Sprecher Black Bavarian

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Schwarzbier
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Shared at Columbus tasting 5. Anise aroma (what’d you say?) comes from a black body. Medium palate. Lots of roasted malts and coffee flavors--not too bad.

Shared at CTV5.Aroma was of slight chocolate.Pours black with a slight head.Got some slight chocolate in the flavor.Thin to medium mouthfeel with a bitter finish.

Bottle: Brown with a tan head. Aroma of caramel, some fruits, and a bit of chocolate. Flavor, roasty, caramel, chocolate, some yeast. Not bad.

Poured an opaque black color with a medium sized tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of roast, some caramel malts, and cocoa. Taste was roasty and chocolatey, with more caramel, and some smoked malts as well in the finish.

Nose is right on roast and a bit dusty. Flavour is powerful chocolate with a thick malty quality that makes black lagers one of my favourite beers.

Black with small whispy head. Big malt and smokey roasted aroma. Flavor is smoked malts and a good amount of bitter chocolate.

Pours with a fluffy, initially three-finger thick, creamed chocolate to tan colored head that sits atop a simply black colored beer. The aroma is full of roast malt notes; notes of burnt espresso beans, roasted grain husks, and even some notes of burnt toast towards the end dominate the aromatic profile. This has a nice malty profile, yes it leans towards roasted grains, but there is also a nice, dry malt character here that, besides the roast profile, leans towards biscuit-like notes and toasted bread character. Perhaps a touch of spicy hop aromas are here as well, but only just so.

The taste is medium full on the palate, and actually has quite a bit more body than I was expecting from the aroma. In fact there is a solid malt sweetness here that really brings out a chocolate note that was not in the aroma. The long finish leads a lingering note of burnt toast, bitter espresso and even some biting hop bitterness. The finish really serves as a nice foil for the sweeter malt / chocolate notes that are noticeable in the fore-front. There is enough roasted grain in this beer that it even has some roast derived acidity to it, it is not overly noticeable, but instead helps to balance some of the sweeter, rounder malt notes. This certainly evokes thoughts of chocolate covered malt balls that have an espresso bean core (wouldn’t that be a confection).

This is quite an enjoyable brew, and I am quite happy that it came in a 16oz package as it is the perfect beer to have more than twelve ounces of. Perhaps a touch to hard with the acidity and bitterness in the finish, but enjoyable all the same. Before I know it this beer is gone, so I must have liked it.

16 oz bottle, via Ofortuna. Pours a very dark brown body under a dense creamy brown head that faded to a thin film. Aroma is chocolaty and dry with a subtle fruitiness and nuttiness. Very light chalkiness, coffee, and cocoa. Flavor is balanced between chocolaty and nutty malt with some ale like qualities. Finishes slightly sweet with a light hoppiness and some vanilla. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with fairly moderate soft carbonation. Finishes with a soft creamy texture. Overall, this was pretty nice. Finally a Sprecher beer that I’m not disappointed in, that’s a first.