5 O'Clock Shadow - Spring
Grand Teton Brewing Co.

5 O'Clock Shadow - Spring5 O'Clock Shadow - Spring
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From:
Grand Teton Brewing Co.
 
Idaho, United States
Style:
Schwarzbier
Ranked #8
ABV:
7.6%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,912
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 8.85%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
123
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 01, 2023
Added:
Feb 02, 2012
Wants:
  28
Gots:
  19
5 O’Clock Shadow Double Black Lager is brewed in the German Schwarzbier (black beer) tradition. Schwarzbier is to lager what stout or porter is to ale. Like those dark British beers, Schwarzbier has long been considered nourishing and even curative. German doctors often recommend Schwarzbier for nursing mothers. Our Brewmaster, born in Munich, was the beneficiary of just such advice.

We have taken the traditional Schwarzbier, intended to be a “session beer” with typically moderate alcohol, and almost doubled its strength to 7.6% alcohol by volume. We brewed our version with a fine balance of crystal and roasted malts and spiced it with noble hops. We fermented 5 O’Clock Shadow at cold temperatures with a select German lager yeast and cold-conditioned it for over four months to create a velvety smooth, easy drinking springtime brew.

This German lager pours a deep brown, almost black color with ruby highlights. It has soft dark chocolate notes with hints of caramel and a light roasty finish.

38 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FightingEntropy:
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours with a dark tan head that's two tone with brown as it swirls. Head falls quickly over a a nearly pitch black beer with ever so slight ruby highlights along the edge. Very clean, singular roast in the nose with a little bit of chocolate. Roast and chocolate follows in the taste with a sweet maltiness. Bitter roast finish that lingers a bit--almost too much. My notes say I had a draft on my wife's birthday at Grumpy's, but I don't remember much about it. I was either entranced by my wife or the beer didn't make much of an impression. Gloria likes schwarzbier and there's no note that she liked it.

In the final analysis, it's a good beer but the roast is out of balance with the smooth lager characteristics. Had this beer twice and that's going to be enough. If you like a a heavy roast, give it a shot. If not, find another dark lager.
Jul 19, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I am trying a can of this beer at my wife's good friend's Montanna home just outside of Bozeman. I came by this beer from a mixed 12pck that I bought in Jackson, Wyoming. It poured a clear dark, nearly opaque, amber with khaki head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent had dark chocolate and roast notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with dark chocolate malt base and roast presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.
Jun 01, 2023
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
they definitely lowered the abv of this from where it was, but this is absolutely epic beer, as good an american made black lager as ive ever had, its just masterfully done, a bit of a throwback to how grand teton used to do things, i cant say enough about this one. perfect on draft in a big dimpled mug, two plus inches of creamy greyish brownish head, thick like nitro, lasting, lace rings, shiny black body but not any real viscosity, looks stunning. the nose is roasty, bolder than a lot of the german ones, but not disproportional or overdone at all, its super dry too, nothing sweet in the middle of the malt build, subtle graham cracker, toasted bread, and charcoal, and then a german lager yeast that is really mild, but old worldy and right, long and cold lagered i would think, this is super dialed in. the flavor is impressive, bready up front, roasty through the second half, subtle organic dark cocoa, old firewood, and espresso, but part of the magic here is the simplicity, the water chemistry is on point, a great mineral profile to this, and very little hops. the ferment is super complete, this is bone dry, just a little bitter from the dark grain, alive and soft at the same time on the palate, and even sort of creamy going down while also being straight up drinkable by the gallon, its a ripper, just about as textbook as it gets. this wowed me, in a style that rarely does, from a brewery who hasnt quite hit has hard for me in recent years, so this was just an amazing treat. absolutely one of their best all time brews!
Nov 28, 2022
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It was over a year since I had it, but I remember being very impressed with this beer, especially was it was a at least a couple of years old. I remember that it was very smooth and had a well balanced flavor profile.
Sep 16, 2018
Photo of DucksFan16
Rated by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
02/03/2017
Feb 04, 2017
Photo of BlackBeerPirate
Reviewed by BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Taste: deep roasted malts, chocolate, big peppery finish with complex hops throughout. Robust solid spiced nose.
Brownish Black in color, mostly clear, Nice foamy head and webbed lace. Full body. Tasty Black Lager with some hops to balance to malty backbone.
Nov 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by WillisTalkinBout from Wyoming

Sep 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.26 by Rockjocknroll from California

Jul 18, 2016
Photo of Bluegrass49
Reviewed by Bluegrass49 from Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml Bottle
Bottled On: 01/27/15
Pours a very dark brown, no transparency, minimal tan foamy head. Dark chocolate is prominent. Overall one of the best I've had.
May 26, 2016
Photo of clayrock81
Reviewed by clayrock81 from Florida

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a dark brown body with no light penetrating through and minimal head and lace. Aroma is mostly roasted and chocolate malts with hint of caramel. Medium-bodied beer with a bit of breadiness that balances roasted malt and chocolate sweetness. I like my beers of this style a little sweeter but this is a pretty enjoyable lager.
Apr 04, 2016
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has roasted malt hints
The taste follows the nose with a roasted malt flavor
A medium bodied moderately carbonated beer
A good Scwarzbier
Dec 17, 2015
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 750mL bottle into my Fremont goblet. This is the 2015 version.

Appearance: deep, dark near-black hue with no haze and a rich ruby hue when held up to the light. Head is a finger of frothy light-tan foam with decent retention and a little bit of lace. I think it's quite beautiful.

Smell: lightly sweet with a dash of roast and a touch of caramel. A totally respectable schwarzbier aroma.

Taste: rich, sweet and roasty. It's like a traditional schwarzbier taken up a notch. The alcohol is definitely evident, but overall this is a great tasting black lager.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a good carbonation and a decent creaminess.

Overall: I like the flavor of this beer a lot, but its alcohol does negatively impact drinkability. That said, this beer is still absolutely worth a try.
Nov 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by Goatdavemac from North Carolina

Sep 17, 2015
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
It pours the complete opposite of white, lol. Nice offwhite head of foam that's not a stayer but it makes up for it with the lacing.

I get smoke, chocolate, and an overall very malty nose With a mild hop bitterness in the smell. I dig the smell so....

Plenty of that ^ in the taste as well. Nice level of smoke with a very malty backbone that does not get overly sweet thanks to the ample amount of hop bitterness. It does finish decidedly on the malty side though and I am loving it. I notice some toffee as well. The abv is higher than I normally like for the style but it isn't intrusive by any means.

Fairly light bodied overall, the mouthfeel is still quite good.

This is yet another very enjoyable Lager in a series of Lagers that I have tried recently. If you see it around your neck of the woods, give it a try!
Sep 13, 2015
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.41/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml Bottle Capped
Bottled On: 02/23/12
2012 Vintage

It's been quite awhile since the last time I've had a GT Brew. Nice to see them available to me now. I bought a few different 750ml bottles.

Poured into a chalice a very nice dark brown color, nice carbonation, with a light tan fizzy creamy head, which leaves a nice small island and some sticky lacing. The nose is malty, with some nice chocolate/toffee notes, some nice roastyness, vanilla. The taste is very nice malty, sweet, with some dark stuff, nice roast/nut notes. Medium body. Overall a very tasty brew, would buy again. Very true to style, with a little kick. Recommended.
Aug 23, 2015
Photo of SitkaSteve
Reviewed by SitkaSteve from Idaho

4.16/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 01/27/15.
This was poured into a pilsener glass (correct glassware).
The appearance was a black color with a foamy two and a half finger white to off white foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute.
The smell started off with some dark roasted malt, light cocoa powder, a lil' bit of earth, and charryness.
The taste takes those aromas and gives a nice lil bit of earthiness to balance nicely.
The mouthfeel had a nice roasty to sweet sipping sessionability about it. Carbonation runs fairly light, hmmm...not sure if its a schwarzbier or the fact that I'm just having it now, anyways, smoothness really runs the gamut on this one.
Overall, schwarzbiers can be really nice, this one definitely does what it needs to for the style. I'd have it again.
Aug 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.81 by ta_hagen from Minnesota

Aug 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by MikeP64 from South Carolina

Jul 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by RajaSTL from Missouri

Jul 18, 2015
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

4.17/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage. Bottled on 1/27/15.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, earth, and char aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa powder, char, and earth flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roast bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle.
Jul 18, 2015
5 O'Clock Shadow - Spring from Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 123 ratings