Double Black
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
 
United States
Style:
Schwarzbier
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.63 | pDev: 0%
Reviews:
1
Ratings:
1
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2008
Added:
Dec 30, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Opaque mahogany with red and gold highlights... that became barely lucent black cherry when backlit with bright sunshine. The smooth khaki colored crown almost peaked at two fingers on the pour and lasted long enough. As the beer fell with drinking, blurry rings of lace indicated the size of each mouthful.

The nose seemed stronger in the sampler glass that I had yesterday. Today it wasn't as forthcoming and wasn't as coffee-like. The malt smelled dark, without being roasted, and there was a bit of medium-dark fruit (probably hops) as well.

The interesting thing about Double Black was that the flavor ramped up in intensity from the start of each mouthful to the finish, though it never did reach escape velocity. It was even possible to appreciate the flavors long after the swallow. This was a better than average schwarzbier, but I've had better... at this brewpub.

Appropriate adjectives include straightforward, clean and approachable. Members of the flavor profile included dark caramel, cocoa, nonspecific fruit and the merest hint of anise. The beer was more bitter and dry than sweet, but even that was on the gentle, friendly side.

A mild tanginess appeared with warming and added some welcome flavor interest. Amazingly enough, the beer didn't run away and hide when faced with a Chipotle BBQ Chicken pizza. In fact, it held up rather well and was a good choice in the end.

I can be a tough taskmaster when it comes to scoring mouthfeel. That said, I thought this one was a fraction light, even for the style. Perfect carbonation kept the score well above average, but couldn't coax it all the way to good. A little creaminess would have.

Double Black *might* have earned the next highest flavor score on a different day. On the other hand, it isn't as good as Mikey T's "Black Helmet" Schwarz Bier, so it doesn't deserve the same love. I'd still gladly order it again sometime.
Dec 30, 2008
Double Black from Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Beer rating: 3.63 out of 5 with 1 ratings