Schwarzbier
Dru Bru

i believe they just colloquially refer to this as black lager now, a really nice, and rather deep take on the style. neat to have one from the nitro tap too, not common with these, so a neat serving method to try it on. the pour looks great, nice cascade, real creamy light brown head, silky near black body, very little viscosity, looks approachable still. the nose in nitro beers is often a little muted to me, but not here, this is roasty even approaching burnt to me, ashy and earthy and dark, without hardly any malt richness to balance it, although there is some german pale malt breadiness in the center, and the lager yeast also comes out in the aroma, old worldy and pleasantly subtle, simple but well refined to me. the flavor has some black coffee, light smoke, and dark bread notes to it, less bitter than it smells when i drink it, but lots of low end here. super smooth with the nitro, almost an oat creaminess to it, and fuller feeling than it looks. light hops on the back end, faint spiciness there, and a little char character from the roast. coffee again as it warms, some nice patient lagering evident, and i like the flavor of the yeast in this as well, adds some depth. well made beer, neat on nitro, i hope to see more from dru brew in idaho, this was a treat!

Served in 16oz nonic. Poured a clean, clear dark reddish mahogany color, not the black that is expected, with a half-inch of light tan head that had OK retention and light lacing.

The aroma was mostly sweet malts, with a touch of roast, and slight hint of spiciness. pretty similar on the tongue, with that spice note building throughout the glass, eventually becoming distracting.

The body was medium-light, smooth, and had a dry finish.

Drinkability was OK, but would have better if the spice tones had been a bit more muted.

Overall, somewhat atypical for the style, but not a 'bad' brew.

Poured from 12oz can into a dimpled mug. Best by 1/11/22. It appears they market this beer under the name "Black Lager" as well.

Appearance: rich, dark, chocolatey-brown hue with some haze and a thin finger of frothy tan foam. I love it.

Smell: caramelly, nutty, and roasty malt, but also with a smooth lager character. A bit astringent, perhaps, but that's appropriate to the style.

Taste: like the aroma, lots of caramel malt, though with a bit less overtly roasty character. There's a little bit of astringency and a light bitterness that really round out the balance. I like it a lot.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body but with a big carbonation and a good creaminess.

Overall: this beer is more than the sum of its parts: it's refreshing, drinkable, and just plain satisfying.

 

 

 

Dru Bru's Schwarzbier is light in body, but it's heavy on the char. The malt is really roasted, like a dark Starbucks coffee. The hoppiness is fairly mild.