Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier

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

Bottle from Beers of Europe. Clear mahogany colour with a good frothy, very light brown head. Nice and intriguing aroma; got the chocolate first, then biscuit, grain and bread, and sweet malts. Flavour is not disappointing, malty and chocolatey, roasty with a light dry and bitter finish. Medium bodied, nice mouthfeel, moderately carbonated, very drinkable. Good Schwarz.

Nice tall lasting head, dark amber colored body. Mostly sweet malt in the aroma with a subtone of cheese and grass. Sweet malty and chocolaty flavor with a bit of bitterness and flower tones. Rather thin.

10.02.04 25oz swingtop. Well, it’s certainly not black, rather a clean rootbeer brown. Big head and plenty of lace coat the glass. Nose reminds of that 9-grain sandwich bread, lots of pungent grassy-yeast smells that are not my fav, but certainly as advertised. Flavor, for once, comes through and helps me forget about the unfavorable aromas (usually it seems to be the opposite, good aromas but lacking taste). Nice roastiness dances over a fine palate. Solid hop finish and a lingering smokiness and something woody. No intrusive fruit/choco/coffee flavors or aromas make this a nice diversion for a ’dark’ beer (I know, I know).

This beer does’t look much like a schwarz honestly. More like a dunkel...however it’s pretty dark and slightly opaque. Nose is really all lager yeast, nothing more. I like this although I could go for some grain or hops on top of it. Flavors are tasty, very hoppy for a schwarz. In fact the hoppiest schwarz I’ve had for sure. Flavors I detect: chicory, a slight mocha flavor that is then followed by a savory bitterness. This is a good schwarz but by no means the best. G-rat

Mahogany, slowly fading thin head. There is an aroma of watery dried fruit, a touch of bread, and a faint sourness (might be my nose misinterpreting roasted malts). Medium body, a bit of chocolate, bread, faint molasses, and a drying hop finish. Nothing jumps out, but nicely balanced and very well made.

Medium sized light brown head, decent retention and some stringy, spotty laceing. Gorgeous, clear, brown, ruby hued brew. Big malt nose with hints of licorice and a firm breadyness. Medium body. Smokey, roasty flavors, dry maltiness. Lightly sour, chocolate and caramel notes to boot. Not too sure about the hops? Fairly dry finish, grainy. Good Schwarz! Enjoyable.

duvel tulip glass: very dark body with ruby highlight. thick huge beige head that tames itself nicely. very nice flavor, palate, and aroma. clean and clear, chalky and dry, roasty smokey and nutty with a little bit of chocolate, and with a nice fruity punchy twist like a lime in a corona. hmm, i really like this. it’s refreshing in an oddly dark manner.

I think the "subtitle" Black Pils is almost on the money, as this beer is light to med bodied, dry with a tangy hop finish. Malt flavors are exceptionally clean and light with little to no caramelization. A bare hint of chocolate gives away the darker malts. Less complex than Kostritzer, but more robust than most "American Darks" ostensibly in the style. Attractive reddish brown color, yet fading head.