Von Raven Birra Scura
Mecklenburgische Brauerei Lübz GmbH

Brown 33cl bottle with twist cap. Brown label with a rather drab graphic of a man in armor on the front.

Slightly hazy chocolate brown body, with a mocha coloured creamy, foamy head. Small pancake bubbles arise in the solid head after a while. Excellent retention and good lacing - in fact, this is a damn fine looking beer! I was expecting something a lot more insipid, and this one looks amazing.

Dark brown Schinkenbrot loaf on the nose, traces of yeast and toasty bitterness. More subdued than it could be, and not a lot of complexity, but it's pretty tasty all the same.

Ah yes, tasty. The taste is pretty much what you'd expect. A dark, bready slightly singed palate, redolent with toasted notes and a slight coppery bitterness. Remarkably short though, and could have used a smoother feel.

Still, it's a tasty brew, and surprisingly good for a generic-branded beer I picked up in a Slovene supermarket!

very dark, almost black in the middle but not quite schwarz. clear dark amber around the edges in the light. a decent little head fades quickly leaving this beer with a very coke-like appearance.

not a lot to smell, and i find it hard to get specific about what little i get. mild maltiness, muted hops. a very generic lager, but not bad. same with the taste, but a little better. a nice light, refreshing beer with a sufficiently hoppy bitter finish. the only bad thing i can say about this is that it is pretty boring.

it's been a long time since i've had a kostritzer, the only other schwarzbier i've tried. i'll have to try that one again to give the style a chance, but for now i'll take just about any of the euro dark lagers or munich dunkels i've had over a schwarzbier.