Moonlight Death and Taxes Black

Brewed by Moonlight Brewing Company
Style: Schwarzbier
Fulton, California USA

Draught. Smooth, easy drinking. Aroma not parrticularly distinct-slight fruitiness. Flavor quite complex, with a combo of malt, light acidity, bubbly spiciness, cloves, slight fennel tones, and a touch of bubblegum, plus very subtle roasted grain. Alcohol is light, but I wasn’t in the mood for getting sloshed! Great California interpretation of the style.

On tap at Liar’s Club. Surprisingly great. Black with almost no head. Chocolate and grain aroma. Roasty burnt taste with a smokey finish.

On draft at O’Briens (months ago). Almost fully black and opaque, with many bubbles clinging to the lower sides of the glass - reminiscent of a coke or rootbeer. Both aroma and flavor are roasty and herby, blackened malts, dandelion milk, hints of soy sauce and slight bitter chocolate finish. Kind of stoutlike with more crispness and carbonation. Light to medium body and tingly carbonation in the mouthfeel.

Draft at Toronado. Blackish body, tan head that lasts fairly well. Aroma is very roasted with lesser chocolate and coffee notes, some caramel. Moderate hopping here, which is basically high for the style. Very drinkable, big flavors for such a low ABV. Good Schwarz.

Tap @ Tornado 1/4/08, recommedation from Bikesandbeer’s brother Marty. Porus black with a thin tan head. No noticeable armoa. Taste is sweet, mellow and malty, very drinkable, smoky and roasty and yummy.

I’ve had Death and Taxes many times over the years, having grown up in the Sonoma County region, and had it again for the first time in a while last night. The nose is sweet, caramel, roasty. The head is thick and tan and laces well throughout the pint. The flavor is slightly bitter java, cocoa beans, and a little burnt caramel. You can really get the flavor of the chocolate malts. Mouthfeel is nice, and beer is deceiving light as a black lager style. Overall, a really solid standby, though the pub’s apparently dirty lines lent a little residual sourness this time around.

On tap at The Red in Santa Cruz. Black with tan head, opaque. Good retention and lacing. Smell is very appealing; roasted malt brings cocoa, dark chocolate, coffee bean aromas. Absolutely delicious, this beer tastes like a chocolate covered coffee bean. Hints of vanilla, slight hop bitterness, smoke. Excellent balance, flavors meld very seamlessly. Perfect carbonation, full body, low alcohol all contribute to a superb mouthfeel. Forget all day, I could drink this all week!

Draft at Kern River Brewpub; Nose of caramel, molasses, and coffee; clear dark brown with a big, glass-lacing beige head; flavor of light hop bitterness, grain, caramel, and a light coffee note.