Pfungstädter 1831 Schwarzbier
Pfungstädter Brauerei

delicious, especially this time of year, oktoberfest stuff already winding down, days getting cooler, this is light and still so obviously well lagered, but has wonderful roast, fall vibes all the way, and is so authentically german and old worldy on the yeast and the malt, i loved it, especially cool to find it on tap, can always count on bittercreek downtown for some good stuff, have not seen this anywhere else. charcoal colored from the tap, a little brownish red edges in the daylight, frothy tan head on top, no real viscosity at all, light for a dark beer, and plenty fizzy, looks right on. the nose shows some slightly dusty german grain, a little old mans hat vibe here, fresh ground coffee, pool table felt, light smoke, raisin, dark bread and soil, very dry to me, the yeast is as bold as the roast, really compelling! the flavor is about the same, less roasty tasting than it looks and smells, still a coffee note, very classically german, some neat munich type breadiness to the malt, a dry cocoa note too, and an almost pizza dough rawness to the lager yeast, even though its also quite familiar, seems long matured, bone dry, really neat. super light in body and very well carbonated, soft feeling, cool water chemistry on display here, attention to detail is fantastic overall, and even though this seems not crazy fresh, its a style that sometimes benefits from that, at least in my opinion. i loved this, could make a day of it, sort of uniquely ashy and dry and yeasty at the end, but so light. grossly underrated here on BA in my opinion. at the bar it was just called pfungstadter schwarzbier, i think they make a few, but i assume it was this one. delicious. perfect for early fall.

 

 

Had on tap. Chestnut brown with dark tones on edges, tan cap and light lacing. Smells of raisin, prune, brown bread and light cola. Taste brings huge raisin, prune, pretty solid caramel malts, light brown bread and cocoa. Nice how the bread and dark fruits really play off each other. Lighter body, especially mid sip, malty the whole way.

Can from the Boise Co-op. Dark brown pour, small foamy head. Musty aroma, leaning towards sour. Taste also kind of sour, lacking the real bitter bite of the style. Musty throughout, more sweet than bitter.

 

 

 

 

 

Taste: toasted dark malt, crisp, balanced, chocolate, caramel , clean finish. Same with the finish. Dark brown, mostly clear, delicate tan head and lace. Medium to med/full body. Paired well with food. 19 IBUs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at Albion, New York, NY

A: The beer is clear and very dark red in color with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is just about black when viewed from afar and poured with a quarter finger high dark beige head that fad d down, leaving a large patch of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of dark malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of dark malts with notes of malt extracts. Neither bitterness nor sweetness are perceptible.
M: It feels just about medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is a good representation of the style. The only drawback is that the taste doesn’t really stand out. It is very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap