Nox Illuminate
Great Notion Brewing

16oz can

Pours a finger of light brown head into my Willi. Retention is pretty average. Lacing is decent. Body is jet black. Looks alright.

Nose has a pretty significant roast, some bread, light caramel. Smells well-attenuated, slight mineral character.

Roast is a little more aggressive on the flavor. Pretty clean other than that. Could use a little bread, but simple is also fine.

Carbonation is on the lighter side, and the body is somewhat thin - altogether a little watery. The malt provides some bitterness. Little to no apparent sweetness, but there surely is some here to keep this from being too dry. Overall the mouthfeel is ok.

Drinkability is good.

Overall a very straightforward Schwarz, nothing wrong with that. The mouthfeel is a little thin in some areas, but it doesn’t sandbag it too much.

 

 

 

 

Packaged on 1/20, consumed on 3/4 - poured from a tall boy can into my Ayinger Celebrator pokal.

Sienna body with auburn highlights. Two fingers of almond suds recedes to a fine raft with a wavy crest of lacing around the sides. Good retention. Docking a little book for the lack of clarity.

Malty, toasty, faintly smokey nose with a hint of bark and nuts. Grows breadier/sweeter as the lager warms. Clean yeast presentation.

Gentle but persistent malt on the palate, evolving slowly into a dry, faintly earthy, almost woody finish. Light bitterness, faint but fleeting sweetness (maybe a hint of caramel turning rapidly into cocoa or toasted pumpkin seed). Lightly roasted - cleanly lagered. Not rich or especially characterful, but well crafted.

Light bodied, just enough carbonation, and little to no astringency.

A solid example of the style, though not particularly remarkable.