Wild Oats Series No. 23 - Dark Helmüt
Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

Wild Oats Series No. 23 - Dark HelmütWild Oats Series No. 23 - Dark Helmüt
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From:
Beau's All Natural Brewing Company
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Schwarzbier
Ranked #64
ABV:
7.6%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,761
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 9.82%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
60
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 03, 2022
Added:
Nov 01, 2012
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  10
Our Schwarz is bigger than your Schwarz... and tastier too! This extra-strong version of a German black lager displays pronounced roasted flavours juxtaposed with a lager’s enjoyable crispness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thehyperduck:
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
600 mL bottle from their Oktoberfest mixer; bottled Aug 28 2014. Served slightly chilled.

Pours black as night, topped with one inch of loose, frothy beige head that slowly degenerates into a bubbly film and collar, with a modest amount of lace. The aroma is fairly subtle and neutral; a few hints of toasted malts, coffee and mocha, but other than that - we ain't found shiat! It's approachable, if nothing else.

As the abv should suggest, this is a bolder affair than the more traditional schwarzbiers I have tried in the past. The malt bill takes full command of this one, starting off with caramel and molasses, and leading into notes of cocoa and dark-roasted coffee. The roastiness gets amped up toward the tail end of the profile, with plenty more chocolate and an herbal, spicy finish that includes a hint of anise. Mildly bittersweet on the aftertaste, with some lingering roasted malt flavour. The alcohol is not quite noticeable, but this beer generally lacks the clean, refreshing nature of the lighter examples of this style. Instead, it is decidedly medium in body, with relatively peppy carbonation that gives it a surprisingly crisp feel on the palate.

Final Grade: 4.03, an A-. Dark Helmüt is a pretty interesting imperial schwarzbier, and even though the branding is far from original, it's still highly appealing to dorks such as myself. Better than "Spaceballs: The Beer". Mel Brooks references aside, this brew made a bit of noise back when it was first released two or three years ago, and I am glad to see Beau's has brought back one of their best lagers for this sampler pack. Not a traditional schwarz at all, but well worth a try regardless.
Oct 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of AlexandraDen
Reviewed by AlexandraDen from Canada (ON)

4.09/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured out of a 355mL tall can, ‘Dark Helmüt Imperious Schwarzbier’. Picture of the funny super long imperial cruiser on the front. Didn’t want to crack this baby, it’s not currently out and it’s always a hard find but beer isn’t meant to be collected, so tonight is the night!

Pours a coppery black, ruby hued like a Guinness through the light. Dark for a schwarzbier, but it is ‘imperious’ after all. A half finger brown head slowly rises and slowly recedes. This can is a good 10 months old, so a little expected the carbonation is not jumping right out of the can and the flavours likely have mellowed.

Aromas of nicely roasted malt, a little nutty, the nice strong alcohol heat tinges it throughout. Honestly, even bourbon aromas, some of that earthy wooden smells, accompanying vanilla. The aroma is great and more complex than just this but I’ll move on to the taste. Oh, I personally actually get some earthy noble hop aromas as well through here, ‘noble’ with that spicy herbal clean smell.

Wow, maybe the can being a bit aged has mellowed this out and brought out some great complex flavours. Taste follows the aromas of course, but new inflections are present here. Vanilla on the front and gentle cinnamon and general spice flavours are present, it says nowhere on the can if this beer is barrel aged, if it isn’t then wow! There are these wonderful barrel aged flavoured here, bourbon oak-y, with just a hint of smoke. Could come from just the high ABV% and bringing out the earthy flavour from the hop and malt choice, it is a Schwarzbier, I’m just very impressed. Chicory and licorice are present in good amounts as well on the spice end. Dark fruits such as a nice bitter prune and dried raisins. A little bit of coffee (I think the age of the can has mellowed this particular flavour, as it’s throughout the beer but very muted). Sweetness that is more molasses than brown sugar, tamed by a mix of earthy spicy hops bitterness and the bitterness that comes from the darker malts (that burnt kind of bitterness) makes for a wonderful mix and balance.

Medium-light bodied, slightly slower than average/moderate carbonation (likely due to the age of the can), the ABV% is well integrated, it’s present but not hot or fusel-like. The body is not quite slick or oily, but heavier than typical lagers, giving it a nice feel. I think it’s well rounded in contrast to the other reviews, but again I don’t know if I’m getting a different experience with my can being almost a year old.

To sum, either this can is from a new bottling that is slightly different to the original batches others had, or cellaring this for a year really allows certain flavourful elements to shine, but I found this quite a remarkable, well rounded, not at all bland experience whatsoever. If anything, this is one of the deeper schwarzbiers I’ve ever had and one of the best new world German styled beers I’ve had the pleasure of drinking!
Jul 03, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by Griffith from Connecticut

May 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by elamb106 from New York

Jan 23, 2019
Photo of cyrenaica
Reviewed by cyrenaica from Canada (ON)

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
600ml bottle
7.2% ABV
C’est What? (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
November 16, 2012
$12.99
Shared with a friend. The beer poured a coca-cola colour with a brown head. Aroma was roasted malt, coffee, and some molasses. Mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavour was well balanced between the coffee roastiness and the molasses sweetness.
Mar 29, 2018
Photo of TheBierdimpfe
Reviewed by TheBierdimpfe from Canada (QC)

3.74/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Would not recommend to serve this in a pils glass, better in a tulip. Almost opaque black color with a faint copper hue, and some kind of moderate Guinness construction effect with a very fine line definition. Creamy and frothy light brown 3-4 finger head, lasting around 10-15 minutes, with good legs. Flavors of coffee, chocolate, toffee, raisins, prunes, liquorice, vanilla, dark malts and herbal hops. Slick light oily medium body with a light crisp. Strong strength finish, quite roasted and earthy, including brown sugar and cinnamon. It's packed with flavors and balanced nicely. Feels more like a mellow Russian stout than a typical more delicate Schwarzbier. Got a light barrel effect, and a bit smokey. I like the intensity, it's not quite accessible from the thick tongue coat, yet it remains pleasant by being decently fresh. Good warmth and filling, though the body is a bit bland and not well rounded enough. Also a tad too much boozy. Overall high quality craft.
Jul 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.77 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Jun 29, 2017
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.84/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
600 mL bottle. Black body with a little transparency. Smells very nutty with roasted malts and some milk chocolate. Tastes much the same. Milk chocolate more prominent, nutty malts behind it with a bit of caramel sweetness. Roasty finish, but mostly sweet. Medium bodied. Pretty sweet, but tasty.
May 20, 2017
Photo of papposilenus
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
From a 600ml bottle dated 11/02/16 so, what, about 2/3's of the way through its projected life expectancy? Served in a pilsner glass.

Pours opaque mahogany-black with just a suggestion of honey-gold highlights along the margins. An enormous foamy cloud of coffee-coloured head lasts and lasts, finally settling into a solid cap with generous streaks of lacing.

A substantial nose of roasted-toasted chicory and acorns, earthy minerals and dried flowers.

Taste follows the nose so precisely there is no need to repeat - it tastes just like it smells with, maybe, a little plum and mocha java stirred in. Finishes clean, dry and mildly astringent with just a lingering hint of bitter chicory on the palate.

Feel is remarkably crisp and clean for such a medium-hefty-bodied, malty beverage. Maybe a little over-carbonated, but easy drinking regardless.

Overall, a well-brewed delicious and substantial schwartzbier which, I think, steps over the boundary into porter territory in many respects - not that I'm complaining, because I'm not. Treacherously easy to drink; I was going to have half the bottle and then go do some work but, instead, I'm going to finish the bottle and maybe dick around for a while. Good stuff.
May 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Mar 19, 2017
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.84/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
600ml bottle - any beer with a Spaceballs reference (enhanced by an umlaut, at that) is a-ok by me! Part of the Best of Beau's mixed-pack.

This beer pours a pretty solid black, with subtle red cola basal edges, and four fingers of puffy, rocky, and chunky beige head, which leaves a bit of spectral webbed lace around the glass as it slowly and evenly subsides.

It smells of bittersweet cocoa powder, bready and doughy caramel malt, some free-range ashiness, oily nuts, black licorice root, and a plain earthy, leafy, and gently spicy hop bitterness. The taste is dark-roasted, bready and grainy caramel malt, medium-sweet chocolate, vanilla, sugary Scandinavian anise candies, a mildly milky coffee essence, some pithy bar-top nuttiness, and more understated leafy, spicy, and herbal hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its merely supportive frothiness, the body a sturdy middleweight, and mostly smooth, with a nice creaminess evolving as things warm up a tad. It finishes well off-dry, the cocoa, caramel, licorice, and vanilla parrying the fading verdant hop bitters.

Overall, this is one engaging and enjoyable 'Imperious' version of the style, with the near 15-proof alcohol measure held back by a force field, or something. Easy to drink, nice and warming (behind the scenes, as noted), and worth checking out, even if you don't find things like 'Pizza the Hutt' to be particularly amusing. Ha ha! YouTube, here I come!
Jan 18, 2017
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

4.09/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Service: Bottle
Bottled: Nov-9-2016 (They also have a new, cool little gauge that tells you the beer's life in months when stored at 5ºC. Really cool idea!)


A:
Pours black as pitch with three fingers of stryofoam-tight mocha head, that gloppy droops to a half inch cap that sticks around. Very good retention, swoopy lacing hills. (4.25)

S:
Black bread, light roast, roast nuts, a spicy/herbal hop twang, burnt toast. (4)

T:
Similar to the smell, beyond toasty malt but barely, charred hazelnut, a touch of dried dark fruits, hard water, woodsy hop whiff. (4)

M:
Full bodied, thick, clean(!), medium carbonation, slight astringency. (4.25)

O:
Literally a big schwartz that proves they know how to...brew. Nicely done! But the beauty is, despite any name gimmick, it is a damn fine beer on its own (as per usual from Beau's).
Basically a standard swartzbier that is a little thicker, boozier and develops an Imperial Stout roast finish as you drink it. Hence the style tweak. It looks lovely, smells like rich bread and roast grain. The flavor is a plunge into the spectrum of malt between Vienna malt and whatever you use in RISs (read: toasty to roasty/burnt). It also has that lovely German feeling: practically drinks itself, rich, substantial, shows a unified front, all parts are complimentary to each other and the whole, etc. It gets a little sticky and there is a touch of astringency that I could maybe do without, but all in all this was a very good beer, I will definitely pick up another couple bottles. It is such a treat to have well-made German styles up here it makes me giddy as a schoolgirl. (4.25)
Jan 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by tyronegangsta from Canada (ON)

Jan 13, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)

Jan 12, 2017
Photo of slacker79
Reviewed by slacker79 from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
600 ml bottle, like all theirs.
nice good color with a roasty aroma
A little light maybe on the mouthfeel
Tastes as you would expect from a schwarzbier with a touch of alcohol warmth.
Can probably drink a couple before you know it.
Dec 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.07 by Jerk_Store from Canada (QC)

Nov 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.02 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Nov 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.01 by ikidunot from Canada (ON)

Aug 23, 2016
Photo of TheHammer
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)

3.71/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Poured with over three fingers of head that ended up overflowing the glass after a fairly light pour job. Laced like crazy while the head stuck around for a modest period of time. The body is an opaque black. The carbonation needs some reigning in.

Smell: Burnt malt with a coffee background and notes of black licorice. Warming doesn't seem to really help or hinder it here.

Taste: Starts with a reigned in molasses and coffee taste that turns to more cocoa and caramel taste and ends with a dusting of herbal hops, which regrettably seem to carry with it a bit of a black licorice punch that I don't find at all desirable. I'm gonna give it some slack though, as I really don't like black licorice.

Mouthfeel: Has a creaminess that I expect from Stouts, however from my understanding Schwarzbier should be a bit more fizzy. The transitioning in the beer is good, but out of nowhere, a black licorice aftertaste seems to make itself known, lingering for far too long.

Drinkability: It's like a slightly lighter porter, which I suppose is the right track here but I expected it to be a bit lighter. It has a refreshing quality to it and for the most part is easy on the system. I think it would make a great early fall drinker.

Final Thoughts: For the most part this was a positive experience, but I'm left wondering why they didn't just brew a stout? It seems like they are trying to get all of the flavour and richness of a stout, and plugging it into a crisper (albeit bitter) lager style. It just strikes me that the brewer, might have fallen back on what they know works for a dark beer in general and less so for this style. Also, the heavy licorice taste I could do without. Either way though, it's good and worth a try for sure. Thumbs Up.
Jan 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by MJ63 from Canada (ON)

May 07, 2015
Wild Oats Series No. 23 - Dark Helmüt from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 60 ratings