Pale Ale
Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei

Tallboy can from the make your six-pack section at Wegmans.Hoppy and malty. Can't really tell its a German beer, except for the maltiness.perhaps. But its still more reminiscent of a classic American beer. In fact it reminds me of a those rye ales that were way more popular about 10 years ago. I really like it and would buy it again, specially if its affordable like its schwartzbier sibling.

 

 

just my second beer from these guys, sick to find it on tap in boise, where in my experience we are pretty weak on the imports, especially on draft, so this was a cool score, and its a ripper but a full character one, so quintessentially german even though we dont think of pale ale really as a german beer, at least not in the top handful of styles, so in one way this was predictable, in another totally unexpected, loved it! malty and balanced, bronze toned but bright still, lightly hazy and super high headed, almost belgian there, just off white but peaky and lasting, great carbonation, apparently pretty decent freshness for it making the long haul. the nose has just faint cardboard for a flash up front but then some nice toasty full spectrum barley that has faint sweetness and caramelized notes but remains earthy and simple too, mineral forward, and definitely european, just right for this i think. suble herbal hoppiness, lower alpha than the american palate will be used to, perhaps subtle citrus but more old worldy on the hop side, definite german yeast familiarity here, lovely proportions. it hits frothy and lively right away, i feel it even before i taste it, almost creamy, certainly uncommon for the style, almost bottle conditioned feeling for a draft beer, real nice. the hops do start early, bitter for something like this, more than noble i would think, but i still get some late spiciness, a tea-like note in the middle, and some light oils too, not outwardly all that hoppy i guess by american standards, but this is distinctive in that way for what it is, and im into it. awesome grain support, a graham cracker note to it before a slightly yeasty almost doughy finish, nice back and forth and ultimate balance. killer carbonation and smoothness, refreshing for being as malt forward as it is, and overall a really well executed beer that i like every bit as much as their more commonly seen schwarzbier, if not more!

 

The pour is copper colored. The taste is grapefruit, orange, caramel, & bitter hops. Cheers! B

 

 

 

 

 

 

16oz can poured into a pint glass.

A: Decidedly amber colored. Mild haze. Super persistence rocky, cream-colored head. Extra sticky and chunky lacing.

S: Floral and fruity with a lot of citrus pith, sugared grapefruit, crushed berries, and green grass. Thick and toasty malt base with caramel top note.

T: A lot of fruitiness up front. Mixed berries. Heavily floral and pithy. Grapefruit and lemon. Mildly piney too. Bitterness is stiff and builds on the back end. Oily and herbal. Fat malt body is all toast, crust, and caramel. Long hop finish goes bitter, oily, and steely at the end.

M: Medium-full body with a fat and creamy mouthfeel. Moderately chewy. Carbonation is a bit low and fails to provide an adequately crisp bite, meaning that it feels thicker and more texturally dense. This does affect drinkability somewhat. Gripping hop bitterness.

O: It's a weird one. It's designed more or less like a classic American Pale ale with a rich and sweet crystal malt sort of feel. The hop profile is a little more New Age though. Not sure what strains they're using, but there's a familiar citrus and pine sort or profile mixed with a berry-like fruitiness that doesn't really fit. The relative lack of carbonation is the worst sin though. Without that crisp bite, it just sits fat and flat on the palate. You wouldn't get a second pint into me.

 

A: The beer is very hazy brownish yellow to amber in color. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that has very good retention properties and left lots of lacing down the sides of the glass and a short head covering the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of herbal hops are present in the nose along with notes of spicy hops and underlying hints of caramel malts.
T: The taste follows the smell, except that the flavors of caramel malts are a little stronger and the hops also contribute a moderate amount of carbonation.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This pale ale is well hopped, although the aromas and flavors of herbal hops can seem a bit acrimonious.

Serving type: can

From the tallboy in a snifter. This solid little pale pours a
dark and lightly murky amber with a VERY nice head of
white foam that settles to a thick ring, thick clumping layer,
and shows some nice light lacing. Nose of grassy hops, herbal hops,
grain notes, and moderate honey malt touches. Flavors expand nicely
on the nose with grassy and herbal hops to the fore of the taste, mellow
honey and light cereal grains to the mid, and bittering hops to the rear of the
taste. Nice mouth feel; smooth, slightly creamy, soft carbonation, and a nicely
balanced sweet and bitter hop finish.

Overall---more than solid and would have it again if the opportunity
presented itself. From the PROST 8 pack.

Of note, the can I have states 7 percent ABV.

Cheers

 

Pours a dark amber with a two finger head. Smell is grassy, herbal and malty. Taste is somewhere between a lager and a schwarzbier. A little burnt tasting, malty and spicy. Seems to get better as it goes though. Not bad.