Chiemsee Dark
Camba Bavaria

 

Pours a clear, deep, dark mahogany coloration with a reddish sheen when held up to the light and a medium, fluffy head. Smells of roasted, slightly caramelly malt, chocolate and coffee, as well as some herbal hops. Taste is an excellent balance of roasted, caramel malt and herbal, earthy hops, with notes of chocolate, coffee and just a hint of licorice and tobacco. Finished with a medium bitterness and some roasted malt, coffee and licorice lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

This makes for a very nice Schwartzbier that easily plays in the same league as Köstritzer and Störtebeker, two of the finest example of the style in my opinion. This one is quite roasted, dry and bitter, with little sweetness coming through and more of a focus on coffee than chocolate, with those light licorice and tobacco notes fitting the overall flavor profile rather well. Feels rather dry as well, which I really like. This might actually be my new favorite example of the style, due to it's focus on roasted, bitter notes and dry character. Too bad it's nowhere near as available as the other two, which are already not that widely available.