Schwarzbier
Prost Brewing Co. - Denver

 

a very solid take on the style, a little muddled perhaps, without the depth and layering i like in one of these, but its well made beer and drinks easy for its dark color. i get a nice roast to the dark brown beer with chestnut edges, dry cocoa and wet soil, organic and hearty, almost fire roasted, appealing and not at all bitter. a distinctly german character to the grain too, a little dusty and old worldy, nutty and full, even a crackery pils element, that cereal thing happening in the middle. i wish i could taste more of the lager yeast, its such a distinct ingredient for prost lagers, and i want to be able to appreciate it a little more here without having to go look for it, and not just because this isnt dry enough, but because the yeast is really minimal in the flavor mix. its a little sweeter at the end than i like in the style, a little tired tasting now, but professionally crafted and a faithfully authentic rendition of a schwarzbier. prost remains underrated in the denver beer scene...

edit: more than seven years later i am having this again, cool they are canning it now, and i think its no secret how far these guys have come since then, like the whole new brewery and high tech approach to these lagers, and this is a no doubt improved specimen from what i had so long ago now, its so smooth, aerated and creamy to me, roasty and dry, with cocoa and tree bark and volcanic earthiness, a little chocolate malt richness in the center, a kiss of smoke but so subtle there, and clean on the swallow with definitely more fermentation character than i could appreciate the first time. raising a few scores, this has to be as well as anyone domestically is doing in this style, very impressive what prost has become, their beer quality is first rate! perfect fall drinker, super highly refined, technically masterful!