Baba Black Lager - Uinta Brewing Company

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

(poured into a pilsner glass - best by date: May 2013)

A: medium-dark reddish brown....somewhat creamy, rounded head....tons of spotty, messy lace....lasting cap....looks nice

S: some hops and roasted grains right up front....a bit of chocolate bar soon follows, taking on more of a malted milk ball in time....a cool, mint-like (hop?) aroma later...the chocolate element pops out more as it warms, but the overall smell stays quite mellow

T: very much schwarzbier....hoppy and roasty first....husky and grainy with a residual, soft-chocolaty finish...moderate-to-bold hop bitterness, nearly harsh, long lasting on the palate....a nice flavor altogether, just tipped too much toward hops/roast, lacks adequate malt depth and/or presence

M: soft, scrubby and dry....just a little viscosity or roundness would be wonderful...soften the hop shock

O: another one of these domestic dark German lagers that goes a bit overboard with the hops...let this one "expire" and then give it a shot

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 05:08:29 | More by Bouleboubier

spoony

Colorado

3.74/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From a 355 ml bottle (best by July 21, 2013) into a tulip.

A-This is a decent looking brew. A normal pour produces about one finger of mocha colored foam head. The head hangs around for a bit imparting a nice creamy feel. The beer is nearly black.

S-The smell is full of roasted malty flavors. Chocolate, coffee, and a milky sweetness dominate. The smell is a little one-dimensional, however, and I could have used a bit of hop bite or levity.

T-The taste has a little more balance with an earthy hop flavor coming in to balance the sweet, milky chocolate flavors from the malts. The brew packs a decent flavor punch for 4% ABV.

M-The feel is medium creamy up front with a mild, but noticeable wave of carbonation. Medium to full body for the style.

O-This is my first Uinta review and I'll say again that this beer punches above its alcohol weight. I think it is sort of rare to find a good winter session-type beer like this. That being said, the flavor is a touch earthy and dull when compared against the best examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 03:30:41 | More by spoony

vkv822

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle; tulip snifter.
bottled on 03/15/12

Pours black with a thin, very light tan head.

Roasty char notes in the nose.

Pleasant roasty malt, light hints of cocoa.

Medium-full body with average carbonation.

An enjoyable dark lager. Easy drinking, but without becoming boring.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 08:59:47 | More by vkv822

stampfler07

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear and dark amber-brown with a velvety brown head, light lacing clings to the glass

S- Cocoa and caramel tones, maybe a hint of roast

T- Nice roasted malt dominating, a little bit of brightness from the yeast, moderate bitterness rises in the middle then fades, finish has hints of cocoa

M- Low carbonation, moderate body, very smooth mouthfeel

O- Solid overall, pretty enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:13:46 | More by stampfler07

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - pours inky black with about 5 fingers of light tan coarse bubbled foam . Lacing and the head lingers.

Aroma- green apple roasty dusty cardboardy a little bit of plastic-y smell.

Taste- crisp carbonation bite some slight roasty and coffee like notes. A hint of plastic on the end with some cider like qualities as well. hops balance out.

Mouthfeel- way fizzy. but light on the palette refreshing

Overall- well this one needs to settle down a bit, the black lager is a popular one now and i think the reason you do a black lager is to have the drinkability of the lager with the subtle roastedness of a dark grain. this has it, if you a patient enough. Pair with Charcuterie, and a early spring morning.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 15:43:37 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.71/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a stemmed Yuengling glass on 1/27/13

Best before: 06/21/13

In the glass this medium-dark brown beer is nearly black aside from tobacco highlights at the stem. A one finger head thins slowly. Retention is thin at the center but bunches up more around the inside of the glass. Solid swaths of lace.

Smooth aromas of roasted chocolate and dark malt with just a hint on tangy roast. Mild pine hop overtones. Solid in its simplicity. The flavor is dry roast throughout with a swell of roasty chocolate in the middle. Subtle hop profile adds a touch of earthiness. The only thing I don't care for is a papery taste that picks up in the finish after the roast flavors have subsided. Light, fairly crisp body with average carbonation. Nothing too fancy there.

Overall, I like Baba Black Lager and wouldn't mind having it again. It's the sort of beer that lends itself to drinking and not so much reviewing.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:55:15 | More by Ryan011235

tdm168

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark, brownish black with a reddish hue around the edges. There's is a quickly fading lacing of brown head. The nose is mellow, roasty, and faintly chocolaty with a distinct grassy, lagery aroma. The flavor is light, slightly roasty, very faint chocolate, faint citrus, and lager yeast. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated with a bit of a crispness on the tongue.

This isn't a bad beer. The others in this style that I've tried have been imports and had that traditional euro yeasty mildew funk to them. This didn't. It was mellow, drinkable, and refreshing. I didn't mind it, but there isn't really anything here that will keep me coming back.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 00:30:51 | More by tdm168

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

We pour a brew of the richest black-brown, letting up only flecks of light around the edges. It holds a two finger head of milky, medium brown bubbles, showing nice retention. Spotty, patterned lacing is left dripping down the glass. No haze or sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be active. The aroma gives coffee, chocolate, and brown malts which mix and give chalky dryness and light vanilla sweetness. Metallics, medicinal phenols, dark shoe polish, and black pepper spice fill the remainder of the space in the nostrils. Our first impression is that the flavoring has nice components throughout, but is relatively mild. The flavoring opens with metallics, brown malts, sweaty saltiness, toffee sweetness, and strong coffee acidity. The malts enhance to the peak, where soy sauce saltiness, light grassy hops, cooked brown and raw chocolate malts, roast, and white sugars blend. The finish comes with lactic sourness, chalky chocolate and raw metallic coffee malts, must, roasty acidity, baker’s yeast, watered vinegar, and bittered chocolate sugars. The aftertaste breathes of chalk, roast, mineral water, metallics, the faintest vanillas, coffee and chocolate malts, and soured medicinals. The body is lightly medium, and the carbonation is medium. The mouth is dried through the sip, with chalky astringency to the back of the hard palate. There is decent slurp and sip, with nice cream and froth. The abv is fine, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the aroma with its rich malty base, and nice blend with the phenolic, boozy, and spicy notes throughout. The flavor translates this interplay nicely, giving equal strength to the malt base and the complementary sweetness of the other included sugars. To this point no flavoring is explicitly overwhelmed, but the ultimate taste is a bit basic. This is a nice, standard beer, but, again, deviates little from the stylistic guidelines, leaving you with little to think about.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:32:34 | More by TheBrewo

Zorro

California

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear extremely dark brown colored beer with a small tan head that doesn't last long.

Smells of roasted grain but more of patent malt with just a whiff of smoke. Not much else in the aroma.

Starts out with a strong patent malt flavor and more than a little smoky taste. Tastes of chocolate and coffee but REALLY this tastes of just heavy dark roasted malt. Tastes something like over roasted Starbucks coffee. Tasty but not complex, but it has a heavy roasted flavor.

Mouthfeel is full for the style.

Overall this is like a three chord rock song. Not complex at all, but it is likeable for what it is. Just a straight meat and potatoes dark lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 22:54:03 | More by Zorro

Kromes

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark black with some slight ruby highlights and a dense tan colored head that laces the sides of the glass as it goes down.

S: Sweet roasted malt, coffee, and a slight nutty aroma.

T: Milky chocolate sweetness up front with a nice roasted malt flavor. The roasted malt carries over into the finish with a burnt coffee flavor and a slight mineral tang.

M: Light bodied with good carbonation. Smooth.

O: The flavors up front are very nice. The flavors that linger aren't as nice, but they don't ruin the beer. Just a slight bitter tang that seems out of place.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 21:09:57 | More by Kromes

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 1/31/12. Picked up a single at Abe's Cold Beer. At first I though this was an import based on the label—cool design.

It's a worthy competitor to Session Dark, though it does lean a little more Euro. It's a slightly sweet lager, with an earthy caramel and mildly roasted barley character. It's quite nice. The body is light, but not thin. This all makes for a pleasant, drinkable session beer. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:34:29 | More by tempest

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Bottled on: 03/13/12. Cute-lookin' bottle, but I'm not here for bottles, and I'm not particularly concerned about it being organic, either. I do, however, appreciate the low ABV.

Appearance: Pours out a black body capped by a mocha-toned head depositing a few stray bits of lace here and there on the descent.

Smell: Roasty, mainly, but also some burnt dark bread crammed in the background. Also notes of chocolate shavings, lemon zest, and licorice with a vague whiff of peppery spice.

Taste: Roasted malts with a gulp of coffee and a mild inclusion of sweetish chocolate and black licorice. One drop of homemade lemonade. Leafy, faintly citrusy hops with sufficient balancing bitterness. Low hint of something spicy. Dry with a bit of a carbonic acid bite on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation, fairly crisp.

Overall: It is what it is and what it is works for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 05:13:19 | More by ChainGangGuy

jpro

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Single 12oz “compass bottle” from Total Wine Park Rd in Charlotte. Into a shaker pint -

A: Pours black with a half finger of coca cola head (in both color and fizziness); not much lace.

S: Not much aroma; buttery, toasty malts.

T: Better than what I thought it would be based on smell; light roasted malt and chocolate; not much hop presence or bitterness.

M: Medium mouthfeel; high carbonation; tingly on the palate.

O: A pretty good black lager; crisp and roast; easy drinking; good, but not overly flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:57:07 | More by jpro

beergoot

Colorado

3.66/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Robust brown body capped with a very thick, long lasting, creamy head. Roasted malt nose; slightly chocolate scent deeply buried within. The taste comes across with a mellow sweetness (like a subdued Milk Dud), with a comparable subtle bitterness. Light bodied, clean and dry finish.

A good tasting, light-bodied dark lager. The body is almost featherweight, but I suppose that goes with the lager style. If a porter or stout seems like too much at the time, but you want a dark beer flavor, this one is a good choice.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 02:49:17 | More by beergoot

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The six-pack says Black Ale, then the bottle says Black Lager...Wacky.

A-Pours the color of cherry cola. Very dark but actually has ruby highlights when held up to the light. Head looks emaciated. Thins and tan. Laces well however.

S-Well this certainly smells more like a lager than an ale, so now that the label disagreement is settled... Nose is subtle. Roasted malt. Light, light chocolate, and a pang of hop bitterness.

T-Hops are more evident in the flavor here. Finishes very grassy and herbal due to the hops. In between, there is roast and even a bit of smoke. Chocolate is light and smooth. I was surprised by the hop intensity (not intense but more than detectable). Overall, the flavor is placid but enjoyable.

M-Body is very light and thin. Watery. Could use a bit more body. I enjoy the massaging carbonation. Lightly bitter. Still, could use a bit more body.

O/D-Interesting. I love the label art. $10.50 a six pack is too pricey for a %4 ABV beer that can be imbibed incredibly quick. I had a beer by Notch Brewing of the same style and enjoyed that a bit more. Also, Full Sail's Session Black lager is this beer equivalent but comes in a twelve pack, which I think makes more sense. Enjoyable, but I desire a bit more muscle to my $10-11 dollar six pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 23:40:55 | More by VelvetExtract

Raiden805

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is lacking, it hat a smooth/buttery smell with a light amount of malt smell to it.

The pour was very bland, I wasn't expecting much of a head since mine was bottled on 1/03/12, so it is a 5 month old beer. It does have some nice lacing though.

It has a slight chocolatey and coffee like taste to it. I predominantly taste the unmalted hops. Still has the taste of a lager, but almost that nutty/coffee taste is what the black part of the lager brings to the table.

I love that this one isn't dry, but it is definitely a heavy beer! Would go great with certain foods I imagine! :)

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 23:02:51 | More by Raiden805

bennetj17

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, packaged on 5/7/12. Mostly black appearance, with some light about the edges. Thin, light khaki foam, dissipating quickly. The beer has a fairly robust aroma of roasted malt and a splash of toffee.

The initial sip yields an intense, unexpectedly tangy sweet maltiness. It's a bit much on the tangy side at first, but it mellows after a few more sips, and considering the ABV you have to say it has a lot of flavor. There is moderate dryness with some light roasty grain character, coffee notes, and decent bitterness at the back. The mouthfeel is pretty nice, clean without being watery, with an appropriate amount of carbonation.

I cannot be sure if I like this beer or not, I certainly wasn't expecting a tartness to the roasted malts, but that sure makes it unique. Since it wasn't a boring, tasteless lager, I have to say it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 05:49:21 | More by bennetj17

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick, but modest, head. Leaves a solid ring of lace. Deep ruby-brown color where only a minimum of light passes.

Good hop smell upfront (more floral than earthy). Second smell brings out some burnt (black patent?) malt aromas. I detect some hazelnut.

Very similar to a thin porter. Good bittering hop presence and the malt is also bitter. Surprisingly short aftertaste. Thin bodied with a high level of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:34:13 | More by smcolw

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into pretty things pint glass bottle date 11/7/11

A - dark brown almost black body with a light brown thin head that has some endurance.

S - big notes of chocolate roasted coffee toast cream vanilla.

T - toasted notes more pronounced some cream chocolate coffee.

M - creamy feel medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. some coarseness.

O - a damn fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 22:05:07 | More by celticfutblclub

beerme343

Idaho

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this beer from a 12 oz. bottle produced on 2/6/12 and poured into a standard pint glass.

The head was small and tan composed of very fine bubbles and it disappeared fairly quickly leaving a nice ring of lacing around the glass. The beer itself is dark brown - almost black with nice clarity.

Not an overwhelming aroma, just some nice smoky, roasted grains and malt.

The initial taste is like a slightly smoky porter with dark toast and a little touch of malt that becomes smooth as it goes down.

The finish is long and there is a nice slick mouthfeel with a touch of cream.

A nice offering from Uinta, very drinkable. Although it's labeled as a black lager it really brings porter to mind. It's low 4.0% ABV makes it a good candidate for a dark session brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 06:43:24 | More by beerme343

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Opaque black color with a rocky medium tan head

Brown bread and a bit of husky roastiness on the nose.

Mildly astringent roasted malt dominates the flavor with a herbal bitter finish. A touch of lemon at the end with a lingering pepper flavor.

Medium body with a lively fine carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 16:12:39 | More by CliffBrake

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

3/15/12 bottle date.

Color is dark but not quite black, red highlights noticeable, definite clarity there. Beige head retains well as a full cap leaving good lace along the way.

Nice scent, kind of a dusty chocolate/cocoa feel, bready lager malts, light hops. Reminds me of an oatmeal stout, surprising strength.

Taste unfortunately doesn't live up to the smell. Very light roasted and caramel malts, some lactose/milk stout type flavors. Some bready malts. A small dark fruit presence grows with warmth, light hoppage there as well.

It does feel a bit thin and watery, but it is 4% after all. Medium carbonation, wish the flavor was stronger.

Overall pretty decent considering the beer, the scent is great but the taste seems much weaker. Definitely dig the light+sessionable dark lagers but there are others I'd prefer.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 20:10:23 | More by Chico1985

brihenry

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very black with off-white head, lacy, sticking to glass. Smell is roasted grain. It's a dry, clean at the outset with a very strong roasted, almost burnt flavor. So dry there's not much sweetness, but a toasty, bready taste that is superlight. Ends with a faint bitterness, and a slight tartness. Pretty light carbonation.

Overall, very refreshing for such a dark, roasty beer. Not much malt character.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 22:14:43 | More by brihenry

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A finger's worth of fairly thick moderately dense light brown colored foam... Modest at best retention gives way to a full web of lacing and a fairly thick foam collar... It may be deemed a black lager, but this one is really a deep rich chocolatey brown color that allows a slight bit of light to leak in around the edges of the glass... Some quick paced carbonation streaks can be seen rising towards the top of the glass under close examination...

S - Fairly subdued and rather muted, but still quite enjoyable... Lightly roasted malts... A hint of coffee... A hint of chocolate... Perhaps some dark bread notes... Not much else... A little more umph in the category would have gone a long way...

T - Just about what I expected... Lightly roasted malts... Some faint hints of coffee and chocolate... Perhaps a bit nutty as well... The finish has a slightly burnt or charred character to it...

M - Light bodied... Light carbonation... Goes down smooth... Starts sleek and turn a slight bit chalky at the finish...

D - Quaffable and rather enjoyable... It depends how you're viewing this beer... If you look at it compared to all of beerdom, it's a fairly pedestrian average at best offering... If you look at it solely as a session brew, it's a very nice offering from Uinta... Lots of flavor and pretty decent character for a 4% ABV offering, especially for one of such dark coloring... I'm quite happy with and would seriously consider pick-up a sixer when I'm looking for an enjoyable session beer...

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:50:37 | More by philbe311

smakawhat

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. BAAAaaa!!!

A nice creamy and foamy off tan colored head, sits on a very dark body, has some very good clumpy retention. Body color appears to be truly nearly black, but with some red accents. Pretty solid looking brew here

Bouquet is a nice small creamy chocolate malt, some faint coffee roast. However, it's a little muted.

Taste on the palate brings a nice creamy milk stout sense. Some milky cream in the palate, but also some sort of crisp effervesence sense in the feel. Kind of playful carbonation here which matches kind of interestingly with the taste.

Overall, nothing wrong with this beer, but it doesn't really excite me, and probably not a style I have that often. But it's a pretty solid brew just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 00:22:27 | More by smakawhat