Nightmare Cyclist
Wander Brewing

16oz can pours a deep brown-black with a decent cap of light tan head that fades to a ring around the edge. Smell is roasted malts and a little bit of a wood note. The taste is surprisingly rich, tons of bready malts and dark fruit notes with some of that roasty edge, but little to no burnt flavor. Light to medium body with moderate carbonation mouthfeel, little hop bitterness, and a slightly sweet finish that brings you back for another sip.

Pretty damn good beer, would buy again.

 

16oz can from Tavour. Near black pour, small, creamy beige head. Roasty malts aroma, chocolate, cola. Taste is light roasty bitterness, mild sweetness. Simple and very well done

Pours a dark brown, near black, with long-lasting off-white foam in the Stout glass. Mouthfeel is lush and sudsy. Aroma of roasted grain. Flavor is warm and malty with deep roasted malt. There's a touch of burnt grain in the finish and a modest hoppy bitterness. If think this is one of the best Schwarzbiers I"ve had. Most of them seem so watery. Very thirst-quenching besides all the flavor. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. No apparent date.

Poured from a 16oz can bought on site dated 10/26/21 into hefe glass.

L: SRM 39/40. Little mousse head formed and quickly dissipated. Active carbonation.

S: Black licorice, chocolate and dark toast. Apparent hop addition but minimal.

T: Stronger on the aftertaste than foretaste. A mash of woodgrain and fecund soil meet the tongue then are washed away by surprising carbonation. Resolves into bitter chocolate and heavy black licorice.

F: Crispy and light in texture, hefty in flavor. Reasonable carbonation and bite. Mouthcoating but drinkable.

All in all, Nightmare Cyclist drinks like a bigger winter ale and less like a summertime dark alternative. I could see this being a great Fall time beer when squeezing the last couple miles in before the snows. It does not adequately meet the qualifications of a Schwarzbier, however.

Pours a dark mahogany brown with a cream light tan head that provides some lacing. It LOOKS like a winter beer, and it smells like a winter beer, with a smoky, roasty char aroma that IS this beer. There’s also the slightest hint of grass.

The roasty char flavor is the dominant flavor, and it definitely has a smoky quality, but I also get a bit of grass mixed in that works really well, and probably helps with the crisp mouthfeel, because if the mouthfeel wasn’t as crisp as it is and went toward the creamy side, I’d say this is more porter than Schwarzbier.

This is a really nice, lighter dark beer that is perfect for the winter months, IMHO.

16oz can (dated 10/26/21) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a very lightly translucent black color with just under an inch of tan head that low-moderate retention and almost no lacing.

Medium roast at the front of the nose, much more than typical for the style, with light malt and hops in the background.

Similar on the tongue, with the roast being even stronger.

The body was light and smooth, with a semi-dry finish.

Drinkability was fine, and if you like strong roast, you'll like it.

Overall, there's a good base here. Tone down the roast a bit, and this brew would be much improved.