Obsidian Castle
Silver Branch Brewing Company

Poured from the can into a pokal glass.

Thick rich head, light tan and color and easily exceeding four fingers but with good control. Thick staying power with a milkshake like top, the body reveals a beautiful dark red that is nearly opaque, but just has a hint of clarity when observed up close. Fine bubbles rising round out in a column fashion, making for an excellent great looking dark lager brew.

Really well developed nose. Exceptionally clean and filled with a light nutty hazelnut and touches of light caramel. Sweetness is non existent and giving to natural flavors and some dark roasted malts to round everything out.

Palate is a lager and dark romp. Clean and mineral like finish, with a nearly rich heavy water mouthfeel. Mid palate hits excellent coffee and nut roast with minimal tannic character. Some dryness, with an almost champagne crispness minus the gas. Cream and coffee round out with sharp woody dark malt notes that accentuate nicely.

Excellent crafted Tmave.

Voluminous, fine head and almost creamy carbonation. Delicious dark roasted notes - very drinkable!

12 ounce can poured into a Spiegelau wheat beer glass.
Canned 1/17/24

L: Clear dark brown, caramel highlights, 2” khaki head, sticky foam leaves plenty of lace.
S: Opens malty, dark bread with hints of pumpernickel, spicy hops and mineral notes coming after.
T: Malty, dark bread, caramel and bitter chocolate malt flavor, spicy/floral hops rising at the finish, assertive bitterness.
F: Medium body, fairly smooth, hints at creaminess, good carbonation gives crisp edges.
O: Drinks fast an easy, lightly sweet, not overly bitter, nice “dark” character without being acrid.

 

Draught pour into a dimpled stein at Frisco Taphouse in Crofton, MD. Light brown color with a frothy head. Aroma and flavor feature roasty malt, light cocoa/coffee/caramel and earthy hops. Overall a solid and highly quaffable if unspectacular Euro dark lager.

 

 

 

 

 

Garnet tinged mahogany appearance with an average size off white head and light lacing. Toasted malt aroma along with some residual chocolate. Nuts a little more apparent after a sip or two; bittersweet chocolate notes still there nestled in the maltiness. Spicy, floral hops firmly in place. Medium bodied nicely carbonated mouthfeel prevents things from becoming too mucky.

 

Brilliantly clear deep amber color. Pours a modest sized slightly tan head with pretty good retention.

Nice malty nose with some chocolate. Almost smells like a bock.

Rich malty flavor - more intense than I remember it from trying on draft. A little on the sweet side, but has enough hop bitterness to keep it constrained. Clean malty finish. Definitely a bit of a malt bomb.

Medium body and carbonation. More carbonation present than seemed like when was pouring. Helps dry it a bit.

A good malty lager for winter, but would be curious to see it as a 4.5-5% kind of tmave to make it hyper drinkable.

Really dark brown with clear ruby highlights at the edges, finger of tan head with nice retention and lace.
Mild chocolate, bread crust, a bit of spicy hops
Smooth chocolate followed up with a lot of bready malt. Spicy hop bite in the finish.
Rich, but not cloying.
Dang nice winter lager!