Schwarzbier
Southampton Publick House

Pan fried hot dogs & Sportscenter on loop at 3am. The decision on whether to go into work today is still up in the air. If I fall asleep, it's all over. Can't sleep, clowns will eat me.

I resist the urge to plop in a straw, & start emptying the growler out into my liter-sized Warsteiner mug to get to it. Now besides the wow factor of drinking from a 4lb glass, the 4+inch diameter that the developing head has to cover(& does), earns big points. A black & ruby hued, the head comes in half an inch at a time, mimicking the color of oatmeal.

Nose is soft with toffee, hazelnut, a reminder of lactose, whole coffee beans, & some noticeable alcohol.

Taste is a layering of chocolate caramel, an ashy bitterness, graham crackers, newspaper, & flat cola. Light metallic astringency from one end to the other. The finish is otherwise very quiet.

Mouthfeel is initially spritzy, but continues on to be very creamy. Borderline Porter-ish in weight. Texture could almost be described as squeaky, but I'll conform & say it's chewy.

It carries a lot of brown ale qualities with it, but feels somewhat muted in flavor overall. I drank it all(big surprise :P), but I'm still not sure. Now, I'm easily amused, but it had to fight for my attention even with only John Buccigross & a slew of oddly intriguing infomercials to keep me company.

Eh, it feels like a Monday.

Poured into a wheat beer glass.

A: Poured black with a foamy tan head with lacing remaining on the glass.

S: Faint scent of roasted malts - altogether not a very strong nose.

T: Roasted malts and coffee are the dominant flavors in this but it's not very strong in flavor. Slightly bitter - this could be from the hops but I could be mistaken.

M: Medium body and smooth on the tongue.

D: According to the Bowery Whole Foods, the ABV on this is 4.8%, which sounds just about right. Highly drinkable and a very good session beer.

Appearance: black in color with a one finger head that lasts a bit.

Smell: roasted malts along with some softer chocolates and mild coffee tones.

Taste: grainy roasted malts and some dark chocolates are most dominant, with some coffee and prunes in the background. Bitterness brings the sweetness into check to balance this out nicely.

Mouthfeel: smooth from start to finish. Medium bodied. Aftertaste is short as the flavors last for only a few seconds.

Drinkability: superb session beer. I could have had this all night long without getting bored. Must have if you see it on tap.

Poured a deep brown hue with a one finger foamy tan head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured a roasted grain and coffee aroma.

The taste consisted of a solid burnt grain and coffee with a slight smokiness. Some floral hops as well.

The mouthfeel was average for the style.

Overall a good and tasty black beer. Good drinkability.