Devils Backbone Schwartz Bier

Brewed by Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Style: Schwarzbier
Roseland, Virginia USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Pours black with a tons of quickly dispersing carbonation. Aromas are caramel, bread, and other various malt markers; nothing particularly special. Flavors run the same gamut as the aroma with just a touch of toffee, cocoa and coffee mixed in. Palate is very light and fizzy, which is nice and makes this a relatively refreshing dark beer. Overall this is a decent beer, nothing to write home about, but I am biased against lagers of all kinds. Though I normally stay away from lagers and rate them under 3, this one did me solid.

12oz bottle. Small tan head atop cola dark-brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, coffee, some roast, light milk chocolate, faint earthy. Taste is moderately sweet, coffee, caramel, some roast, light milk chocolate. Soft light-medium body, light stickiness.

The aroma is maybe slightly richer than Devil’s Backbone’s basic lager, but the flavor is, if anything, more watery. This thing has little alcohol, which is fine, but it’s thin on flavor, too. Mild hops, and rather than malt, there’s a a flavor like spring water that ran off charcoal. I cannot recommend this at all. Devil’s Backbone has a couple of decent brews, but this ain’t one.

Bottle. Pours clear black with a touch of red. Small tan fizzy head that dissipates quickly with decent lacing. Aroma is roasted malts, coffee, toffee, a touch of smoke, lager yeast. Flavor is much the same, light sweetness and light bitterness with a mix of coffee and grassy notes. Finish is dry. Light to medium body, prickly carbonation.

12 oz. bottle from Total Wine, Chesapeake, VA. Dark brown, almost black, pour with a frothy khaki head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, light smoke, and faint floral hops. The flavor blends faint espresso with light caramel and hops beautifully. If this beer was not named as a Schwarzbier I would swear this was a porter. For the style, this is nearly perfect.

On tap 4 oz. pour at Lost Dog Cafe in McLean, VA. Opaque, black-mahogany with a small khaki head and good lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, roasted coffee, cocoa and caramel. Taste of roasted malt, roasted coffee, cocoa, pumpernickel, tart berries and caramel. Medium/light body and low/medium carbonation. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

It is common to say that something "tastes like chicken" in the culinary world. In the beer world, the phrase should be "tastes like a brown ale." This beer poured almost black. It was bitter with hints of, yes, you guessed it, coffee. Thanks to RABinVA for sending this my way. Bottle - Trade from RABinVA

Draft. I showed up thirsty, looking forward to a drink. The beer looked good upon arrival, but the taste fell a bit short - had hoped that it would stand out. Dark, dark brown body with little head. Overall a muted aroma of malt and smoke. Mildly cocoa, lightly roasty malt flavor with a clean, mildly dry aftertaste. Smooth but thin palate. Overall impression, a perfectly good, very drinkable, but unexciting brew.

On draft at lost dog in mclean va. Pours a dark cola with a tan head. Toasted malt aroma. Flavors of cocoa and light coffee notes. Medium to light mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Light bitter finish.

Draft at Savory Grain The beer poured a deep opaque black. Light aroma of coffee and roasted malt. Not much of a head just a white collar. The beer had soft carbonation. The flavor was of roasted malts,with coffee.. The finish was smooth with hints of chocolate.