Schooner Black Lager
Mully's Brewery

From a can into a Pokal.
A very dark pour with an amber/ruby hue.
The thick head subsides and leaves some decent lacing. A supple inviting roasted grain aroma.
The dark roasted malt has a slight smoky flavor, the hops bitterness is very pleasant.
Medium bodied mouthfeel and a little sweet tang on the finish.
A very good Schwartzbier.

 

Pours a dark ruby color. The head is a finger high and mocha in shade. Retention isn't very good, but it features a creamy texture. Minimal lacing sticks to the glass.

The aroma is fairly straightforward yet satisfying. There are some nice notes of espresso, dark chocolate, and brown sugar in particular. There's also a smoky bend - hardly atypical to the style, but it seems bolder than usual (and that's good). Intriguing, yet bold for 5%.

There are initial flavors of dark chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar. Near the middle, a strong cream flavor shows up, backed by a touch of mint and other spices. It finishes with ever-so-slight hoppiness - just enough to balance things. The aroma's smokiness is more subdued, getting a little stronger as this opens up. There isn't much wow factor, but it's quite tasty yet style-appropriate.

Befitting a black lager, it's light, airy, and fizzy. Beyond the strong carbonation, it also features decently substantial body and good flavor duration. Even though it's just out of session range at 5%, I could genuinely session this.

I really enjoyed this one. It's not quite amazing, but it does make me crave another bottle (always a great thing). It hits all the textbook notes of a schwarzbier quite well, and I'd consider buying it again.

3.64/5: Truly a seaworthy vessel

This is the final of a Mully's sampler my wife picked up for me at a local farmer's market a few week's back. The other results were less than spectacular but I really like schwarzbiers and I was hoping this would be different. Big head that doesn't last plus the requisite chocolate and coffee in the nose.

Malty but balanced with some nice notes of roasted malt and coffee. I could use a little more body and thickness but the style is adhered to here, which is big with me. Not my favorite from the style but definitely the best Mully's that I have tried.