Mariahilfer Schwarze Madonna
Kössel Bräu

 

L- Closely resembles Coke, plus a 1cM mid-tan fine-bubble head.
S- A roasty-toasty aspect.
T- Ditto^ with a light charred note. Some bright dry hops into the finish,
F- Good CO2 on the palate (and carbonation holding well in the glass too). This has no sense of ABV% to it, perhaps it's the pungent flavour. I'd guess it's 4.9-5.1% or thereabouts. It's quite hoppy-dry for a 'black beer'.
O- I'm not a born black-beer drinker, but I enjoy a well put together one. This ticks that box. This might be one to please fans of trad black beer? I'd happily drink this again, though perhaps on the continent at the modest German prices, vs the UK niche import price. That said I lived in DE for three years, enjoyed many hundreds of different local beers and never heard of this brewery until last week when shopping in Newcastle!
Bought from Rehill's of Jesmond, N-U-T 500ml flip-top bottle £3.49. Now studying the lable, pretty but with minimal text on it, it's 5.5% (well hidden!) and has a BB of 18/06/2025.