Let's Talk About Schwarzbier

I always thought Carnegie Porter, originally from Sweden, was particularly good and quite distinctive. I believe Carlsberg, an international amalgam, now owns the licensing...When I first encountered this beer it was brewed in Sweden. I could have sworn the beer had properties beyond alcohol stimulation. I loved that beer! I never cared if it was a lager or an ale.

 

I'm a newbie to the style but I always loved Sam Adams Black Lager, and Monchshof Schwarzbier is a top 15 beer for me. I buy it every time I see it.

 

The information I have on 19th-century Kulmbacher show gravities of 16-17 Plato.

 

By the way, I agree with @TongoRad.

We need more dark sessionable beers. Ale or lager in my opinion.

Whether it be Schwarzbier, Munich Dunkel, Irish Dry Stout, English Dark Mild, Czech Dark Lagers...etc.

It seems like more and more brewers are doing sessionable lighter beers like Koelsch and Pils, but for some reason we’re still stuck in Imperial mode for darker beers.

 

Nothing truer than this.

I really hope I get to see the day when the US realizes that 5.6% beer isn’t really a “session” beer, and we can take a page from our friends across the pond in exploring smaller beers without compromising big flavor.

After all, it seems like making a truly flavorful small beer of any style (under 4%) truly flexes the skill of a brewer. Squeezing water from stone like that should be celebrated and done much, much more often.

But the big Mountain Dew and flavor-blasted Doritos palate of the bulk of the USA isn’t quite ready for that.

 

Randy, FWIW every Monchshof I have had stateside has been tasty (i.e., not stale). It likely helps in that dark malts have antioxidative properties which aids in this beer's shelf-life.

Cheers!

 

I really like this style. I've had bottles of Monchshof and Kostritzer in the US and in Germany, and have enjoyed Monchshof quite a bit more. The new one from Deschutes/Bell's is very good, but the best one I've tried was just up the road, at Cedar Springs Brewing.

 

I look forward to reading your final verdict.

Maybe this would be a good beer for a New Beer Sunday post?

Cheers!

 

Just tried this last night. It was quite enjoyable. A good representation of the style.

 

I am currently drinking an excellent interpretation of a black lager or Schwartzbier - Duck-Rabbit Brewery's "Schwarzbier". It is very refreshing and crisp - the perfect "black pils".

 

I had it tonight. Very good.

 

To me Kostritzer is very light. Lacks flavour. I tried both in can and bottles. There aren't lots of schwarzbiers around here. I think I tried Oettinger's (worst than Kostritzer) and one more I can't remember what it was.

 

I bought a 6pack this morning, finishing my first can. I'm very impressed with it.

 

The reason why I shifted to drinking more German style beers (especially Shwarzbier) was because so many American beers were really fatiguing and just agressive and unsessionable.

I love that Köstritzer is light and dry, but still retains the specialty malt character. The more I drink it, the more I fall in love with it. Especially the cans since they retain a bit more freshness.

It’s definitely something I wouldn’t have enjoyed, say, 4-5 years ago, but I think Dark lagers are a style that every beer lover eventually starts to crave at some point.