Fekete
Békésszentandrási Serfőzde (Agro Flott Bt.)

 

"Szent Andras Fekete" Tradicioalis Baksor. Hungarian Craft Beer. 7% ABV. www.szentandrassorfozde.hu .5l brown glass bottle with classy label acquired at Good Beer Only! and served into a Primator pilsner glass there. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average.

Served chilled - straight from their cooler - and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: 2 fingers wide. Khaki in colour. Nice complexion and consistency. Decent creaminess and thickness. Nice retention - about 5 minutes. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Opaque dark black. Not quite a solid or jet black. Clean; no yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Overall, it's a pretty appealing brew within its style, but this appearance is not unique or special. I don't notice any egregious flaws. I'm optimistic.

AROMA: Coffee, replete with some buried roast and a hint of acrid bitterness. Chocolate malt. Dark malts/schwarz malts. Cream. Dark bread. A faint wisp of cocoa dust. A dab of plum fruit as well. Maybe cherry and fig on the fringe.

Overall, it's a pleasant aroma with surprising complexity - particularly where the fruit is concerned. I worry about the bitterness of the coffee, but hopefully the sweetness of the equally subtle fruit will balance it. Mild in strength. Becomes a real treat as it warms.

There's no yeast character, overt alcohol, or off-character. I hope the fruit won't end up tasting artificial and/or syrupy...

TASTE/TEXTURE: Hmm. The fruit does veer briefly into lightly syrupy/artificial territory, but returns to genuine sticky mashed fruit by the third act. While the fruit is most prominent in the first act, it quickly hands the torch over to the surprisingly subtly integrated dark and schwarz malts, which provide the unobtrusive foundation for this well-rounded beer.

It's not as bready and filling as the aromatics might suggest, but make no mistake - it's got plenty of heft and weight on the palate, as well as a plump medium-bodied feel which lends the beer a strong assertive presence without ever letting it become overbearing. Wetness/dryness balance is near perfect, as is coarseness/smoothness, with enough dryness and coarseness to coax out impressive depth of flavour but enough smoothness and wetness to prevent it from dragging or feeling rough on the palate. Maybe it could be creamier and softer, and maybe it could be a biteen less thick and syrupy, but overall this texture is apt for the style and suits this flavour profile well. I suppose it's slightly overcarbonated if we're nitpicking.

Aptly, there's no noticeable yeast character. It disguises its 7% ABV well, but it's not completely invisible. There are no egregious off-notes, though some discerning drinkers might be a bit bothered by the slightly syrupy fruit notes.

Duration and intensity of flavour are average. It boasts some impressive subtlety and nuance, as well as respectable intricacy for the style. I like it.

OVERALL: More of a sipper than I anticipated, but certainly drinkable; I'll enjoy finishing the bottle. It's a pleasant surprise of a Hungarian craft beer and one I'd return to when seeking a combination of a dark malt build and some mildly dark fruit. It's definitely distinctive, though perhaps not unique, and sets itself apart from the country's status quo. I think the discerning drinker would enjoy this brew, but it's far from world-class. Interesting, certainly, and absolutely worth trying. Perhaps more of a winter beer.

High B-