American Black Lager
War Horse Brewing Company

If you're in the mood for Porter flavor with a light body, this is one of my favorites. I don't understand why Black Lagers aren't brewed more often, I actually think these schwarzbiers are better than most black IPA's. It's hard to visit Three Brothers and not come away with a Growler of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: It has a nice jet black color to it. It has a nice thick mocha head that dies down moderately slow and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of roasted malts, chocolate and an almost cigarette like smokiness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a roasty malt character with some chocolate/coffee notes and some molasses.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a decent overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavors and aromas.
Not something I would try again.

Big thanks to my brother for hooking me up with a bomber of this after his recent trip to the finger lakes. Poured into a matching war hourse mug, this brew appears dark brown in color. Some clarity is seen around the edges when held to the light. A creamy tan cap sits atop the brew and leaves some webby lacing effect on the glass,

The smell is a pleasant mixture of coffee and sweet milk chocolate.  This actually caught me off guard. There was no mineral aspect to be found like a typical example of the style. Seemingly no hop inclusion or alcohol to be eithet. Just straight, mild dark grainy quality with a fresh seemingly sweet touch somewhat atypical but enjoyable for the style.

The taste continues with the flavor of milk chocolate, coffee and roasty grain. A bit of raisins to fruity alcohol quality almost like plums. The bitterness here is quite low-key seemingly coming only from the roast of the grain. The finish lacks that snap of crispness indicative of the style. However, it also lacks the mineral quality sometimes associated which is nice.

This is a medium bodied brew that is smooth and easy drinking. It displays a modest amount of carbonation a for the most part is crisp and clean without fault or off-character. At times I almost feel like this isnt really a lager but more like a weak milk stout. Regardless, I was appreciative to give it a try.

 

 

 

 

Poured from a growler into a 16oz plastic cup on location at the Warhorse Brewery on Seneca Lake just outside of Geneva, NY. This beer along with the IPA were my two favorites from the brewery.

A: Dark brown in color. Aggressive pour led to a fluffy 3 finger frappucino colored head. Strong lacing stuck to the cup throughout the entire time of the drink.

S: Coffee, licorice, toasted malt. Very strong, very nice smell to it.

T: Followed the nose but added some cocoa as well. The coffee was super-subtle but still a welcome addition to a beer called a lager.

M: A bit lighter than I would expect from the color but just about right on given the fact that it's a lager. Nice bitterness adds to a pretty complex beer.

O: A very solid, very complex beer from a tiny little brewery (which is more of a winery) and one that I would definitely get again.

Got this from India Pale Ale, cheers Russell!

Pours an effervescent mahogany with 3 fingers of mocha colored head. Below average head retention & average lacing

S: A touch of dark fruit & licorice

T: Follows the nose, plus a touch of baker's chocolate & a touch of iron up front. Some plum notes, charred wet grain & dryness as this warms & wisp of coffee once this warms. Finishes dry with more coffee & charred wet grain

MF: Medium bodied, firm carbonation

Drinks easy, an alright take on the style, doesn't quite pull together for greatness

A 650 mL bomber purchased at the War Horse Compound outside Geneva, NY.

A: The schwarzbier is appropriately black, a full black coffee or cola color that is brown on closer inspection. A finger or two, depending on the force of the pour, of lightly tanned head slowly bubbles away.

S: The nose combines starchy Baltic porter aromas with coffee and chocolate. The resulting body is full but not heavy. A streak of hops, earthy, cuts through the roasted malt aromas.

T: The schwarzbier doesn't shy away from the darker flavors, revelling in its roasted side. Cocoa and burnt toast drive the depth without allowing the body to get out of hand. There are some off-flavors, a metallic taste that quickly disappears. The cocoa powder flavor and coffee stand out over the other aspects. A decent schwarzbier although I liked better on tap.

M: The mouthfeel, despite the off-flavors, has a nice ring to it. The malts are smooth and there are no strong flavors to push the taste edge.

D: A good bomber. The rich coffee and chocolate flavor keep me coming back. War Horse, and Three Brothers by proxy, have a nice set-up on Seneca Lake.

An absolutely outstanding beer from the tiny brewery on Seneca Lake. More like a porter, it's dominated by coffee malt, with chocolate and a nice hoppy bitterness coming in behind. I sampled this one with all of the other offerings at a tasting, and this was by far the best of the bunch. I bought a growler on the spot, and finished it that night with some family and friends. The brewmaster seemed very proud of his American Black, and I think I know why.

The pilsner glass is overwhelmed by three to four fingers of frothy, mocha head. Meanwhile, a black, coca cola beer has an auburn halo when put to a light. Once the head finally begins to settle, it deposits tremendous sticky lace.

Sweet, cocoa beans and citrus aromas do battle in the olfactory with dark chocolate and rich black coffee settling the score.

Some burnt malt and toast lead while a long, strong burnt bitterness dominates the finish. Black coffee is less impressive than found in the aroma. This beer is an oddity as it is better from the growler than memory has it from the tap.

This light body Black Lager is almost palate-cleansing in its dryness.

This one has no lacking for character and is easily approachable as a session beer. These attributes make for a real winner.

This may be my favorite offering from Custom Brewcrafters so far, even though it's listed under the Barley Yards name. EDIT - War Horse was previously contract brewed by Custom Brewcrafters under the name Barley Yards. Custom Brewcrafters is now known as CB's.