Sword in the Skull
River's Edge Brewing Co

 

16 ounce prowler into lager glass, filled on 9/15/2019. Pours crystal clear very dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to small cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, dark/brown bread/crust, smoke, charcoal, wood, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Very clean on lager flavors, with minimal fruity/yeasty notes. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hp/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly crisp/sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great/ Zero warming alcohol for 5.6%. Overall this is an awesome schwarzbier. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish. Not overly charred. Awesome clean/rich dark/roast/Munich malt showcase, with nice noble hop presence/balance for the style. Mild residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and outstandingly spot on style example as expected of the brewery. They are very good at making classic German styles.