Celestial Meridian
Base Camp Brewing Company

 

12oz can labeled Celestial Col, but sounds the same as this, with can text saying Cascadian Dark Lager using Meridian hops, ABV 5.1%. No date code but can has an embossed 0 followed by an underlined 9, on the bottom. Dark brown showing some light around the edges, with a good head that dissipates. Smell is a nice roast malt and chocolate. Taste is roasted malt, some dark bitter chocolate and some hoppy flavors in the background. Feel is good, smooth with moderate carbonation. Overall, this is an enjoyable dark beer, clean taste with roast malt flavors and some good hops in the background.

 

 

 

L: Pours brilliant dark chestnut brown under a 3” lacy, rocky, persistent tan head that takes over 5 minutes to reduce to 1/3 its original size.
S: Has a clean fermentation character with light roast, faint chocolate, nothing burnt or harsh, very faint hop aromas.
T: Kicks off with a light malty sweetness that segues to a mildly grainy tartness near the finish. Has a mild dark malt character throughout that melds nicely with a bitter hop accent on the finish.
F: Clean, smooth and creamy with a medium body and medium carbonation.
O: Base Camp nails the Schwartzbier character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a good beer taken alone, but not true to style being quite hoppy and bitter. I'm not too keen on a black lager with a lingering hop bitterness in the finish either.

 

12 ounce can into lager glass, no can dating. Pours lightly hazy very dark brown color with a 2 finger dense and rocky tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Dense soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Incredible appearance. Aromas of big lemon zest, orange peel, peach, mango, strawberry, pineapple, light pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, floral, grass, and roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/tropical hops and roast/bready malt notes; with good strength. Taste of big lemon zest, orange peel, peach, mango, strawberry, pineapple, pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, floral, grass, and roasted earthiness. Moderate amount of pine/roast/charred bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon/orange zest, peach, mango, strawberry, pineapple, pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, smoke, char, and floral/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/tropical/piney hops and roast/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Good amount of dryness from bitterness as well. Very clean on lager flavors with zero yeast ester notes present. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately sticky, and lightly bready/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish as expected of 5.1%. Overall this is an outstanding Black IPL style. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/tropical/piney hops and roast/bready malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A highly enjoyable offering.