Midnight in the Priory
Von C Brewing Co.

 

 

Poured from a pint can, the body is black with a fluffy white head.

Aroma is a malty treat with bread and a little spice.

Taste follows nose with the malt doing the heavy lifting. Notes of chocolate and a small bit of earth hop. Notes much but it's there in the background.

Mouthfeel is good, medium body and soft. Good carbonation.

An enjoyable example of the style.

Review: 2170
Name: Midnight in the Priory
Brewery: Von C Brewing
Location: Norristown, PA
Style: Schwarzbier
ABV: 4.9%
Date: No date, a batch code only
Thank you, David, for this beer. I'm thrilled to explore the unique offerings of different breweries. Today, there is a new beer from Von C. I am using a Belcher glass and serving it at 44 degrees. The pour created a creamy, foamy, one-fingered, light tan head with average retention. The somewhat slow dissipation left a small ring around the glass. The beer is inky black with a dark brown hue, charting at SRM 32, and mostly opaque. The appearance of the beer is about average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I initially smell dark roasted malts and lightly fragrant hops. The malt profile is toasty, with roasted malt, bready, and a touch of malty sweetness. The dark roasted malts are not overbearing but do have a skosh of smoke and Maillard. The hops are lightly floral with some herbal, and resin notes. Other aromas I detect are earthiness, chocolate, medium-roasted coffee, and light yeast. The beer smells delightful.
The beer starts with a lovely coffee, chocolate, and light char flavor. The malt complex displays flavors of chocolate, char, toasted malts, roasted malts, Maillard, light smoke, bready, and some malty sweetness. The hop gives the beer some assertive grapefruit flavors, floral blossoms, and light resin notes. Other flavors are earthy dirt and grassy.
The mouthfeel is astringent, and the finish is tannic and slightly bitter. The body is medium-low and has medium carbonation.
I am enjoying this lovely Schwarzbier; however, the dark-roasted malts might be a turn-off for some people. The dark roasted malts are a bit heavy-handed in this recipe, yet I enjoyed it. Schwarzbier beers are becoming one of my favorite styles to sip when a stout or a porter is too much on a warm summer night. Midnight in the Priory is a delightful beer, I would like to explore other beers from Von C.

16 oz can, unclear date code on the bottom

Pours extremely dark brown, but not quite jet black, cream colored head. Aroma is slightly smokey, dark cocoa. Similar taste, finishes a little dry. Thin to medium bodied.

Von C Brewing Co. "Midnight in the Priory"
$7/16 oz. on tap at the brewery on 9 September 2023

It didn't occur to me until I tasted this that it's probably based on Schmidt's "Prior Double Dark", a beer that I've only tasted once before but still remember. I thought to myself 'that can't be' but then I realized that the name is similar and changed my mind. It's a very dark brown and appears black in the glass beneath a creamy head of light tan foam. When held to the light you can see its true dark brown color at the base of the glass, and note that it's clear as well. The aroma is decidedly malty with notes of chocolate and a coffee-like roastiness. The flavor follows, again, surprisingly malty. It's chocolatey, cocoa powder-ish, lightly caramelish, and just a hint smoky. The body is medium on the lighter end, and it's got a fine-bubbled moderate carbonation that leaves it smooth. It finishes dry with just a touch of roastiness lingering. The malt is rich and the balance is perfect for that. It's one of the best beers that I've had in a long time.
Review #8,737