The Dirt
The Dark Depths is another addition to what I call Sam Adams' experimental bomber line. The beer caught my attention with its proclaimed style: Baltic IPA. I love Baltic porters and am a big fan of IPAs, so this was a must try.
And a tale of two beers was indeed the story of this beer. Deep and complex would be the words I would use to describe its character. It starts off like a black IPA, with good upfront hoppiness for the first half of the beer plus some slight maltiness. Then it turns over into Baltic porter territory for the back half, with slight dark chocolate notes and a bit of toasted notes. Once my sip was complete, I noticed that the hops still lingered on my tongue ever so slightly. As the beer warms up it becomes less like an IPA and more like the Baltic porter half - basically a slightly hoppy Baltic porter. The toastiness starts to become more apparent earlier, while the hops become less impactful.
A really well designed beer that has many layers and changes over temps. Perfect in a bomber, as it's not super drinkable though not too much of a task.
Worth it?
Definitely. It was not only a fun try, but a delicious find. Many times I enjoy an experimental beer but don't really have the desire to have again. Not true here. A good fall beer or for the winter time when you want a little more hops.
The Final Word
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