If there was any question if Samuel Adams is on the weird beer train, you can consider it answered: Dark Depths Baltic IPA and Cinder Bock Rauch Bock — both parts of the Single Batch series — are, most certainly, weird.
Samuel Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA
First thing is first. Among the good and bad habits of The Daily Caller staff is an addiction to that bitter, hoppy feeling, and so the IPA from New England — a practical IPA Mecca — was first on our list.
The Dark Depths, which was generously sampled by the staff at TheDC, is the product of the Boston Beer Company’s quest to create a dark porter “transformed from a mild ale to a complex, definition-confounding lager.”
“The brewers reimagined their Baltic porter recipe as an IPA,” a Samuel Adams fact sheet informed the assembled staff, “combining the big and contrasting flavors of dark roasted malts and bold citrus hops, with the smoothness of a lager.”
But listen up, hopheads — this is not your grandpa’s IPA. With a piercing grapefruit nose, the strong coffee flavor of the malts stand out most clearly. But the first thing TheDC noticed is that this beer goes to great depths to earn its (bad ass) title: This brew is dark. Black as night dark. We’re talking “Dark Depths” here. When we poured the beer into our assortment of water and wine glasses (TheDC does not indulge office snifters), much to the shock of our Applephile, British video guru, we couldn’t shine an iPhone flashlight through that sucker.
After just one glass, TheDC’s Alex Pappas and Will Rahn belted out a moving rendition of “Free Bird.” We’re not sure what, if anything, that had to do with the beer, but we’re just here to report the facts, people.
Samuel Adams recommends putting one of these 22-ounce bottles (the whole series is sold in 22-ounce bottles because that’s how weird beers come, fool) down with something creamy — dark chocolate mousse, strong cheese — or roasted meat (particularly duck). Though TheDC will never pass on a chance to crush some chocolate or roasted Anatidae, we’re going to go specifically with cheese on this one. Bust out a Camembert and a couple of stogies and give this beer a try.
Samuel Adams Cinder Bock Rauch Bock
If the Dark Depths was not your grandfather’s IPA, this is not your grandfather’s beer. Period. In fact, it’s like nothing TheDC had ever tasted before. And that is not a bad thing — we are a wickedly entertaining and wildly adventurous peoples who like new things.
Both the Dark Depths and the Cinder Block have beautifully drawn labels, and both their labels and their names make zero bones about what the drinker is about to get himself into. The similarities end there.
This bock features a ram chomping down on some barley (we think) while his horns smolder away. No biggy — he’s the honey badger of beer mascots. Sam Adams describes the beer as a “lively brew [that] takes the bock style in a new direction, transforming from its distinctive campfire smokiness to a hearty and satisfying finish with notes of toffee and caramel.”
The first thing TheDC noticed on this pour was the nose — a slightly sour, lambic-like smell that left us quite surprised when we took our first sip. All we can say is we tasted bacon. Delicious bacon. Bacon (or some other awesome pig product) that had been cooked over a campfire. If you’re an Islay scotch fan (you know who you are), you’re probably perking up right now. And that would be appropriate: The Boston Beer Company informs us that rauchbier translates to “smoke beer.”
Sam Adams described the flavors as having “a roasty and savory character with pleasant hints of smoked wood, and a touch of sweetness that finishes with warming strength.”
The gang from Massachusetts suggest pairing this brew with sausage, smoked meats and game, and we could not agree more. The things that immediately hopped (pranced) to mind were elk bourguignon and crock pot deer stew. And if these two things are not staples of your diet, you need to get some more friends from Montana.
But seriously, get those friends.
Practical Stuff
At $5.99 and $6.99 a bottle respectively, both of these beers are good buys for the adventurous drinker who wants bold flavors (beer and food) in cold months. They’re part of the limited-edition Single Batch collection and yessir, you can get them nationwide.
