Mönchshof Schwarzbier | Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
Brewed by:
Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
Germany
kulmbacher.de
Style: Schwarzbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.90%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Todd on 03-19-2002
Ratings: 677 | Reviews: 392
3.77/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 16.9 fl oz bottle into a glass mug.
Pours very dark brown, nearly black, and produces a nice foamy head that leaves some pleasant lacing on the glass.
Aroma is roasted grain.
Flavor is roasted malts accompanied by chocolate. Mild hop bitterness is balanced by a bit of sweetness.
Mouth feel is medium bodied and smooth.
I'm not usually a huge fan of lagers but this one is very good and I'm glad I picked it up.
431 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 16.9 fl oz bottle into a glass mug.
Pours very dark brown, nearly black, and produces a nice foamy head that leaves some pleasant lacing on the glass.
Aroma is roasted grain.
Flavor is roasted malts accompanied by chocolate. Mild hop bitterness is balanced by a bit of sweetness.
Mouth feel is medium bodied and smooth.
I'm not usually a huge fan of lagers but this one is very good and I'm glad I picked it up.
431 characters
4.84/5 rDev +20.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a swingtop bottle into a pint glass.
Pours a deep, dark mahogany color with two fingers of creamy khaki colored head. The head sticks around for awhile before setting into a thin film, leaving a full collar of lacing along the way. Gorgeous looking beer.
The aroma is intricate and complex, bringing notes of toffee, vanilla and dark fruits up front. The middle is nutty and slightly roasted, with plenty of dark grains, chocolate malt, and sweet dough. The back end is subtly hoppy.
The flavor is delicate and incredibly balanced. Lightly tart notes of plum and molasses, as well as sugary sweet notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and sweet doughy bread. The finish brings just enough hop character to add a faint lingering bitterness that is gone as quickly as it hits the tongue.
The feel is medium bodied with moderately high carbonation. Lightly crisp, extremely smooth, and highly drinkable.
Overall, an incredible dark lager. It's exploding with flavor while still remaining highly drinkable and refreshing. The balance in this beer is insane. Honestly, one of the best beers I've ever had, period.
1,121 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a swingtop bottle into a pint glass.
Pours a deep, dark mahogany color with two fingers of creamy khaki colored head. The head sticks around for awhile before setting into a thin film, leaving a full collar of lacing along the way. Gorgeous looking beer.
The aroma is intricate and complex, bringing notes of toffee, vanilla and dark fruits up front. The middle is nutty and slightly roasted, with plenty of dark grains, chocolate malt, and sweet dough. The back end is subtly hoppy.
The flavor is delicate and incredibly balanced. Lightly tart notes of plum and molasses, as well as sugary sweet notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and sweet doughy bread. The finish brings just enough hop character to add a faint lingering bitterness that is gone as quickly as it hits the tongue.
The feel is medium bodied with moderately high carbonation. Lightly crisp, extremely smooth, and highly drinkable.
Overall, an incredible dark lager. It's exploding with flavor while still remaining highly drinkable and refreshing. The balance in this beer is insane. Honestly, one of the best beers I've ever had, period.
1,121 characters
4.34/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.7/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
4.39/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.27/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I find the brew to be flavorful but a bit thin. This is an easy to like brew and you can drink a bit. It is a good beer but for some reason I expect more.
154 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I find the brew to be flavorful but a bit thin. This is an easy to like brew and you can drink a bit. It is a good beer but for some reason I expect more.
154 characters
4.32/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours dark chocolatey brown (nearly black) in color, with a fluffy head just a shade lighter than khaki. Aroma of roasted malts and grains, and something that reminds me of a belgian waffle. Smells very clean and pure. The flavor is a nice display of roasted dark malts without adding any extras to the profile. The malts don't get out of control and overall the beer tastes very clean and pure. Mouthfeel medium bodied with profound but delicate carbonation.
464 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours dark chocolatey brown (nearly black) in color, with a fluffy head just a shade lighter than khaki. Aroma of roasted malts and grains, and something that reminds me of a belgian waffle. Smells very clean and pure. The flavor is a nice display of roasted dark malts without adding any extras to the profile. The malts don't get out of control and overall the beer tastes very clean and pure. Mouthfeel medium bodied with profound but delicate carbonation.
464 characters
2.92/5 rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
4.19/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a stoppered bottle into a pint glass. Beautiful beige fluffy head and nice lacing. Smokey sweet smell and taste. Nice and earthy but clean. A great beer!
165 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a stoppered bottle into a pint glass. Beautiful beige fluffy head and nice lacing. Smokey sweet smell and taste. Nice and earthy but clean. A great beer!
165 characters
4.05/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
500 mL bottle to pint glass
Schwarzbier's appearance tend to give my palate a head-fake, as it's easy to anticipate a stout or porter, albeit a close looks reveals a less oily-viscous complexion. But other than a roasty, toasty undertone in the nose, these are as refreshing and sessionable as any tasty, well-honed lager. Instead of bitter, coffee-like notes, there's a touch of caramel and molasses, backed by a whole-grain crackery complexion. Finishes quickly with slightly sweet residuals.
Would be a great choice for a session brew, although these aren't the easiest to come by in volume.
604 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
500 mL bottle to pint glass
Schwarzbier's appearance tend to give my palate a head-fake, as it's easy to anticipate a stout or porter, albeit a close looks reveals a less oily-viscous complexion. But other than a roasty, toasty undertone in the nose, these are as refreshing and sessionable as any tasty, well-honed lager. Instead of bitter, coffee-like notes, there's a touch of caramel and molasses, backed by a whole-grain crackery complexion. Finishes quickly with slightly sweet residuals.
Would be a great choice for a session brew, although these aren't the easiest to come by in volume.
604 characters
3.16/5 rDev -21.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
3.82/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Doesn't look, smell, or feel like much but the taste is of the exact same malted barley you find in guiness foreign extra. Not much smoke that I was hoping for and overall very thin but would be very sessionsable without giving up much flavor. Overall - decent.
261 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Doesn't look, smell, or feel like much but the taste is of the exact same malted barley you find in guiness foreign extra. Not much smoke that I was hoping for and overall very thin but would be very sessionsable without giving up much flavor. Overall - decent.
261 characters
4.24/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On draft at Republic Gastropub in Oklahoma City. Beautiful dark Ruby brown in a weizen glass with thin, persistent head.
Noise of fruit, light roast.
Spectacular first taste. Bread, raisin, caramelesque sweetness, a hearty breakfast vibe.
Thick, erotic mouth.
A really great black beer. For fans of Doppelbock, Dunkel lager, and Dunkelweizen. And schwarzbier, of course
373 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On draft at Republic Gastropub in Oklahoma City. Beautiful dark Ruby brown in a weizen glass with thin, persistent head.
Noise of fruit, light roast.
Spectacular first taste. Bread, raisin, caramelesque sweetness, a hearty breakfast vibe.
Thick, erotic mouth.
A really great black beer. For fans of Doppelbock, Dunkel lager, and Dunkelweizen. And schwarzbier, of course
373 characters
3.93/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
In my book, this Monchshof does two things well that a good schwarzbier should do:
1) be refreshing when the weather is not so warm; and
2) balance the sweetness in the malt without roasting them as in British dark styles such as porter.
MJ's 1999 "Guide" sets right the 4-star hype still used on the label and gives it 3 of 4 stars commenting that Monschof "was the sole Black brew in West Germany. This beer has lost some color and fullness of body in recent years but still has an almost crunchy dark-malt palate."
519 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
In my book, this Monchshof does two things well that a good schwarzbier should do:
1) be refreshing when the weather is not so warm; and
2) balance the sweetness in the malt without roasting them as in British dark styles such as porter.
MJ's 1999 "Guide" sets right the 4-star hype still used on the label and gives it 3 of 4 stars commenting that Monschof "was the sole Black brew in West Germany. This beer has lost some color and fullness of body in recent years but still has an almost crunchy dark-malt palate."
519 characters
Mönchshof Schwarzbier from Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
4.03
out of 5
based on 677 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25