Black Lager | Urban Chestnut Brewing Company - Midtown Brewery & Biergarten

4.02/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark blackish brown color. Two finger dark tan head dissipates slowly but not completely. Thin velvety tan head lingers on top of the beer. Appearance is appropriate for the style.

Aroma has notes of dark bread, pumpernickel bread, strong grain notes, with an earthy hop note on the back end. The hops come through here a bit more strongly than some of the German examples Ive had but I think that is due to the freshness of this beer as opposed to the German examples.

Taste follows the nose with some dark bready malts up front. Mostly though there is a strong grainy aspect to the maltiness of the beer. Notes of dark fruits, cocoa, earthy hops and a touch of smoke. Very nicely done for the style.

Feel is lighter for the style - light to medium bodied. Sprightly carbonation. Light bitterness on the finish.

Overall, this is an exemplary example of the style - and I'd expect nothing less from UCBC.

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3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

God I love these cans that UCBC uses. This beer pours out almost as dark as the can its in, but with a smidgen of brown peaking around the edges, tan head with good retention and some spotty lacing. Smells like roasted malts, with the familiar coffee and chocolate notes and a touch of smokiness. Flavor has the same dark roasted notes but with some lighter, pilsner malts coming through that create a nice balance of malts. Both light and dark smashed together well. Medium bodied and very drinkable, this has quite a bit of presence both in feel and flavor considering the abv%. Interesting beer that works for me.

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3.74/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

3.79/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Black in color with some light seeping through the body. There’s a fingernail of beige on top. Moderate lacing. The aroma is of dark malt with a hint of smoke. I’m tasting dark malt with a nice roastiness and hint of smokiness. The body is smooth and quaffable.

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3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours black with two fingers of khaki foam that rises up fairly eagerly and disappears rather quick. Aroma is pilsner, bread, and toasted malts. Flavor profile is toasted, earth, nutted, caramel, and pilsner malts forming a flavor profile that comes off a little like a dark/brown ale mixed with a clear and clean pilsner. Makes for quite a mashup of maltiness. Mouth feel is a velvety and slightly crisp all within a medium thickness. Overall, an interesting mashup of malts to generate this beer. It may buy you credit from those drinking heavy stouts at the bar thanks to its appearance, all the while drinking like a beefy 5% ABV beer. It's a good beer though, just different from the norm in this style department.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 16oz can.

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4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

4.06/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

3.79/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

16oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It smelled of coffee, chocolate and toffee. Good roasted malt taste with mild bitterness and hints of sweet chocolate.

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