True North Dark Lager
Magnotta Brewery
- From:
- Magnotta Brewery
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- European Dark Lager
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.68 | pDev: 6.25%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 04, 2026
- Added:
- Mar 26, 2026
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Our Dark Lager is smooth and creamy with notes of roasted malt, caramel and cocoa. Lightly fruity with a crisp finish and gentle carbonation.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by talisen-crw from Canada (ON)
4/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From Magnotta Windsor on Division Rd. in nearby Windsor. Canned November 20/25. My 11th beer from the Vaughan, Ontario brewery, and 3rd for 2026. Highly appraised by Gracie the cat...
May 04, 2026
Reviewed by scott451 from Canada (ON)
3.56/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured 473ml can into a pint glass. A scant one finger bubbly light brown head on an opaque black. The head soon diminishes to a thin layer. Minimal lacing.
Coffee and sweet roasted malts in the nose. The taste follows the nose. Mildly burnt flavours dominate. A dry, moderately bitter finish.
A medium light body with moderate carbonation. Overall a drinkable but uninspiring Dark Lager.
Apr 10, 2026Coffee and sweet roasted malts in the nose. The taste follows the nose. Mildly burnt flavours dominate. A dry, moderately bitter finish.
A medium light body with moderate carbonation. Overall a drinkable but uninspiring Dark Lager.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.48/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.48/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Jan 28 2026 and served barely chilled.
Pours an inky black colour, crowned with two inches of bubbly, tan-coloured head that settles off in just under five minutes' time. A creamy cap and collar live on, with modest lace deposition as the level drops; looks normal enough so far. Roasted malts dominate the nose, with cocoa, light roast coffee, caramel and burnt grains coming to mind; maybe a bit of a mushy pea vibe, too.
It tastes fine: relatively roasty for a lager, with cocoa & coffee flavours interspersed with notes of toasted cereal grains, caramel and bruised apples. Lightly roasty and bitter on the back end, with cocoa and weedy hops fading into a slightly sweet aftertaste. Light in body, with somewhat assertive carbonation for the style; it's easy enough to toss back, but I was already bored of this beer halfway through the glass.
Final Grade: 3.48, a B-. True North Dark Lager is a passable, innocuous dark lager without any deal-breaking flaws, or major selling points for that matter. You could do worse - e.g. I'd take this over Waterloo Dark, if you're looking for a widely-available local comparable. On the other hand, there are other dark and/or black lagers on LCBO shelves that I'll be revisiting long before this one - think Czechvar Dark, or Kostritzer Schwarzbier. Worth a shot at least, but like most of Magnotta's True North lineup, it's rather average.
Mar 26, 2026Pours an inky black colour, crowned with two inches of bubbly, tan-coloured head that settles off in just under five minutes' time. A creamy cap and collar live on, with modest lace deposition as the level drops; looks normal enough so far. Roasted malts dominate the nose, with cocoa, light roast coffee, caramel and burnt grains coming to mind; maybe a bit of a mushy pea vibe, too.
It tastes fine: relatively roasty for a lager, with cocoa & coffee flavours interspersed with notes of toasted cereal grains, caramel and bruised apples. Lightly roasty and bitter on the back end, with cocoa and weedy hops fading into a slightly sweet aftertaste. Light in body, with somewhat assertive carbonation for the style; it's easy enough to toss back, but I was already bored of this beer halfway through the glass.
Final Grade: 3.48, a B-. True North Dark Lager is a passable, innocuous dark lager without any deal-breaking flaws, or major selling points for that matter. You could do worse - e.g. I'd take this over Waterloo Dark, if you're looking for a widely-available local comparable. On the other hand, there are other dark and/or black lagers on LCBO shelves that I'll be revisiting long before this one - think Czechvar Dark, or Kostritzer Schwarzbier. Worth a shot at least, but like most of Magnotta's True North lineup, it's rather average.
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