Pennichuck Feuerwehrmann Schwarzbier (Firefighter Black Lager)

Brewed by Pennichuck Brewing Company
Style: Schwarzbier
Milford, New Hampshire USA

draft at monster b’s had a toasted brown color with a thin tan fluffy head. aroma of light malt, faint roast, nuts, and strangely tea. mouth feel is medium with average carbonation. flavor has roasted barley, dark malt, light bitter hits, and a touch of resinous hops. finish lingers on the tongue for a minute with rich malts and bitters.

22oz bottle shared courtesy of Josh. Poured a deep brown color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, caramel, and toasty. Tastes of roast, chocolate, light coffee, and some caramel.

Thanks to Josh for sharing this one. Pours a deep brown with amber notes and a small creamy off white head. Aroma of iced tea, malty graininess, toasted malt, earthy, light smoke and molasses. Flavor of light smoke, grainy malts, pretzels and toasted malt.

Poured a reddish mahogany color with a small, tan head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malts, nuts, cocoa, smoke, and burnt toast. Taste of chocolate, more roast, caramel malts, smoke, nuts, and dry wood in the finish.

Bottle... Post RBSG ’08 O-Town/Vero Beach Throwdown Chapter 8... Clear, very dark lager with little to no head. Chocolaty nose. Light to medium-bodied with a thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Well-balanced and a touch chocolaty, but watery and bland. Finishes weak and fairly nondescript.Thanks to mcbackus for providing the bottle!

May the schwarz be with you, and no, I am not referring to the quintessential Mel Brooks classic. Instead, I am referring to an oft unrepresented beer style and that is the schwarzbier, aka, a black lager.
My Feuerwehrmann Schwarzbier pours a dark brown black into my glass. As light peeks in along her crevices, a decent head peaks then fades into a minute ring around the glass. Her nose is full with nuts and maple syrup. True to the schwarzbier style, her body is light and subtle, making it a simple pleasure to take in all of her. A palate of peaches, apple, and some lemony grass esters lingering in the background as roasty malty cocoa notes stand up-front. A tinge of citrus, grapefruit maybe, in the finish with a bit of bittering nuts. My schwarzbier from Pennichuck Brewing remains easy to drink from start to finish. a bit more into my quaffing session, the nuts and maple I detected in the nose start to shine, bridging the gap between the two dueling sides of my schwarzbier, the malts and the fruits.
Overall, an interesting interpretation of a traditional Schwarzbier. Feuerwehrmann is a good solid schwarzbier. Close to great but not quite. I would have trouble reaching for a glass whenever she is around to offer herself up to me.

From a bottle poured brown/black with a good amount of head. Nice dark malty flavor with a lingering aftertaste.

In short: A very hoppy Schwarzbier. Very good.
How: Tap at Vermont Brewers Festival 2008
The look: Black body topped by a small tan ring
In long: Malt and yeast profile is smooth and round reminded me a lot of Czech Republic Tmavys. Roastiness kept to a minimum, light burnt toast flavour, hints of chocolate, raisins, light molasses. But where this one stood out is in the hopping department. Dry grassy noble hops and fruity American style hops. Some lemony touches too. Long bitter finish with a light tartness. Not a very tasty beer but man could I drink pint after pint of this thing. This is an above average Schwarzbier adapted for the hop-loving American. The day of hoppy double cheeseburger is coming.