Smoked Black Lager
Craftsman Brewing Co.

 

 

It's back for 2014. On tap at Tiger Tiger in San Diego, which always seems to have a couple or more Craftsman brews.

Dark and nicely sudsy in the half-litre nonic. The smoke is really quite mild. It's more like the best Swartzbier you ever had. Some malty sweetness, a kiss of hops, and all all very refreshing. This makes me think that all the attention to dark beers lately has swung to the imperial stout end and not much notice of delicious quaffable brews like this one.

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Surly Goat in West Hollywood, CA.

Pours a clear dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasted malt, caramel, fruits, and some slight smoke aromas. Taste is of roasted malt, smoked malt, and some campfire smoke flavors. There is a mild amount of roasty 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 good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Black but not quite opaque. Beige head without much lacing.

Smell: Burnt toast, fireplace.

Taste: Very understated sweetness, blended with the roastiness of the malt. The smoke comes up at the end, but is never overpowering. It actually hit the back of my throat almost like something spicy.

Mouthfeel: The body was fairly light, but the smoke rounded out the experience... in my mouth.

I'm always down for the smokey ones. The pint I had was super fresh, and the smoke was subtle enough that I could enjoy a few of these without getting burnt out (genuinely unintentional lame pun. Forgive me, world!)

On-tap at Lucky Baldwin's

A: The pour is a brownish color with a bit of off-white/khaki head.

S: Oh lord, this beer smells like sulfurous farts. Rotten eggs, salt, burnt rubber, and sweaty, dirty feet.

T: Once I was able to get passed the aroma, I found sulfur, pretzels, salt, chocolate and spoiled eggs. It's not quite as bad as the nose, but that is really no consolation.

M: The body is medium and there is a moderate level of carbonation.

D: No, just no. I know I'm not the biggest smoked beer person, but what's wrong with this beer is not even the smoke (especially since I don't notice any).

On-tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood. Served in a nonic. Unknown ABV (though probably around 5.5%?).

Seal brown, though not quite opaque liquid is topped by a delicate oily skin of beige foam. A fine collar sticks around, but overall head retention is average at best.

Smoke is subtle and about equal with the low level of diacetyl going on in the nose. Light wheat bread, vaguely roasted malt, clean malt, and not much else.

Buttered bread, a whisper of smoke, faint roast malt, foaint hops, pale malt. Profile is a bit incoherent - this is no where near as integrated as a proper schwarzbier.

Medium-light bodied, well carbonated, smooth, and a touch watery.

Drinkability is hindered by the diacetyl. Overall brings to mind a tasty yet mediocre home-brew - not Craftsman's shining moment here...

Tap @ Hamilton's. Pours dark, dark brown with red edges and a short, off-white head. Smoky, chocolate nose with a grain background. Watery, loose mouthfeel and a bitter finish. Pleasant somked malt flavor with an equally nice cocoa back. Again, there was a graininess throughout. Still, it was easiyl drinkable and overall was a nice beer.

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, on to the beer:

Opaque appearance with a bone-white head that has good retention to it. At first, there wasn;t much to smell besides water-logged grain, but as it warmed up, baker's chocolate was noticed. To the taste, there was some banana and roasted character to it. Coffee emerges as the beer warms. Heck, the beer in general got better as it warmed, as it allowed some of the good flavors to emerge. Still, a little more muscle in this brew could do wonders. Average when cold, pretty tasty as it warmed.

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours more dark red than black actually, with a small off-white head, good retention.

S: Light smoke, charcoal, roasted malt, fire.

T: Good black lager base, roasted malts, coffee, smoke is not overt, well in the background, bit of sweetness at the end, nice that its not overly charcoal, burnt malt bitter.

M: Light, somewhat watery, oily, needs more body in my opinion.

D: Another good beer from Craftsman, not a must try though, I think it would work well with smoked foods, to bad I didn't order any.

A: Inky black, the color of charcoal. Has some translucency though. Head is decent, a medium toasted cashew color.

S: Campfire, vanilla, bitter chocolate, chestnut and olive oil.

T: Begins lightly smoked, but not as much as the smell would let on. Quite nutty and highly roasted, almost charred. Bit of dried cocoa mingles with spicy hops. Finishes dry and woody.

M: Medium body with a lot of carbo sting.

D: Good but I’m not taken by it. Surprisingly didn’t got well with my cheese plate.