Schwarzbier
Distant West Brewing

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a fizzy, very dark walnut brown with little light transmission in the glass and a thin light khaki head that dissipates quickly to sparse patches and slight lacing. Light aroma of dark toasted malt, dark bread crust, graham cracker and a hint of cocoa. Flavor is mild, dark toasted. bready malt, brown bread, cocoa, a bit of graininess and a touch of licorice in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A rather laid-back schwarzbier with a mild aroma and lighter than normal malt flavor depth, although the color is quite deep and impressive. The fizzy pour resulted in a short lived head, but it looked nice otherwise. There is an interesting licorice note in the finish and a touch of bitterness. Has the basics of the style, but need a bit more malt and flavor depth.

I had this beer on-tap at the brewery in a pub glass.

Appearance: rich dark brown hue with minimal haze and a thin finger of frothy tan foam atop.

Smell: caramelly and a little roasty. There’s a little off aroma here too; not really a ton but enough to notice.

Taste: roasty, somewhat astringent malt flavor with some caramel notes. Not too bad, but the astringency makes it a little harsh.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation for the style.

Overall: a decent enough schwarzbier, though there’s a little room for improvement.