Bohemian Black Lager - Spoetzl Brewery

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nice looking, good light brown head and lace, nearly black, slightly auburn brown clear color.

Aroma is light but slightly roasty, with a little cocoa and burnt malts.

The burnt malts are more prevalent in the flavor, along with a nice roasty component, a little cocoa and coffee.

Could be a little thicker, body is light and a bit watery, but carbonation is ample.

Overall it's a pretty decent beer. While spoetzl hasn't produced any world class beers that I've tried, their beers aren't bad, and aren't too expensive. Plus it's locally produced here.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 17:20:50 | More by AlCaponeJunior

jl28r1

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

05-18-2013 16:19:57 | More by jl28r1

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-18-2013 13:09:50 | More by SmellsofMahagony

Drew966

Florida

3.29/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Shiner Bohemian Black Lager pours a reddish brown with a thick tan head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. The aroma is a bit grainy and a bit malty. The flavor is mild, mostly malty and kind of a one note type thing, being that there doesn't seem to be any complexity to the flavor. Pleasant enough, but there are better examples of they style out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 21:25:12 | More by Drew966

Billolick

New York

3.29/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 ounce bottle, part ofthe newly arrived Shiner mix 12 pack box.

Pours near black, darker tan head that stays a spell. Leaving moderate strands of stick.

Nose is mildly of dark malts and a hint of coffee.

Dark malts, some dusty dark chocolate and some cola and thats about it. On the thin and watery side. Nothing special going on here as seems to be the case with all the shiner brews. Almost craft beer. One and done..

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:54:38 | More by Billolick

rph97

Texas

4/5  rDev +15.3%

05-10-2013 20:31:54 | More by rph97

Compton25

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-10-2013 12:01:10 | More by Compton25

Bill235

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-09-2013 18:37:24 | More by Bill235

TheMarkE

California

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

05-09-2013 18:32:32 | More by TheMarkE

Rlh2

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

05-02-2013 02:47:45 | More by Rlh2

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-01-2013 02:17:06 | More by Zachtheporter

ifixufly

Indiana

3/5  rDev -13.5%

05-01-2013 01:23:29 | More by ifixufly

nothunder

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

05-01-2013 00:15:37 | More by nothunder

Bieniek30

New York

2.5/5  rDev -28%

04-29-2013 23:48:22 | More by Bieniek30

truesolution

Texas

3/5  rDev -13.5%

04-28-2013 04:03:32 | More by truesolution

Lagerquestrian

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

04-28-2013 02:44:58 | More by Lagerquestrian

Bockrules

New Mexico

3.91/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

poured from the bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a used motor oil black with garnet highlights when held up to the light. Streams of small bubbles rush to the creamy, dense, two-finger, tan head. Head stays intact all the way down the glass, the behind a lush wall of sticky lacing on the bottom half of the glass.

S - A hint of maybe crystal and chocolate malt upon opening the bottle with light, earthy hop notes. More chocolate notes emerge once in the glass.

T - A bit of chocolate malt upfront. The body is slightly roasted chocolate on a background of sweet crystal (?) malt with enough earthy hop notes to balance everything out. A little bit of chocolate and bitterness as the beer passes over the tongue leads to a sticky dark chocolate and earthy hop finish.

M - Medium bodied with enough carbonation to keep the beer lively and slightly creamy. Quite good actually.

Having reviewed the other 5 varieties that came in the Shiner variety pack I bought last year, and coming up with several scores in the low 3's, I wasn't expecting much. Turns out I saved the best for last, as this beer turns out to a gorgeous, solidly tasting brew. It is by no means complex, but the chocolate notes and hops are dolled out in the right proportions and the mouthfeel is pretty creamy. I don't know if the year of cellering helped, but I would gladly buy a six of this to find out.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 06:07:59 | More by Bockrules

sneaks2210

New York

3/5  rDev -13.5%

04-23-2013 02:16:26 | More by sneaks2210

AlkaholTester

Nevada

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

04-22-2013 04:10:58 | More by AlkaholTester

Gmann

New York

3.03/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cola like brown color with a moderate sized bubble khaki head that settles into a solid ring.

The aroma is sweet mostly from a grainy scent. There is some steely caramel notes; fairly strong metallic aroma. No real roast aroma.

The taste is quite grainy and seems to have an adjunct type flavor. There is a slight chalky roast flavor in the finish but other than that you would think that this is a macro lager. Some caramel sweetness. On par with the Guinness black lager.

The beer has a light body with fizzy carbonation. It drinks very easy and the slight roast bitterness doesn't impede the drinkability. Nice balance on the palate for a brew that you can pound back.

The beer doesn't taste bad but really not much of a schwarzbier. An introduction to what roasted malt tastes like.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 18:27:16 | More by Gmann

Pesci

Texas

4/5  rDev +15.3%

04-21-2013 00:55:59 | More by Pesci

gwiedman1

New York

4.5/5  rDev +29.7%

04-20-2013 21:44:55 | More by gwiedman1

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -28%

04-20-2013 07:14:40 | More by BrownAleMale

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -13.5%

04-18-2013 19:37:14 | More by browniewithnuts

jkn09

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

04-17-2013 03:49:58 | More by jkn09