Strangeman
Strangebird Beer

Fills an antique, hand-blown pilzner glass with a dark brown beer (SRM-35-40). Dark mahogany and ruby highlights add character. 1/2" of loose foam is beige and short lived, leaving no lace.

The aroma is rather simple, with roasted malt and light notes of charcoal. Warmth brings out baked blackberries and lime.

The beer is dry, with light bitterness and faint tartness. Warmth amplifies the tartness. Salt and lime are subtle, yet clearly expressed against the roasted malt background. This is reminiscent of cold wort, without the sweetness. The berries are noticeable, although unclear. The finish is dry, long and modest, allowing the roast to linger.

A watery texture and light body. Alcohol is as expected, while the carbonation brings out an appealing mineral quality.

While I am unsure if this fits my impression of a European Dark Lager, it is clearly experimental, dancing on the edges of Dunkel and Bock, without finding a home in any of the threes mentioned styles.

This one pours a fairly muddy/murky dark brown color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like roast, slightly tart lime, and chocolate sweetness.

I'm glad this new brewery is doing lagers, and maybe I'm becoming an old man, but I'd honestly prefer this without the salt or lime addition. The malt base is solid, decently roasty, with just a hint of sweetness. Unfortunately, the lime just adds a slightly distracting tartness for me. I just want a solid no frills black lager.

This is light bodied, slightly creamy, and definitely drinkable. I'd possibly like this much better in hotter weather.

I'm excited for this brewery to continue making lagers, but this one just missed the mark by a hair for me. The base is there, I just didn't love the added components.