Franz
Three Magnets Brewing

Town Series: Franz, a "schwarzbier ale", arrives in a pint can and served in a can glass. Pours dark brown and exploding with chestnut head. Aroma is potent and toasty. Flavor is strong and malty, with a molasses note which could have been found in a porter. Sharp and fizzy, probably too much so for the style. Speaking of style, this is tasty enough, but it's barely in the same neighborhood as the traditional German style.

Some sediment in the can. What's going on here guys?

a schwarzbier is a style i am often happy to see from trendy american craft brewers, nobody is really doing one, but this is a miss for these guys, who almost always deliver the heat. not sure if its old or what, but i have come to expect the world from every single beer i can source from these guys, this one is just average at best, a little astringent, possibly an infection setting in, fizzy as heck, high headed and airy and active and almost uncontrollable, oddly hazy for a dark lager beer, murky and muddy looking, lively and heady as it pours. it smells very german to me, right on for one of these, the yeast is right, the grain seems european and has nice roast to it, hints of coffee and licorice to me, more of each as it warms, some raisin, wet tobacco, and pipe tobacco smoke to me, minerals, light brine, subtle tang, its just a little bit off, a tad sweet, and not as drinkable or refined as i usually look for in this style, a rare offering from these guys that isnt amazing to me. i do like all the bubbles, but the proportions are weird, something is missing, and the ferment is approaching whack. not bad, i still drank it and enjoyed it, but i expected a world class example of the style here and thats not at all what this is...