Baeren Schwarz

Brewed by Baeren
Style: Schwarzbier
Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Botela. Black colour, beige medium head. Well roasted maltiness with dark fruits, bit smoke and bit chocolate too. Good mouthfeel. Pleasant flavour of roasted malt along with dark fruits and some chocolate and smoke. Medium pleasant bitterness. Nice Schwarz!

Keg at Goodbeer faucets. Dark chocolate brown colour with beige head that soon fades. Aroma is slightly chocoatey and a bit of savoury (soy sauce). Roasty malt. Taste is very smooth, touch of vanilla creaminess (chocolate milk maybe) but not that sweet. Savoury tang to it. Initial bitterness but then very creamy finish. Think I am a sucker for Schwarzbier.

Draught at Bulldog World Beer & Food. Black - offwhite head. Burned. Dryness. Light body. Freshness. Light metallic. Light light smokey. Thin finish.

Nah, don’t agree with the high reviews on this one. Bottle. Appears dark brown with no real head in glass. Aroma is a meaty smoke, not as much roasts. Flavor is similar: cured meat, ham, sweet malt. Despite all those seemingly rich flavors, the mid-body empties into a bit of a watery finish. Not bad, but I’m missing the ashy roasts that to me, make the Schwarzbier style stand out.

UPDATED: NOV 27, 2008 Draught at Wachi. A beautiful, glowing, shiny black with a lovely, thin lacy head. Much nicer looking and more flavorful than the bottle. Rich burnt black malts, coffee, dark chocolate, cream/milk. Creamy, rich and thick. Excellent. (Old: Bottle, 3.7 points) Pitch black with a tall tan head. Burnt malt aroma, a bit creamy, some chocolate, caramel, a bit of coffee. Nice roasted malt flavor, dry, quite creamy. Light body. Not sweet. Chocolate and coffee come out as well. Medium flavor, not exactly full. Maltiness comes out in the finish well, with dry burnt flavors as well. Creamy and nice.

Draft @ Aldgate Pub: Dark black/brown, light head and lacing. Nose of sweet roasty coffee, light fruit and plum, dark cherry and grapes. The flavor is a bit chewy, sweet and raisony, clean coffee and plum. Good schwarz.

Tap at Aldgate. Black with a medium tan head. Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and some nutiness. Flavor is similar. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, slightly smokey. Finishes sorta spicy. Body is a little on the thin side. Really enjoyable.

My Bottom Line:
Roasting biscuit malts atop a spongy chocolate cake adorned by a coulis of molasses; now this is my idea of a Schwarzbier which could be served as dessert just as much as for evening sessions.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the brownish black.
-Supporting hops are quite shy; this one’s all about the malts (though lean they are).
-The finish is a tad disappointing, a mere quick fade out of the flavor profile. -I don’t know what some of the raters have had, but in any case this bottle of mine was in fine form!
-There is a rumour that the brewer/owner might leave Baeren to start another brewery in...Tirana! Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.

Bottled on November 24th, 2006.

Dark black color with ruby highlights. Thin, tan head that fades away quickly. Light malty aroma with a hint of chocolate and some nuttiness. Malty, nutty flavors with a touch of hops. Not that exciting, but alright.

Bottle. Dark, small eggshell head. Estery aroma with some tobacco. Ugh...reminds me of a somewhat better version of those beers that the Texas-brewery-that-must-not-be-named used to make. But it is what it is, kind of tasteless and chewy. Not that great,