Schwarzbier
Bayern Brewing, Inc. / Edelweiss Bistro

 

 

not retired, this is on tap at the brewery right now, the dark side i believe it is properly called, a nice take on the style but ironically not particularly dark as they go, more red than brown or black in my glass, frothy headed from the tap though and it smells just right, more roasty than it looks but not dark enough to have bitterness from it, an immediately familiar yeast from some of their other beers is pleasant, and there is a little malt sweetness here too above the roasted, an earthy kilned vibe with a little raisin element about it, perhaps slightly more complex than a lot of these are, and i dig that. the flavor is true to that, with layers of grain above the darkest that add a lot, brown sugar and dried cherry and toffee, but its not sugary, unbrewed coffee beans, fresh dark bread, and wet wood are also suggested at in here. the finish is pretty quick but not as dry as some, still, i like the yeast all the way through this both in flavor and the way it has gone about its business, this seems patiently fermented, and the mouthfeel is great, medium bodied but gentle and mellow, very good overall. my recent trip to the brewery has given me an even greater appreciation for what these guys are all about!

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a very deep brown nearly black color with a tiny fizzy tan colored head. The head fades very fast leaving almost no lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest lightly toasted malt smell along with some cola and caramel smells. Along with these aromas are some lighter earthy and herbal smells, creating a decently roasty and somewhat sweeter smell overall.

Taste – The taste begins with a rather sweeter flavor of some caramel and molasses as well as a little bit of a roasted malt flavor. The roasted flavors grow slightly more intense in nature as the taste advances to the middle with the caramel and molasses growing slightly stronger as well. At this point a little bit of a earthy and herbal hop taste work their way onto the tongue, leaving one with a moderately roasted and decently sweetened flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the brew is on the thinner to medium side, with a carbonation level that is on the average to slightly lower side. For the lighter abv. and the sweeter tastes the feel is quite nice, making for a rather easy drinking brew.

Overall – A rather decently big flavored brew at a lower abv. of only 4.8 %. A tasty one to try if you get a chance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contrary to the posting, THIS BEER IS NOT RETIRED, and is available almost year round in the tap room of the brewery only.

Generally not a dark beer drinker, as in Porters and Stouts. This is a surprisingly easy drinking beer. You can taste this beer and not be overwhelmed. If you are a Pilsner drinker or prefer a beer that is not so heavy, you might like and enjoy this, for a Black Lager Beer.

 

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color, but not nearly black. Lots of ruby hints around the edges. Not much head to speak of or lacing. What head there is is a very light brown hue.

Smell: Smells of biscuity malts, a kind of berry like sweetness, and some light chocolate and roast notes as well. Very interesting.

Taste: Very dry initially with biscuity malts coming through. Some dark fruit flavors come through after that, think blackberries. Roast and dark chocolate are far in the background. It's pretty simple all in all, but I like it a lot. Pretty good in its simplicity.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Lighter bodied and very easy drinking. Extremely sessionable. I wish I had access to this beer all of the time. Has a lot of flavor for the ABV. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts for this beer.