Make The Cut: Schwarzbier (Salute Your Schwarz)
14th Star Brewing Co.

 

 

On tap at The Reservoir. This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a dark brown color with a nice level off white foamy head that dissipated at a nice pace. Light lacing clung nicely to the sides of the glass. The smell takes on some roasty coffee and chocolate malts bringing in some bready malts. The taste copies the aroma nicely allowing the German lager yeast to work it’s magic in the aftertaste (that long bready/biscuitiness normally associated with the style). Quick wet finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body. Makes for a great session. Carbonation yields a nice low key feel allowing an easy drinking session all around. Overall, definitely one of the better darker beers by this company. I’d have this again.

 

 

 

 

Got this as an extra in a trade. Didn't even know what it was till I popped it open. Not my usual style but it's not bad. Pours like black coffee with a thick head that disappears almost instantly. Not a ton of aroma. Taste is smoke, coffee and a bit of caramel. Overall an interesting beer. Might enjoy it more on a cool fall night than in the August heat.

A friend got me this winner of the brewerie's Make the Cut homebrew challenge, so I'm curious to see why this is the best homebrew of the year in Vermont.

It pours very dark brown with almost no head or lacing. Right off the bat, some hops are coming in faintly from a distance, but as I get my nose closer, we're getting some smoke, roasted malts, coffee, a little bitter and just a hint of sour.

The flavor tastes all these to the next level. Strange combination of smokey, bitter start, mildly sour/funky vinegar middle, and back to a lightly bitter end. Slight acidic zing lingers on my tongue afterwards. Has the crispness of a black lager and the light body with light/medium carbonation. Overall, it's interesting enough to be worth tasting, but nothing I'd want to drink a ton of, and nothing I can see being a huge hit anytime soon, if only because of the odd, conflicting flavors. I'm actually a little surprised that this is the best that Vermont homebrewers could do this year.

 

 

So, this is the winner of the Make The Cut homebrew competition. I didn't get to sample the runner-up.

Pours a decent blackish-brown with a decent head that fades.

Cocoa, light roasted coffee and vanilla are prominent in the nose. I am not sure if it even uses vanilla but that's what my nose tells me and it doesn't lie.

Creamy at first, giving way to a pronounced dose of cocoa in the middle. A touch of dark fruit too.

Clean finish with cocoa, vanilla cream and dark fruit all lingering at the back.

You can hardly tell that this is a Schwarzbier. Drinks like a milk stout. Not necessarily a bad thing either as there is a dearth of fresh schwarzbiers on the shelves. It even works in this heat as long as you're keeping cool. I like it. I personally want to brew something better for next year's version of the Make The Cut competition.

 

Actual name of this beer is Salute Your Schwarz. 16 oz. can. Pours dark brown with clarity if light is provided. Aroma to me seems traditional to the style. Mild levels of dark bread, dark sweetness, roast and caramel. Flavor has a sort of sweet pumpernickel flavor to it. Some roasted malt, caramel, brown sugar & cocoa. Finishes sweet with a mild lager yeast dowry. Light bodied but the body has some texture. I never get excited about trying this style but am usually fairly pleased once I'm drinking it. This fits into my general feeling about the style. Also cool that they canned a homebrew recipe that won a competition.

Picked up a single can at the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski on brewfest weekend. Poured into a tall tulip glass. Pours a slightly translucent dark, dark brown, almost black, with a finger of white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving little on the glass. The aroma is roasty dark malts with just a hint of hop. Taste follows with a mellow dark roastiness, followed by a soft and just slightly bitter finish. Mouth is medium-thin, nicely carbed, somewhat dry, clean and refreshing for a dark beer. Overall, an enjoyable 'lite' version of a dark beer, and definitely something the homebrewer should be proud of. Somewhat reminds me of dark Lowenbrau from the 70's.