Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug

Brewed by Rahr & Sons Brewing
Style: Schwarzbier
Fort Worth, Texas USA

On tap @ ye old Bull and Bush Fort Worth, TX. I asked the bartender for something on tap a Shiner Bock lover would like. He said this stuff he had was far better than Shiner Bock and he would prove it by giving it to me free if I didn’t agree. Far be it from me to pass on a free beer or admit it was better than Shiner Bock, but it was and I had to admit it. Turns out that it is brewed in Ft. Worth which is where I was borne and raised and still live. When I saw it I thought it looked like a stout or a bitter being so dark(It looked mean and ugly). But I was suprised that it was infact very smooth and mellow. The first sip gives an impresion of a stout, but just for a second. After that it’s all good times. I give this beer top marks. Drink it because Zac said so.

Wow, I am not sure what I was expecting, but what I got I liked. The Pug pours almost black in color - I think I was expecting a Guiness like beer, but was happy it was not. This Black lager has a nice creamy head that lasts for the duration. Its hints of roast and "creaminess" are well balanced by a nice bittering hop with a silky feeling over the palate. Coffee and chocolate abound in this beer, but it’s never to overbearing - which is nice for a lager beer. Very interesting and I will be drinking more of the PUG in the future!!! Wow - this is a lager beer, impressive!

Reviewed 3/13/2009 (Bottle): Pours a dark brown black color body, with a tannish, creamy looking head, okay sized and somewhat lasting. Dark roasty malty aroma, some coffee. A little skunkiness. Some fruitiness too. Enticing. Creamy mouthfeel, light fruitiness, like a hefe, some banana. Not as stouty as I was expecting. Very tasty.

Black pour with a thin tan head, big roasted aroma, great coffee flavor, light feel. Dark and smooth. A consistently great Rahr beer.

Sampled from bottle. This schwarz pours a ruby-tinted black-brown with a creamy tan head and notable amounts of lacing. Aroma is rich for the style with toasted bread, cocoa and faint hop spiciness. Flavor is reminiscent of the aroma and slightly bitter with a sharp, crisp finish. Medium-bodied and light to moderate carbonation. This is a well-made black lager and it’d be a shame to not try a sixer again soon.

Dark ruby color. Thin coffee nose. Guinness color head that vanishes. Very creamy with a taste of nuts and malts. Makes me think of a lighter thin Guinness almost. Not a bad beer at all, quite enjoyable for a brewery in my backyard! I could make a night of this beer!

On tap at the brewery: Beer pours basically pitch black with a nice off white colored had that is retained and produces excellent lacing. The aroma is pretty much roasty/smokey with some yeasty notes as well. Flavor is malty with enjoyable smokiness. This is Rahr’s best so far. Not in bottles yet.

Poured black and thin with a medium head that settled into a foam ring around the edges. Nose of mild dark malt flavors, some unsweetened coffee. Taste is dark-roast malt without the heft or creaminess of a stout. Bitter roasted coffee flavors, dry, almost no sweetness whatsoever. Lingering aftertaste, not entirely unpleasant. Mouthfeel is light, slightly acidic and biting. Leaves just a touch of stickiness on the lips and tongue. Easy to drink, very true to style.