Alternate Present
Fiction Beer Company

 

Had on tap. Pitch black opaque body topped with a beige sudsy head and moderate lacing. Refined light smoke with roasted malt kissed by espresso and bittersweet chocolate in the nose. Taste has a elevated earthiness and a hint of char. Simple yet elegant. Feel is frothy, malty, and roasted, smooth on the back end with some airy elevation on the very end of the finish. This is a really nice schwarz!

Canned December 12th.

Pours almost black, well, close enough to black but not pitch black. A little weak in the foam and lacing.

Smell is of roasted malt, chocolate, malty but doesn't come across as sweet. Very little bitterness. Some hints of fruit noticeable.

Taste is chocolate, light roasted malt, light bitterness, I reckon from the chocolate, low sweetness. I get some fruity notes from time to time and a bit of smoke.

On the cusp of light and medium bodied, this is quite drinkable. Good.

Now available in four packs of pints, Alternate Present Dark Lager is a grace upon the world of craft beer, providing an incredibly delicious and true to form example of a classic and little-known beer style from 19th century Germany.

Pours with a body as dark brown as the imperial stout I just reviewed, but notably thinner in viscosity. The pour produces a single finger of khaki head, the color of coffee with too much cream in it, which simmers down to a persistent film that took the shape of a scarab on the surface of my drink.

Aromas of dark chocolate, green apple, caramel, coffee, charcoal, oatmeal and brown rice are prominent, with subtle notes of lager dankness, prune and honey tickling the back of the throat.

This is what I imagine a lager made of roasted brown rice might taste like. Oat and rice milk dominate, with hints of chocolate, apple skins, prune, ash, honey and lager dankness, which is suddenly reminding me of green beans for the first time ever.

So incredibly smooth. One could only hope that someday all beer will be this perfect.

Thank you, Fiction, for pioneering the craft. Prost!

 

 

L: A muddy brown color with a small head and no lacing on the glass.

S: Notes of smoke, and some meat, with some cherry, caramel and sweet malt.

T: Notes of smoke, and some meat mixed with cherry caramel and sweet malt.

F: Medium to heavy body, with a creamy mouthfeel.

O: This is a nice schwarzbeer.