Angler Black Lager
Barley Creek Brewing Company

Barley Creek Brewing Co. "Angler Black Lager"
16 fl. oz. can coded "once you go Black canned on 10/24/25". Sampled on 04/12/2026

Note via stream of consciousness: For some reason I thought of my former friend Tim Phillips, God bless his soul, when I pulled this beer out of the fridge. I don't know if it was one of his recipes or not, but that doesn't matter, I'll pour a little bit out for him. No one will mourn my passing, I'll tell you that, but he was a great guy. It's black in the glass but when you hold it to the light you can see that it's hazy, and that there are golden, orange, and brown highlights. The aroma is grainy, sweetish, fruity, lightly caramelish, and softly chocolatey. This is definitely not what I think of when I think of a Bavarian-style dark lager. Let me hold off on that thought and give it a taste. Hmmm, there's definitely some fruitiness to it but I doubt it's from the yeast, and probably more from hops. Is there anything on the label? Yep, it's got Styrian Aurora and Hallertau Hersbrucker. I've never heard of Styrian Aurora so maybe it's them - quick Google search - they're spicy, herbal, floral, and resinous with some lemongrass. Apparently, then, the fruitiness IS from the yeast. Ummm, OK. Otherwise I feel that the malt is nicely done with some pleasant nuttiness, a touch of brown sugar, and a bit of what reminds me of Ovaltine. The soft spiciness from the hops, and its moderate to median bitterness balance it nicely, and it finishes with caramel and fruit fading slowly away. The fruitiness throws me off. I'm not getting lemongrass, but more of a melon note with lots of juicy apple and some pear. It's just not what I would expect. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp as expected. If I were to judge this as a "Bavarian style lager" it would not do well, so I'll just look at it hedonistically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Dark Brown in color almost black, with a nice tan head at the top and left some lacing around the glass, just a tiny.

S: The nose was probably the best part of the beer, some good chocolate notes, some dark roasted malts and some brown sugar as well.

T: The nose is present in the taste, but the taste is rather subtle and quite boring, some chocolate on the front and some slight roastyness on the tail end.

M: Light bodied, slight carbonation a little sticky on the end.

O:This beer was well balanced but nothing to really go crazy over, this beer was not so complex but didn't taste bad.

On the docket: Barley Creek Brewing Co.’s Angler Black Lager

Growler filled: 2/13/17

Poured into: Lone Eagle Brewing Co. craft glass

Sight: From a long way off, you’d swear the glass held the darkest stout in the world. But come closer. A more attentive inspection screams walnut hardwood or if you want to get esoteric, bistre (sooty brown) with reddish-orange highlights. The head, though short lived is a quick-forming beige cap. Lacing is minimal and delicate. The cap recedes into a swirl of suds and a small conclave of bubbles on one side of the glass. The body is dark enough to prohibit the detection of bubbles rising to the surface.

Aroma: Malt is definitely the star here, as this beer yields an aroma of darkish baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder. There’s a slight suggestion of roasted coffee, and an earthiness that reminds me of either tobacco or leather. Either is fine.

Taste: Closely mirroring the aroma, is a malt-driven brew. Chocolate, sweetish malt and a hint of brown or pumpernickel bread. The slightest trace of caramel. There’s a roundness here that’s appealing. Only on the end do the hops make an appearance in the bitter balance to all the smooth, dark malt flavors.

Mouthfeel: The commonly held misconception is that dark beers are heavy. Well, some are. But this? This is light, elegant, and dances on the tongue, a medium- on the body. Fine carbonation. Crisp, smooth finish– just like a lager should have.

Overall: Is it an imperial, barrel aged stout with vanilla, coffee, cocoa nibs, and blessed by a priest? NO. This is a fine example of a beer style that receives way too little attention in the beer world: Schwarzbier. For those that love lagers, for those that love German beer, for those that love dark beer, for those that love session-able beer (5.2% abv), this beer is for all of you.

Suggested food pairing(s): banana chocolate-chip pancakes (beer with breakfast anyone?!), coffee-encrusted flank steak, smoked wurst, sharp English or Irish cheddar, chocolate-pecan terrine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a nonic at 50 degrees
Full review at http://lownobudgetreviews.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/barley-creek-brewing-company-tannersville-pa-navigator-angler-and-antler/ (Ryan's Reviews)

ANGLER is a great example of a lager that actually maintains some pretty deep and interestingly complex flavor profiles, even though it is a lager… and that impressed me immensely! ANGLER pours a deep near-black brown with a creamy light tan head that dissipates pretty quickly and leaves nearly no lacing, but this is to be expected with a lager. The scent rising out of the nonic is all coffee and roasted malt, big smoky scents without smelling like a smoked beer, a lot more depth to it than I was anticipating from this lager.

Taking that first taste, I think: this is a lager I could actually… like. It has some of the flavors you’d expect from what I’m smelling – coffee, roasty, deep flavors akin somewhat with a stout – yet it also has that dry crispness I expect from a lager, and a very mild hoppiness on the exit, just enough to remind you that there are some hops in the beer. The lagering process has made the flavor profile a lot more one-dimensional than it would be if it were an ale, which is not necessarily a bad thing; not everyone is into big flavors and not everyone will appreciate the complexities of a Russian Imperial Stout. ANGLER would be a great stepping-stone for someone working their way out of AAL and into better beers, darker beers.

ANGLER looks thick, until you hold it up to the light and see how thin it really is. The beer is meager and zesty in its body; while from across the room it looks like a stout, drinking ANGLER makes its lager heritage extremely obvious. That lager body makes ANGLER a very easily drinkable beer.