Bohemian Black Lager - Spoetzl Brewery

myost88

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12. oz bottle into a nonic.

Appearance: Pours a coffee color with ruby tints when held to light. 1+ finger, off white head. Fades quickly and leaves very little lacing. I have to say that this is one of my favorite bottle labels.

Smell: Nose is mostly malt. Kind of a sweet caramel scent. Almost no hops in the nose. Not trying to his anything here.

Taste: All malt here. Mostly roasted malt on the back of the tongue. Has little to no aftertaste. Once again no hops here. A little bit sweet.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated. Almost feels like you're drinking a soda. Very thin, even for a lager.

Drinkability: Easily a sessionable brew. Whenever I go out and a bar has a very BMCish lineup, I always find this to be reliable. This has also become a staple in my fridge because I've yet to find a friend who doesn't like it.

Overall: I think this is Shiner's top offering. It's not special, but it's decent. On par with most in the style, though a bit behind the Sam Adams and Saranac offerings. Nothing stood out really. I think the label is actually my favorite part of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 04:15:13 | More by myost88

MN_Beerticker

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

05-24-2013 03:10:26 | More by MN_Beerticker

JG-90

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -20.7%

05-24-2013 00:50:36 | More by JG-90

Rdc67

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-22-2013 19:56:40 | More by Rdc67

makersmarkers

Texas

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A year or two ago, my local package store had a special price for this particular brew from the good folks at Shiner, and I went home with two cases. My college roommate and I went through them in time and with no complaints, but it wasn't compelling enough for me to buy again. And now, many beers and many attempts at calibrating and refining my pallete later, I'm drinking Shiner Bohemian Black Lager once again.

This particular bottle came from a case of Shiner's Family Reunion variety pack and was poured into a double-walled Bodum glass. This is the first time I've actually seen the beer itself! Those two cases we put away so long ago were drank straight from the bottle. It is a dark brew, the color of cold-brewed coffee. It immediately formed a thin tan head which quickly vanished. No lacing whatsoever. Lifting the glass to my nose, I smell malt and a faint suggestion of caramel and sweet chocolate.

I am surprised by the taste. There's a lot going on here: caramel is the most prominent flavor, but there's also strong notes of bourbon with all of its corn sweetness and kick. Sweet pumpernickel bread. Pine bitterness from the hops is present but mild. Crisp, dry finish with lingering notes of carbonization from the roasted malt, ash, or smoke. This beer is light on the tongue, sessionable and very drinkable with moderate carbonation.

I'm looking forward to tasting this beer again as I work through the case, and I will certainly buy it again someday. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 02:45:10 | More by makersmarkers

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.49/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a mug. Pours a light black with a small brown head that dissipates very quickly. Smells of dark roasted grain, maybe a touch of coffee, but with sweet sugar. Tastes of dark roasted grain, slight caramel or chocolate taste. Beer is slightly under carbonated, but still goes down for its light body. Overall, a slightly above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 03:46:01 | More by cyclonece09

samturner

California

4.25/5  rDev +22.5%

05-20-2013 00:20:47 | More by samturner

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