German Schwarzbier

The first time I had Monchshof Schwarzbier it was like an awakening. I can't remember the last time I saw a new bottle of the stuff. There's very little choice on the shelves for this beer style around here these days.

Xingu was inspired by a black beer produced in the Amazon rainforest in the 1500s that was made with corn and manioc and fermented naturally. I don't think of it as a Schwarzbier even though it probably resembles one more than it resembles the Amazonian beverage that inspired it.

The recent Schlafly Lunar Lager mixed 12 pack is a godsend. It has a roast-forward "black lager," Dunkel, Kellerbier, and "American lager." They were all a treat to drink and felt like a very welcome throwback. The pale American lager knocked my socks off.

 

That one was outstanding. At one point over the winter I had Heavy Trommel, IA Winter Landscape and Catskill Nightshine all in the house at the same time- it was an embarassment of riches .

 

sweet christ on a cracker I'd like to try that amazonian beverage, I have a friend that does research on manioc usage, I may have to post an ISO pigeon to him. Do you think I could close it with some mosquito nets and a 16 oz of malaria tablets? Or do I have to add in some g and t and the yellow fever vaccine?

 

Von Trapp's Dunkel is well, a Dunkel. And their Bock Bier, is well, a Bock.

They're both dark(er), especially the Dunkel, but they're not Schwarzbiers.

Loved Heavy Trommel too!

Although I did find it much more Porter-like. Not as dry as a Schwarz, sweeter and fuller bodied. Maybe it was the power of suggestion in that Jack's Abby called it a "German Porter".

 

Love the stuff, especially in early fall when I start thinking of stouts but the weather is just a tad too warm for them. Devil's Backbone makes one year round, available in bottles.

 

I attributed the body to the keller attributes of the beer. I didnt get much sweetness from the beer, but the roast was amazing. It was almost smoky at first for me and rounded out into a distinct dark roast coffee flavor. Totally different experience than, say, kotstrizer but still fitting for the style. And if not, well, it's still such a great and distinct beer.

 

I'm a little lost to be honest on what exactly the "kellerbier" in their Kellerbier series means. Because all of their beers are unfiltered.

I think it's just a name they use to indicate a one-off beer they're brewing.

 

If anybody at Bells or Deschutes is reading this... BRING IT BACK!

 

Just had my last can from the 4-pack last night and I really enjoyed it as well. From my review: "...drinks heavier than it actually is. If you're trying to nail down a style that you've had before, it most closely resembles a schwarzbier. Darker, drier, and roastier than a Dunkel."

 

Wait, WTF? I had one of these last night and I thought it was a Helles lager? It poured light and completely clear. Am I missing something, are there different ones that JA makes?

 

Yeah, all three of those beers I mentioned are in that territory, which is why I prefer to make that distinction that they are not really Schwartzbiers. Imo, there really should be a catch-all Black Lager category.

 

Agreed. I try not to get too caught up in styles and I'm all for more catch-all groupings. The differences between dark lager styles are subtle but they do exist and the style designations help the drinker know what to expect, which I feel is important.

 

Smoked malts will have differences due to storage and time. The smoke will dissipate to the air. Do you smell the smoke where the LHBS stores it? It is no longer in the malt.

Some years back a couple of us in the club bought a bag of Briess Cherrywood Smoked malt, the bag was lined with foil to help it stay fresh.

After being less than satisfied with malt from Homebrew Shops, I learned to cold smoke my own grains, and use those fresh. It makes a difference.

 

Jeff, all of my purchasing of smoked malt (Weyermann) has been from on-line vendors. Based upon how the resulting beers turned out those malts appeared to be fresh.

Cheers!

 

Huh. Well maybe it was more of a Schwarzbier. I did drink them pretty quickly, but all I know for sure is that the beer was really fucking good.

Maybe Beeradvocate should just put all beers in these categories.

Really fucking good

Fucking good

Good

Really bad

Really fucking bad

This could be work. I bet in a blind taste taste I might be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Schwarzbier, a Czech Dark Lager, and a Munich Dunkel.

Probably less so the Dunkel, I think the melonoidin characteristics would stand out.

Come to think of it, I might be able to. The roastiness of a Schwarz and perhaps the hop profile of the Czech Dark Lager MIGHT give these two away. Maybe.

 

I remembered this blog post from JA that I read a little while back. Seems a lot it has to do with the fact that their Kellerbiers are left exposed during maturation.

https://jacksabby.com/blog/2018/01/blager-story-part-3-kellerbier/

 

And add to that the other (perhaps older) Dunkel types that probably aren't well served by looking at them through the lens of a Munich Dunkel. Take Von Trapp, for example, which I find more angular in nature, like toasted pumpernickel, rather than the more rounded melanoidin-rich Munich style.

 

I have had Magnetron and I have to tell you... Pipeworks blows it away!