Hello again guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Samuel Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA produced by the Boston Beer Company located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Just picked this up yesterday and thought I would give it a try.

Let’s see if we can find any information about it on the breweries website, samueladams.com.

Dark, and fierce, this English porter was transformed, from a mild ale to a dark and complex lager that confounds definition.   Immersed in dark, roasted malts and a bold citrus hop character, these big and contrasting flavors are brought together with the smoothness of a lager for a brew that’s rugged, mysterious, and full of flavor.

How ’bout a sip or two?

The Dark Depths came in a 22 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 7.6%.

The beer poured a dark brown with and underlying ruby tint.  It was clear too.  I could actually see right through it when I held it toward a light source.  The head was off white, very full, thick, creamy and frothy.  The size was tremendous and the retention time was great.  The lacing was both patchy and clingy.  This beer looked really nice in the glass.

The nose seemed very, very light and relaxed at first, but it gradually came into focus the longer it sat.  It revealed hints of earth, toasted breads and some very faint dark fruit notes (plums, grapes).  I found some citrus and piny relishes along with some very subdued chocolate and coffee hints.  It wasn’t too strong or robust, but everything did seem to be balanced very well.

The taste brought forth quite a bit more of the chocolate as well as some slightly charred coffee beans.  It was still rather earthy though as it continued with some toasted bread and biscuit savors.  The hops were citrusy, piny and grassy.  I didn’t really find any of the dark fruit flavors that were noticed in the aroma, although the coffee beans and chocolate totally covered for any misplacement. 

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/full bodied.  It was very smooth, slick and very dry.  The carbonation was quite good and a plethora of flavors were left behind long after each sip.

Yeah, this is another decent beer.  It does kind of follow that Black IPA trend that’s been happening over the past year or so, but it’s still worth a try if you like that style.  It personally has never been a favorite of mine, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy one on occasion.  I just can’t make a night of them.  This beer didn’t really stand out as being anything special, however it wasn’t anywhere close to being horrible or off putting either.  It was well balanced with plenty of a aroma and flavor and it made for a relatively easy drink on this lazy Saturday afternoon.  I’d say pick up a bottle if you see the Samuel Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA, but I, personally, wouldn’t go out of my way to find it again.  That’s just my opinion of course, so try it yourself and see what you think and let me know your thoughts.  

Thanks for reading and commenting folks.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.75 out of 5
Grade:  B