Luggage Combination
2nd Shift Brewing

From a tall aluminum can, this beer has a completely black complexion with a tan head. The aroma has a roasted grain note. I don't get coffee and chocolate in high concentration, but rather roasted grain. The taste is quite dry. Attenuated roasted flavors, mild bittering hops, medium body. Straightforward Schwarzbier.

 

Sampling a 16 oz can poured into my .5L dimple mug at cellar temp. Packaged on 11/17/2023 according to date stamp.
Beer pours a dark cola brown with a creamy khaki colored head of 1 cm. this foam fades to a thin surface covering soon after the pour. Some scattered lattice on swirls or sips.
Aroma is some roasted malts some dark chocolate and a little bit earthy hops. No hint of abv. nose is spot on for the style.
First sip reveals a light to medium body with very fine carbonation that gently rolls across my palate. Pretty easy drinking beer on physical traits.
Flavor is following the nose advertisements with roasted malt, some light coffee and dark chocolate and a bit of burnt note. Mostly roast and dark chocolate carrying the profile. No abv and hints of earthy hops linger after each swallow.
Very easy drinking and tasty schwarzbier.
glad to have had the opportunity to try this one.

16oz can pours a very dark brown inclining to black with a dense cap of light brown-colored foam that fades down to a thick ring while leaving plenty of lacing. Smells of dark, roasty malts with hints of dark chocolate and coffee. Rich and robust flavor of roasty dark malts, dark chocolate, coffee, syrup, and a light burnt malt note. Mild sweetness, moderate bitterness, light-to-medium body, slightly bubbly but smooth carbonation mouthfeel, and a burnt/bitter aftertaste.

This was an excellent Schwarzbier, and probably one of the best I've had in the style. Many Schwarzbiers I've had tend to be too light and empty feeling or incline to far the other way and try to almost be a stout/porter. This one was very balanced on the flavors, bitterness, body, and mouthfeel. Sessionable but not watery, very flavorful but not overwhelming.

Canned 11/17/23; drank 1/2/24 @ the Yarchives.

Black/brown appearance.

A violent pour yielded a HUGE, noisy tan head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lacing remained.

Fresh earth, cream, mild milk chocolate & faint red berry notes in the nose.

Creamy medium mouthfeel.

Fresh earth & cream flavors up front; faint chocolate notes on the finish.

This smelled better than it tasted, but the luxurious mouthfeel helped bridge that gap.

 

16oz can. Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and toffee. Nice roasted taste with coffee, toasted caramel and some pine.

 

 

 

12 oz can, no date, into Snowman CHALICCCCEEEEE

Pours a dark brown, nearly chocolate color, with a creamy beige head of 2 fingers. Recedes to a thick ring leaving some lacing up the sides.

Aroma from the can is ash and burnt rye toast; aroma from the glass is rye toast, dark chocolate, and slight acetobacter.

Flavor is burnt toast with dark chocolate syrup on it, followed by charred toast ends, coffee grounds, grass, ash, and a hint of black licorice. They must have used real coffee, I can taste the berry twang in it.

Feel is wet to start, then wells up some medium level carbonation, dryness mid-palate, alcohol heat, and then some starch clinging to the gums. Both feet planted in the medium body category. Heat and dryness remain on the finish.

Overall not a great beer, though the taste was the best part. Probably the ash-iest, most brutal Schwarzbier I've ever had. Not smooth at all. Very intense. Edit : the 1 overall is for the brewery experience of requiring clot shot cards to sit in their establishment. I'll never again grace their doorways or buy their beer after this experience.

Price paid : $1.69 / can
Would buy again? : no

12oz undated can poured into willibecher glass at fridge temp 5% ABV per can. The beer pours very dark brown with minimal light penetration and tan colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. The aroma is mild with roasted malt presenting itself as coffee and earthy. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with a little tang and flavors of coffee and dark chocolate before a moderately bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good, not great. No real flaws to speak of, but the tang (think Guinness) is unexpected.