Succinct
Austin Street Brewery

 

 

 

 

Dark and opaque brown body; dense and creamy head, sculpted and sticky. Barely any aroma; a faint touch of sweetness and cocoa. Nice subdued dark sweetness; cocoa and a bit of milk chocolate; a touch of vanilla; slightly bitter but not too much. Medium body; smooth and glassy; silky; some dryness yet has a velvety sweetness throughout.

This schwarzbier hits the spot. There is nothing overboard here. Everything is pretty well balanced throughout. The only negative is a lackluster aroma, but the look, taste, and mouthfeel hit on all cylinders.

 

Pint can - no date - poured into an IPA glass at 40°F. Purchased locally as a single for $3.75.

Pours a dark molasses brown, sitting as black as stout in the glass, topped with three fingers of dark tan creamy head with good retention. Leaves some lacing as it recedes.

Nose: Roasted malts lend some dry, roasty, chocolatey notes beneath some bready grain notes. Dusty grainhouse, brown bread, and a light cracker note make up the rest. Some very subtle hops in the background contribute some floral notes, while a touch of clean, fruity lager yeast reminds you that this isn't a dry stout.

Palate: The beer greets the palate with a very pronounced roastiness that is much more chocolate and stout-like than smoky and charry. Notes of milk chocolate, Dutch cocoa, blackened barley, and a little bit of char. There are some nutty malt notes with whispers of caramel, vanilla, molasses, and brown sugar which could convince less experienced drinkers that this was a stout. Halfway through, there is that typical lager fruitiness, which adds a nice brightness to the mix. Some gentle hopping lends a nice European-style spicy, earthy, and grassy notes along with a touch of bitterness, which is accentuated by a nice charry, ashen smokiness in the finish, working very nicely to dry this out and lend that much needed blackened flavour. Charry lingering finish.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is much fuller than I was expecting, especially at less than 5% ABV. Those malts really serve to lend some body and weight to this. Fairly medium-bodied with a fullness from the malt, while simultaneously retaining that snappy lager crispness. It drinks like a typical stout. Only a touch of stickiness. Lively effervescence - not ultra dry to start, but finishes with drying roast.

Overall: This is a nice example of the style, primarily because it just exists, and you don't often see these. It isn't exactly the most true-to-life traditional schwarzbier, drinking a bit stouty, and lacking the hop character and smokiness that I'd prefer, but all things considered, it's a great beer, and a very nice change of pace. Certainly worth trying.

Glad to see this brewery in MA now. No can date
Pours a darker tan foamy frothy pillowy head with great retention and lacing, dark black with a faint hint of blackish light coming through

Nose dark roasted malts, a hint of chocolate, some mild char from the big roast, bit of coffee, little fluffy chocolate marshmallow, touch of fruity lager, some smooth vanilla and milk chocolate (a little out of style)

Taste brings dark roasty malts, not too roasty or charred, smooth rich creamy milk chocolate, maybe oats even, raw vanilla again, some roasted coffee, light baking spices and a little fruity note, touch of fruity notes, soft lager, med bitterness, mild spicy hops, little roasted malt bitterness as well, drier finish with lingering med bitterness, spicy hop notes and bitter roasted malts

Mouth is med bod, soft lager, med-higher foamy carb

Overall mixed, it has some nice schwarzbier notes, the dark malts, roast levels, lager notes, even the bitterness is within style although a bit high, but the vanilla and chocolate gets a bit much for the typical style, but a good beer nonetheless.

 

On tap at the new brewery, waiting for the rest of the group. Dark beer you can drink in the afternoon.

 

10oz pour at the brewery.

A couple shades from complete black, nice tight light tan lacing on top. Smells of mild roasted and toasted malt with some hop resin within. Mild cocoa and light roasted grain on the palate, an even and balancing bitterness for the hops drops a floral and slightly herbal flavor. Very much to style even with the more pronounced hoppiness, just enough. This beer is a real treat to have, glad I was able to run into it before it ran out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the brewery