Seasonal Craft Beer Review: Sam Adams Winter Collection

Being offered again this year is the Sam Adams Winter Classics 12 Pack, which has always been an interesting thing to sell, in my opinion. Most 12 pack collections go along the same lines: offer 3 each of your flagship plus 3 other seasonals, and make one or more obscure beer you want to launch or probably can't sell outside of a firkin and keg in local pubs. While this is true for Sam Adams in terms of their selection, they offer 2 of 6 different ones for their winter collection.
This year we are being offered a couple new ones in addition to the familiar ones we have had before. The older ones are Old Fezziwig Ale, Winter Lager,  Holiday Porter and Boston Lager. This year we are offered two new ones: Chocolate Bock and Black and Brew, a coffee stout. I tasted all of them and here are my reviews of the wintry ones, briefly this time.
I am more pleased with this year's choices, even if I don't find them all to my liking, because in past years their variety included a cranberry lambic and their Light, instead of the coffee and the chocolate.
Winter Lager: (ABV: 5.5%) Reliable, tasty, crisp and low on hops, this bock is more drinkable than Boston Lager (if that is possible), maybe due to the lower mix of hop varieties in this one. Not as good as Winter Skal (see review), if you ask me, but still a reliable one year after year. Rating: 4.
Old Fezziwig Ale: (ABV: 5.9%) Boasting of differing malt flavors and hitting you with spices later this winter warmer is also reliable and steady, not blowing you out on any one taste.I think it has a specialized taste that some might not go for, with all that going on. I think they could have simplified it but keep a higher alcohol content. Rating 3.
Holiday Porter (ABV: 5.8%): An American Porter, toasty, bready and very slightly chocolaty sweet. Looks good, black and smells rich and grainy. I think this is a better porter than their Honey Porter, which they call their year round beer. They could switch them around I think. Rating: 4.
Chocolate Bock (ABV: 5.8%): A much sweeter and chocolate version of the bock offerings, it has a strange cloying taste that mellows throughout the tasting but the bold sweetness that hits you is hard to get past. I think it would not be bad in small doses or fun tastings or maybe for the not so frequent beer drinker but it is too non-beer like to be beer, if that makes sense.Rating: 2.
Black & Brew (ABV: 5.8%): A strong coffee character and some fruit and smokiness, but unfortunately it was the coffee that overpowered the rest of the brew, without the maltiness I usually expect in a stout. They say they put in the Sumatra beans and maybe it it their boldness that takes control so much over the rest of the drink. I have had chocolate and coffee stouts and porters and this was my least favorite. Rating: 2.
All were drunk from the bottle in the collection given to me for Christmas by my Pittsburgh friends. Still have another of all of these here. Anyone want to join me?