Ghost Stories
Burlington Beer Co.

Sampling at the brewery.
Pours a clear medium mahogany.
Smokiness dominates the smell.
Mouth feel somewhat watery.
Taste dominated by Smoke. Some hints of malt.
Weird bitter aftertaste .

Appearance:
Pours an inky, near-black body with full opacity—light doesn’t pass through this one. A creamy, tan head forms at about a finger’s height, showing decent retention before settling into a thin, steady cap. The foam leaves light tracing around the glass. Visually striking and true to style.

Aroma:
The scent opens with roasty malt notes—mild but present—highlighting dark chocolate, subtle toffee, and a faint wisp of campfire ash. Some pours suggest hints of leather or tobacco, adding earthy complexity. While some expected more smoke, the aroma keeps things restrained and clean, offering just a gentle nod to roasted elements rather than overwhelming with it.

Flavor:
The flavor profile leans into roasted malt, bittersweet cocoa, and just a trace of char. Subtle smoky elements come through more as dry fireplace ash than deep wood smoke, giving the beer more of a schwarzbier character than a full-on rauchbier. Hints of licorice and grilled meat peek through, adding depth, while a touch of bitterness balances out the smooth malt sweetness. The finish is dry, with roasted edges lingering softly.

Mouthfeel:
Medium to full-bodied with a silky, lightly oily texture that coats the tongue. Carbonation is minimal but appropriate, allowing the malt complexity to take center stage. It’s smooth overall but carries a slight bite on the finish—enough to keep it engaging without being harsh.

Overall Impression:
As a black lager, this one delivers: rich malt flavor, a clean fermentation profile, and just enough complexity to be interesting without losing drinkability. While the beer hints at being smoked, the smoke presence is subtle—more of a background player than a headline act. Those seeking a true rauchbier may find it underwhelming in that regard, but as a refined schwarzbier with a smoky twist, it works well.

Final Rating: 4.0/5 – Smooth, roasty, and well-crafted. Not heavily smoked, but a strong black lager with enough character to stand out.

 

Dark black color. Minimum carbonation. Big notes of chocolate. Almost a tobacco and leather taste to it. Smooth on the finish but it’s got some bite to it.

Dark, nearly black pour, opaque in the glass; respectable head, light khaki color, generally one-finger thick with fair retention and longevity. Very mild chocolate and toffee notes in the smell; dark chocolate. Fair presence of dark malts; mild bitter chocolate; faint sense of ash. Excellent mouthfeel; dense and silky; lightly oily.

For a black lager, this beer is really good, but it trumpets it's smoke character and I find barely anything resembling that, perhaps a bit of fireplace ash. Great for being a black lager, pretty so-so for having any smoked beer qualities.

ABV: 5%; pouring temperature: 41.5 °F; canning info: 10/17/2024
Source: Tavour

16oz can from Tavour. Black pour, beige foamy head. Smoky aroma, ashy. Taste is roasty with light smooth smoky notes, equal parts schwarzbier and rauchbier. Really nice.

Can. Near black with lasting dense head. Woody smoky chocolate aroma. Very sweet chocolatey even for style with woody hop finish. Nice light slick body per style but probably too sweet to session.

Appearance - The beer was black in color with a bubbly tan head topping the glass.

Smell - Smoke rose from the glass, meeting the expectations of the style.

Taste - Smoke, black licorice, chocolate, and grilled steak made the initial taste. The profile leaned toward dryness. The char lingered to the smokey finish.

Mouthfeel - Being full bodied allowed the smoke to linger.

Overall - This hit the marks for the style.