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Samuel Adams Black Lager
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)


- From:
- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Schwarzbier
Ranked #110 - ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #23,944 - Avg:
- 3.7 | pDev: 12.7%
- Reviews:
- 1,503
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 07, 2023
- Added:
- Dec 27, 2004
- Wants:
- 88
- Gots:
- 230
Literally translated as “black beer,” schwarzbiers are one of the oldest and most traditional German beer styles. Dating back to around 800 BC, this dark, roasty beer combines caramel and chocolate malt notes with a bright flavor and crisp finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ZenAgnostic from Texas
4.23/5 rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Rated this one 11 years ago in July 2012, this is from found handwritten notes.
Poured into Duvel glass.
Appearance - Black body. Light brown head. Weak, patchy stick. Decent to good retention. 4
Smell - Very musky. Lots of dry cardboard. Dry glass clippings. Faint cocoa powder. 3.5
Taste - Much sweeter than the nose let on. Well balanced. Some hop cuts through the mild chocolate sweetness. 4.5
Mouthfeel - Smooth. Almost creamy. Slight crispness. Medium bodied. 4.5
Overall - Well balanced, flavorful, no off-characters other than a lackluster yet inoffensive nose. 4.5
Mar 08, 2023Poured into Duvel glass.
Appearance - Black body. Light brown head. Weak, patchy stick. Decent to good retention. 4
Smell - Very musky. Lots of dry cardboard. Dry glass clippings. Faint cocoa powder. 3.5
Taste - Much sweeter than the nose let on. Well balanced. Some hop cuts through the mild chocolate sweetness. 4.5
Mouthfeel - Smooth. Almost creamy. Slight crispness. Medium bodied. 4.5
Overall - Well balanced, flavorful, no off-characters other than a lackluster yet inoffensive nose. 4.5
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
3.69/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
3.69/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
The pour is umber brown colored with a small khaki head of foam. The mouthfeel is light to medium. The taste is roasted malt & dark chocolate. Cheers! B
Jan 18, 2023Reviewed by MetalHead7734 from South Carolina
3.84/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: Very dark red. Tan head.
Smell: Dark chocolate. Some kind of fruit. It gives me a chocolate covered cherry vibe. There's almost like a Champaign funk to it.
Taste: Again, it reminds me of chocolate covered cherries, then finishes with a beady note.
Feel: Maybe a little on the thin side.
Overall: Good but nothing special. I do wish that this was available more often, though.
Jan 02, 2023Smell: Dark chocolate. Some kind of fruit. It gives me a chocolate covered cherry vibe. There's almost like a Champaign funk to it.
Taste: Again, it reminds me of chocolate covered cherries, then finishes with a beady note.
Feel: Maybe a little on the thin side.
Overall: Good but nothing special. I do wish that this was available more often, though.
Reviewed by BloodSoakedAleMug from New York
2.51/5 rDev -32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
2.51/5 rDev -32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
Pours a dark black, almost brown color with a one finger beige head of foam. Good lacing and head retention.
Aroma is faint. Very mild notes of milk chocolate and a strange lactose like, artificial play-dough note to it.
Flavor follows the nose with slightly bitter but mostly sweet notes of chocolate with a slight yellow pear like twang. Not very bitter or malty. Borderline anemic. Doughy ... not in a good way. Has a strange raw-cookie batter artificial taste to it... really strange.
Watery. Mouthfeel is mildly bubbly and fairly thin. Sugar profile of the beer imparts some stickyness to the palate. Odd feel.
Below average for the style. Very sweet and watery for schwarzbier. There's just not much flavor here. It's sessionable at least but the aroma and flavor are lacking. Underwhelming but not terrible, just very unremarkable. I'd avoid this if you're looking for something with character, but as something to just throw back and drink with food it's passable.
Jan 01, 2023Aroma is faint. Very mild notes of milk chocolate and a strange lactose like, artificial play-dough note to it.
Flavor follows the nose with slightly bitter but mostly sweet notes of chocolate with a slight yellow pear like twang. Not very bitter or malty. Borderline anemic. Doughy ... not in a good way. Has a strange raw-cookie batter artificial taste to it... really strange.
Watery. Mouthfeel is mildly bubbly and fairly thin. Sugar profile of the beer imparts some stickyness to the palate. Odd feel.
Below average for the style. Very sweet and watery for schwarzbier. There's just not much flavor here. It's sessionable at least but the aroma and flavor are lacking. Underwhelming but not terrible, just very unremarkable. I'd avoid this if you're looking for something with character, but as something to just throw back and drink with food it's passable.
Reviewed by ANIMOUL from Vermont
3.5/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12 oz bottle from holiday variety pack; no birth date. Pours amber black with minimal to no foam or retention. Faint notes of coffee - very faint - on the nose. Tastes of bitter chocolate and weak coffee. Very thin.
Dec 31, 2022Reviewed by nickb2000 from New Hampshire
3.63/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nucleated Pilsner
Look: Clear dark brown, near black. Poured a 1.5 figure tan head which dissipated into a thin cap
Smell: heavily toasted malt, bitter chocolate and burnt black coffee
Taste: Semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, and nearly burnt toast. Finish becomes more less burnt toast and a hint of hops
Feel: light-moderate body, gentle carbonation
Overall: I never thought Id like darks beer (stouts/porters/ schwarzbier, etc) but this one I do like. Not something id buy again but if I was offered it I wouldnt turn it away
Dec 26, 2022Look: Clear dark brown, near black. Poured a 1.5 figure tan head which dissipated into a thin cap
Smell: heavily toasted malt, bitter chocolate and burnt black coffee
Taste: Semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, and nearly burnt toast. Finish becomes more less burnt toast and a hint of hops
Feel: light-moderate body, gentle carbonation
Overall: I never thought Id like darks beer (stouts/porters/ schwarzbier, etc) but this one I do like. Not something id buy again but if I was offered it I wouldnt turn it away
Reviewed by Wattie83 from Pennsylvania
3.71/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle poured into a Perfect Pint glass. Looks like cola with some ruby highlights. Thin off white head falls to really thin covering. Fairly clear as you can see carbonation popping up. Smell is a light chocolate, coffee, roasted barleymalt. Taste starts with cocoa, black coffee, roasted malt. A bit of bitterness kicks in in the middle. Finish is dark chocolate and coffee. Feel is light bodied, lively carbonation, a bit of tongue coating as residual aftertaste lingers. Overall, this is one of Sam Adams's better beers in my opinion. The flavors really shine through here and hold their own. A great addition to the holiday pack.
Dec 24, 2022Reviewed by jgido759 from New Jersey
3.49/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass. Color is a medium brown with mahogany highlights, almost like a Coca Cola, with a thin khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of tiny bubbles with no lacing. The aroma is mild, with notes of bakers chocolate and roasted coffee. The taste is mildly roasty and slightly toasty malt, with hints of caramel and coffee making it almost "porter-like". Carbonation is average.
Overall, a pretty solid beer, probably one of the better ones in this year's Beers for Cheers Variety Pack.
Dec 22, 2022Overall, a pretty solid beer, probably one of the better ones in this year's Beers for Cheers Variety Pack.
Reviewed by bubseymour from Maryland
4.43/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Looks like I just poured a Cola in my glass. Aroma really jumps, very roasty and chocolatety for a Schwartzbier. Really nice malty and light beer. Really have a punch of flavor. Great dark lager.
Dec 17, 2022
Samuel Adams Black Lager from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
2761 ratings
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