3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap at Zeno’s. Light roasty chocolate malt with lots of burnt character. Light sweet aroma and some mild hops. Dark brown black clear with thin brown head. Medium body with medium fizzy carbonation. Starts sweet and dark with chocolate, coffee, roasted grain and lactic sweetness. A bit sweeter than German Schwarzbiers and closer in taste to a porter, but darned tasty.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draft @ Zeno’s. Deep brown, hazy, lightly filtered or unfiltered. Soft nose of stale coffee ground and toast focused malt. Body is moderately rich, well-mashed, good heft. Toasted grains, bread crust, a little bit of char but zero astringency. Hints of vanilla and cream. Good overall, easy to drink.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
On tap at Zeno’s Pub - State College, PA. Pours a deep, deep black, with a creamy tan head. Aroma is soft and gives a supple roast malt and lager yeast. Flavor is rich and developing. Ooh. Lots of deep dark plum, caramelized raisins, toasted hazlenuts and cream. Nice malt profile. Soft, delicate and rich. Maybe a little more sugar and heft than I expect from the style, but combined with Otto’s house lager yeast and a bristling edge of hops, this is delightful. An awful lot of rich dark, dried fruit character for a Schwarz. Not bland or predictable. Instead, rich, chewy and intense. A very nice rendition.
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