Iron Hill Czech Dark Lager (Schwarz)

Brewed by Iron Hill Newark
Style: Schwarzbier
Newark, Delaware USA

I liked this very much. Very nice creamy head that lasted til the end. Dark amber pour with a fruity malty aroma. Nice malty sweet taste with a hop finish. Dry at the end. Very good.

On tap at GABF 2009. Dark brown in color with reddish hues and a small tan head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is well-balanced with roast, coffee, and grassy hops. Flavor is roasted malt, coffee, nuts, and crisp grassy hops. Described as a "black pilsner," but it’s roastier than others of that style that I’ve tried. Palate is clean and crisp with medium-light body and average carbonation. Overall a very good schwarzbier.

10/2/09 notes: GABF Saturday. Nice toasty, ash chocolate nose, with dry, somewhat grassy and chocolatey body. Very flavorful for the style. Palate is clean, without being watery. Enjoyable.

Draught at BrewPub: Aroma of roasted malts, light chocolate, light coffee, and a hint of wood. Poured very dark brown/very deep amber in color with a small, creamy, tan head, that lasted throughout. Clear. Not sparkling. Good lacing. Flavor is lightly sweet. Tastes of roasted malts, light chocolate, light bitter coffee, slight wood, and a hint of nuts. Medium body. Dry, lightly chalky texture. Soft to average carbonation. Roasted malt, chocolate finish is chalky and dry. I initially mistook this for the Pig Iron Porter, but upon comparing the two, the lager characteristics of the Schwarz were very clear.
Earlier Rating: 11/2/2003 Total Score: 2.2
Not as good as the porter from which it is derived. Not enough taste, though quite dry.

On tap at Iron Hill Lancaster...I hope this is the same beer...was just listed on the specialty beer menu as Schwarzbier...poured root-beer in color, off-white head...light roasty aroma with caramel, malts...flavor was somewhat light but malty, with molassas, walnut, weak coffee...not a bad beer...went down fast.

(11/8/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in North Wales. Clear reddish-amber color. Weak aroma of malt and light toastiness. Sweetish flavor with some caramel. Light-bodied.

Brown color with a citrus hop and bready/grainy malt aroma. Flavor is a bit sawdusty with some mild citrus hops and bread. Not bad.

On tap at the Lancaster location, labeled as Schwarzbier. Great musty grain aroma, raw wort, and dusty grain mill. If any more sour, it would smell like canvas. Roasty and toasty. Light floral hops. Dark brown-black clear with thin light tan lacing head. Medium watery body with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts dry with bitter roasted grain, some dusty malt and light chocolate character. Mild-medium bitter finish and roasted chocolate malt after. Nice Schwarzbier - good bitterness in the after.