River Black Lager
Suarez Family Brewery

Ruby-tinged black with creamy, rimming taupe head; cocoa, ash, German rye bread, and root beer barrel candies on the nose; dark pretzels, chocolate, dark caramel, hints of ginger cake, licorice and gentle roast, and light herbal end; soft, round, smooth, lt-medium,

4 4 4.25 4.25 4.25

As is often the case for SFB, an exercise in stylistic fidelity.
This lands pretty close, though I haven’t experienced as many true Czech Darks as, say, Dark Milds. It is firmly rooted in the territory of “darker than a Munich but not roasty like a Schwarz.” The nuance and complexity of the malt profile is (as the brewery themselves like to highlight with a shower of tasting notes) impressive.
Strictly speaking, what’s missing is diacetyl and dark fruit. The lack of the former makes me wonder about the authenticity of the brewing process. The lack of the latter could be down to a blindspot of cultural context: I’ve had more than one Czech Dark that’s a baby Baltic Porter, which makes sense with Poland as neighbors - SFB might’ve missed that.
There’s a risk, too, that the complexity loses some drinkability: is this a beer you can quaff pint after pint like they do in Czechia?
If so, it’s off style in the best possible way.

Another win for SFB.

 

16oz can, dated 01.10.2024, poured into a 16oz tumbler glass. Enjoyed on 09.06.2024, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a rich cola brown color, almost black with garnet hues, a khaki head rises nicely, tall and fluffy with good lacing. The aroma is very pleasant, toasted dark grains, dark stone fruits, fairly herbal and grassy, earthy pine, and mineral water. The flavors are nice, dark toasted malt, earthy hop, pine, herbal tea, dark fruits, leather, grassy, mineral water. The mouthfeel is good, coating, lively medium body, smooth and easy finish.

Verdict: A nice Czech Dark Lager from Suarez. Bold flavors, sessionable body, very clean and expressive.

 

Pours a dark brown color with a lighter mohagony colored head.

Smells of fresh baked whole grain bread together with lighter toffee and an almost smoky, spicy appearance of herbs.

Has a light body with a vivid, yet soft appearing carbonation, leading to an easy refreshment.

Tastes of bakers chocolate, subtle, dryer hops and mellow, sweet and rustic toffee malts. The beer turns a bit smoky then, sweeter with some drops of caramel and a lingering, lighter leaf and herb dryness. Finishes with a sprizzy carbonation burst, highlighting the sweeter toffee forward malts in this while allowing the slightly subdued hops to cut through effectively.

This is very light with just enough character to convince, while featuring a very nice and soft mouthfeel, which opens up the palate to all its nuances.

08/26/24 can @ home

Appearance: Pours coffee colored with a one finger beige head; the retention could have been better but there was plenty of squiggly lacing

Smell: Earthy dark bread tones with hints of chocolate and dark fruit

Taste: Dark bread forward, with an earthy, slightly burnt middle; an unexpected fruity sweetness emerges, toward the finish and lingers in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: Thought I was going to like this more than I did but the sweetness in the finish didn't suit my palate

Thanks, falloutsnow, for the opportunity

16oz can served in a willibecker. Can 1/10/24. Pours the color and clarity of cola with a thin, 1/8th inch, tan-colored head. Nose reveals notes of roast and cocoa. Taste consistent with nose. Mouthfeel is light in body with a carboantion shy of crisp. Overall,

Really good but I like their Bones Shirt black lager better (that one is more lager-y). This one is coffee, chocolate, some roastiness--basically a porter masquerading as a lager. Like all their beers, harmonious and easy to drink

 

16 oz can, picked up at the brewery. poured into mug

not quite black, as some light gets in the edges when held up to the light. thin cream colored head, decent head retention. aroma is semi sweet chocolate with just a touch of roast. similar flavor, with just a bit of earthy hop balance. medium bodied

 

Pitch black body with a tan head and periodic lacing. Taste features heavily roasted malts with earthy smokiness tones, dark yeast, pumpernickel bread, potent but not super complex. Smell is better as it has more yeast complexity to the strong tones of the taste. Feel is roasty and yeasty with light malt backbone, well balanced though again not a lots of movement which the style often features

Pours a very dark brown with some collar at the edges, light collar of head with good retention and solid lacing. Nose is sweet roasted malt, cola, baking chocolate. Taste plays far more bitter, however - solid punch of earthy hops, cocoa powder, and dry, dark tannins; very little sweetness. Mouthfeel is rather full, while carbonation remains small and crisp. Overall, a really delicious beer.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 16oz can stamped “CANNED ON 1.19.22 DRINK BY 6.18.22” to a Nonic at fridge temp.
A non-agressive pour yields an impressive dark beige puffy head of multi sized bubbles. The body is as advertised, even when held to the light. The impressive head only lasts but a few minutes, but a thin one stays and coats the glass with medium lacing almost to the bottom of the glass.
Malt dominates the sniff, but it hints that this might be on the sweet side.
This tastes like a decent porter, but on the thin side. It's quite malty and yes, a little sweeter than a good bitter porter but finishes dry. Earthy notes of charcoal and the Maillard reaction.
The mouth feel is fairly light, after all it is a lager.
Overall this is really good especially if you look at it as a crushable porter.