tightly beaded, dense looking, light brown tinged, full tan colored head. The head leaves a nice layer of lacing on the sides of my glass and has a nice staying power. The beer is a dark plum / amber color that shows a brilliantly clear, copper tinged, red tinged amber hue when held up to the light. Rich sweet malt aromatics are immediately noticeable. This has an almost vinous note to it that is sort of a cross between Port and fresh, dark grapes. This is lightly spiced with a toasted malt note up front that is quickly consumed by the chewy, sweet, complex malt notes. This definitely has the requisite hardy nose needed of a Bock and it is definitely quite satisfying.

Thick and viscous feeling as it rolls across my tongue, the carbonation is here at a medium level, but the body definitely makes this lean towards the rich side. The richness is quite nice and this isn’t overly sweet either, but does have a rich malt character. A rich, malted melanoid character, toasted malt notes, caramelized (but clearly not crystal malt derived) concentrated malt character, as the beer warms a hint of chocolate character, dark-bread malty goodness, and even a hint of well balanced darkly toasted grain character. This is definitely malt oriented (as it should be), as there is not much in the way of hop character noticeable at all; perhaps a hint of bitterness to keep the malt in check, but that is about it.

This was what I was hopping for when I cracked that bottle of Pandora’s Bock, I am glad this was able to deliver. This is definitely a tasty, spot on example of the style, I really like that this hits the thick, chewy, complex malt character without being much in the way of sweet. This is a hearty beer that is quite fitting for a winter’s evening around the fire (or even the 100ºF into summer day that I am currently experiencing).

Poured dark amber, roasted malts, dark fruits, molasses, nutty, little chocolate, slight coffee.

Tallahassee, Fl. - Market Square Liquors, - 12 oz bottle - part of the 2008 Longshot mixer. Color of a flat glass of cola with little to no head. Toasty aroma with some malty accents and a hint of wort. Subtly sweet flavor with some muted dates, nuts and molasses. Smooth drinking bock - no high points but nothing distracting. Clean, even mouthfeel.

Bottle from SL, pour was tpyical for the style, brown with a decent pillowy 1cm type head on top, good lacing. The aroma was bready, grassy, some fruity chocolate elements too. The flavor followed, grass and bread at the fore, some chocolate in the background, a touch of nuts and even molasses. Mouthfeel was a bit sticky, foamy/airy texture, not bad, not that memorable either, though.

Man, I liked the aroma on this one. It just smelled like good beer - malty, dark, sweet. Pours a light rootbeer brown with a dense, creamy head. Label is terrible. Initial impression is tangy roast, almost schwartz-y. Mellows as you go along, with a nutty alt-malt backbone. Just slightly over medium bodied, the mouthfeel is pretty smooth, and the finish is lasting and roasted. This is a very enjoyable brew, and it’s got an entirely different character cold v. warm (where more fruitiness comes out) but both sides are very good. Well played.

Pours dak amber with a medium sized head. Aroma, flavor and mouthfeel are exactly as you would expect from a Bock. Smooth, malty and distinctively German. Nothing shocking, but a very well crafted and tasty beer.

Nice beer. Easy drinker that has a little something extra. Super well made. Carbination was high. Some fruit and maltyness. As it says, traditional. Text book. Fun to try and only bought to try the IIPA that comes in the 6 pack longshot pack.

Aroma beats flavor. Aroma of toffee, nuts, and toast. Flavor has some of these qualities with a rather sourish malty swing but backed up by a nutty flavor and some chocalate-like sweetness. Nice tingly mouthfeel which complements the flavor.