Winter Lager
Brooklyn Brewery

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From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Schwarzbier
Ranked #84
ABV:
5.6%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,329
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 9.76%
Reviews:
134
Ratings:
404
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 13, 2023
Added:
Aug 03, 2015
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  114
Brooklyn Winter Lager is our answer to the heavy ales and stouts that emerge in wintertime. Though dark in color with a sturdy presence, our Schwarzbier-inspired lager layers notes of chocolate, roasted barley, and dark bread into a 5.6% ABV frame that finishes surprisingly light and pleasantly dry. Winter means different things depending where you live, but Brooklyn Winter Lager is ready for any chill.

Formerly Insulated Dark Lager
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 1mrbeer:
Photo of 1mrbeer
Rated by 1mrbeer from Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Nov 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.26 by TheIPAHunter from California

Oct 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.11 by DarrellK from Florida

Jul 06, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by eluvah from New York

Jan 06, 2022
Photo of Peach63
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

3.94/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours copper with a 2 inch cream-colored head, which lasts. Heavy lacing to the end.

Aroma is coffee, toffee, leather, woody, slight chocolate.

Taste is roast malt, toffee, ash, spice, slight chocolate.

Light bodied, lively carbonation. Dry finish.

A bit thin for this type of beer. Good nonetheless.
Apr 09, 2021
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.32/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Very dark brown, generous tan head, great retention and lace
Toasted brown bread with a hint of dark coffee
Tastes like it smells
Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation
Pretty much what a schwarzbier should be.
Feb 18, 2021
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.41/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can, BB 03/2021, into wide mouthed glass.

Super dark tobacco colored body with some red streaks up the sides. The head is massive and vanilla colored, 2 fingers, leaving tons of lace as it recedes. This is a huge looking beer.

Aroma from the can is tobacco shreds, wood chips, orange oil, and pine. Aroma from the glass adds a little nutty malt sweetness. There's not much that pops out and it's not a very loud aroma.

Flavor unfortunately is not much different. Chewing tobacco, plant matter, rye bread, wood chips, slight semi-sweet butterscotch, some tree bark, pine/grass, and dirt - all of it lying under a bed of water.

Feel is nice and creamy, with some exciting carbonation, a bit of pleasant starch, and no alcohol.

Overall, the contents were a little shabbier than I expected. Not a terrible beer, but not a good one either. Boring may be the word of the day. Won't revisit. Tastes better with food than alone.
Jan 07, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.46/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tawny brown with a large tan head with thick lacing. That was the highlight. Roasted malt, piney hops that are strangely strong in both smell and taste with brown bread. Way too hoppy in taste especially, nuttiness on the backend has hint of smoke that get stronger as it warms. Feel is hopped but watery and malty. Pretty pedestrian, but hey it looks beautiful!
Jan 07, 2021
Photo of Reef
Reviewed by Reef from South Carolina

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the neighborhood joint

Black with a finger of tan head, strong lacing
Not much aroma, light roast malt
Rye bread, light char, light hop bitter
Smooth feel, medium bodied
Very pleasant schwartzbeer.
Jan 04, 2021
Photo of Nass
Reviewed by Nass from Florida

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The pour is jet black. The taste is bittersweet dark chocolate, dark fruit, black sesame seeds, & roasted malt. I have been hit or miss with Brooklyn Brewery over the years but this one was solid. Cheers! B
Jan 04, 2021
 
Rated: 2 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2021
 
Rated: 3.73 by 22Blue from Kansas

Jan 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jcreek from Illinois

Jan 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.29 by jchanley from Illinois

Jan 01, 2021
Photo of Mark-Leggett
Reviewed by Mark-Leggett from Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a can. Very dark with a large foamy head and lacing. Roasted grain and dark fruit hit the nose. Dark fruit, roasted grain and hints of chocolate in the flavor. Smooth light and easy to drink.
Dec 25, 2020
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Best by 3/21

This is my first schwarzbier, and I’m quite excited to try it. Funnily enough, despite not having one before I actually picked up 2 in the same trip to the store, the other being one from Night Shift, one of my favorite breweries. Let’s see what this one is all about

Pours a very dark brown with red highlights and 2 fingers of rocky light tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves nice lacing

I like the aroma here, there’s a light roasty drip coffee note that plays well with earthy hops, vanilla, light chocolate, and crisp bready malt

The taste is crisp and light the whole way through, starting off with notes of roasty coffee complimented by bittersweet chocolate and light grassy hops. The swallow turns things a bit more creamy for a moment, giving the coffee a less roasty feeling and more like a smooth light coffee with notes of vanilla and chocolate, along with a crisp malt counteracted by a light hop presence

A surprisingly light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation for a a crisp drinking beer. Extremely drinkable for the flavor profile, and it finishes dry

This was way better than the ratings suggest. Not too complex, but highly exciting nonetheless. I could throw back quite a few of these
Dec 23, 2020
 
Rated: 3.77 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Dec 18, 2020
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.84/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark brown to light black in color with a quarter inch inch beige on top. The aroma is of dark, toasted malt. I’m tasting dark cola to nutty malt. The mouth is smooth and crisp.
Dec 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3.59 by Sellen from Connecticut

Dec 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3.79 by sirspins from Florida

Dec 12, 2020
Winter Lager from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 404 ratings