Mount Baker Black Lager
Farmstrong Brewing Company

 

Attractive dark brown with a nice pile of foam in the goblet. Smells a little peculiar, like old coffee. Mouthfeel has the simple watery sensation of a Schwarzbier. Somewhat sweet with a corn taste and a bitter edge with the sourish note of a burnt Stout.

The taste reminds me too much of a doppelbock gone bacterial, with the odd bitter astringency. If there is something off about this I will look to try a fresh draft and see if I'm missing anything. From the 16 oz can. Bottom stamped "Canned on 01/02/19."

Served in shaker pint. Poured a clear black color with just the faintest of tan head that had no retention or lacing.

The aroma was mostly light, sweet malt, with a hint of sweetness.

Same on the tongue, with the addition of just a touch of roast.

The body was light and smooth, but there was a sticky-sweet finish.

Drinkability was just fine, although I'd unlikely be inclined to have two in a row. Overall, a solid take. Not terrible, not great.

 

I had this beer on-tap in a mug at Special Brews in Lynnwood, WA.

Appearance: rich, dark brown with a pretty clear body and a finger of frothy tan foam. A good-looking schwarzbier.

Smell: very caramelly aroma with hints of toffee. It's quite clean, which I really like. Good!

Taste: nutty and toasty, along with some of the caramel element from the aroma. There's also just a little bit of biscuit in here, which isn't my favorite. Not bad, though.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and a fizzy creaminess.

Overall: I really like the aroma on this beer, and I think I would like it more overall if the flavor tracked the aroma a little more. Still, a very decent schwarzbier.