Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier

Brewed by Kulmbacher Brauerei (Schörghuber)
Style: Schwarzbier
Kulmbach, Germany

Lots of head, nice deep orange/brown. Aroma was very vegetably, yeasty, with flavor covering the same veggies, a little malt, some saaz (they call it the black pils for a reason). A good representation of one of my lesser enjoyed styles.

500ml bottle. I’ve had it from the keg and bottle several times this past month. Pours brownish in color w/ a good off-white head that sticks. Aroma is luxuriantly malty w/ hints of chocolate. I like the "black pils" description on the bottle. Not a hop monster, but well balanced to avoid sweetness and a nice body...light but creamy. Very enjoyable dark lager.

(Bottle 50 cl) Pitch black with a reddish hue and a nice, brownish head. Very dry example of the style, roasted almost burned malt flavours adding to the marked and very long bitterness. Not really for me. 061201 and 020105

On Tap. Malt and brown sugar aroma, mahogony, small tan head. Malt and caramel flavours. Sweet, syrupy. A really nice treat!

Dark beer. Head is big and off-white. Aroma is a bit off. Burnt. Flavor has mainly notes of burnt malt.

(9.24.05) Enjoyed a bottle at Firkin. Large off-white creamy head with excellent lacing. Lively carbonation. Heady aroma of coffee and roast malt. Clear brown-black medium body with dry palate. Starts off slightly sweet with savory coffee, toffee, roast malt flavors and finishes with dry hoppiness. Enjoyable beer to savor alone or after a meal. (07.06.06) UPDATE. On tap at Firkins, Libertyville, IL. Sweet malty caramel aroma. Poured dark amber with small off-white head. Soft carbonation. Medium bodied beer that starts dryish with malty caramel flavor. Finished dry with light hop bitterness. Smooth and well-balanced. A very good drinkable malty session-type beer. The bottle version was better than the tap version (3.6 (16))

Deep purple, smoke in the water. Ok, more precisely clear deep garnet and barely smokey, but I had to say it. The head is beige, thin and diminishing rapidly. The nose is fairly typical, well displayed coffee, perfumey broad range of juicy fresh fruits(figs, plums, grapes). Lean german hops kick in on the tongue, to procure the leafiness that counterbalances the vast sweet grainy flavor range. Restricted roastiness reminds of nutty, toasted pumpernickel. Maltiness is gentle, well rounded. Medium bodied, soft carbonation. Nice example, could be just a touch more attenuated, were it thicker, it would be syrupy. Remains elegant and complex as a session ale. I’d be happy to give it a high score, but the mouthfeel and appearance don’t cut it.

(Kloster Schwarz-bier Mönchshof 4,7%) On-tap. Light and brittle foam, insufficient persistence. Strongly bitter and alcoholic scent, a lot unbalanced and overbearing. Dry and arid taste, bitter, nearly a medicinal. Medium fizz and duration. Long and little pleasant end. Not much refreshing.