Sprecher Black Bavarian

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Schwarzbier
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Bottle in trade with Brad. He actually found and provided a domestic beer from MY wants list. I tip my hat. Yah, this is a caramel sugar filled emporium of a beer. Wispy chocolate caramel nose. Limited carbonation. Tan head fizzed to oblivion quickly. Back in the day I would have said this was a fantastic brew. I find it to be overly sweet and abundant with things other than malt. It is creamy and smooth from start to finish, it falls a bit shy of my definition of a Schwarzbier. Needs more slate.

More coffee than anything. Some cocoa and toffee but a pretty basic black. Good but not great ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

I remember a nice chocolate aroma, but I tasted this at Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub where I only had my mobile app and could not enter comments. I will add more comments when I return to try it again.

Bottle. Pours deep, dark brown with average, fizzy beige head; short retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is roast and caramel malts, figs, plums, floral hops, and some woody notes. Flavor roast malt forward with good dark fruit esters, some earthy hops, woody notes, and light smoke; dry, slightly ashy finish. Medium body and low carbonation.

16 ounce bottle into imperial pint glass, bottled 3/29/2012. Pours crystal clear extremely dark reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, molasses, toffee, raisin, toast, nuttiness, and light herbal. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of chocolate, caramel, toast, toffee, molasses, raisin, roasted malt, nuttiness, light coffee, biscuit, earthiness, and herbal spiciness. Light herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, toffee, molasses, roasted malt, toast, raisin, nuttiness, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and complexity of flavors; nicely robust with zero cloying after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice schwarzbier! Nicely robust with good balance and complexity of flavors; very smooth to drink. Really enjoyed this one.

16 oz bottle pours black with ruby at the edge. The tan head is tiny and disappears quickly. Aroma has roasted/burned malts and chocolate and a bit of smoke in the finish. Taste is bitter and slightly salty. Body is medium without much carbonation. I wasn’t expecting much when I put this one into a M&M 6 pack, but was pleasantly surprised. I’ll gladly try this again.

Very very heavy. Uncomfortable to drink. Tastes like ash and booze. What kind of monster could take on an entire pint of this stuff alone?

New Beer Distributors, NY 16 ounce ($2.75): Pours a black color with a small brown head. Aroma is coffee, chocolate, roasted malts. Taste is mostly like chocolate and stuff. Bitterness is present in small force. Aftertaste is more bitter. Nice touch of hops. I like the fact that this looks like a macro, but is upon the better black lagers I had. Not the best black lager I have ever had though.

12oz bottle. Pours a deep brown color with ruby highlights and a one inch tan bubbly head that fell to a ring and laced the glass. Aroma is roasty malts, dark fruits and molasses with a touch of chocolate and light mustyness. Has a complex mix of malts with alot of roastyness, has a bit of caramel and molasses, a very light touch of chocolate and very mild bitterness, quite smooth the whole way through. Some slight dark fruityness and a smokey burntness pokes through in the finish. Medium bodied, mostly smooth mouthfeel with a nice, long lingering bitterness off the back end.

12 oz. bottle. From the Mint, Bethlehem, PA. Nearly black in colorwith ruby hues. Lots of malt and coffee up front. the lager yeast is noticeable with a delightful chocolate and roasted character. I also get just a touch of bitterness to help with balance. The roasted malt has depth. Medium in body with just enough carbonation to give it a prickly/ lively mouthfeel. If its this good in a bottle, I can only imagine it on draft. This is above average in the style if you ask me. I would love to drink this again.