Black Bavarian - Sprecher Brewing Company

Winter

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured black in color with red hues apparent where light hit on the bottom and sides of the glass. Foamy tan head. Aroma had a roasted malt sweetness to it. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Thin body. Finish has a bitterness to it combined with a robust chocolate malt flavor. Slight nuttiness to it. Smokiness present throughout also. Excellent beer to combine with hearty German fare or BBQ. Definitely one of Sprecher's finer offerings.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2002 20:53:33 | More by Winter

Scoats

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A friend of mine mentioned he picked up a couple of cases slightly past date at a tasty price. Happily the beer was tasty too, very tasty. The case Sean found was 16ouncers (wonder if that is the regular size). I had a couple at Sean's house while watching the Eagles lose last Sunday.

What a wonderful beer! Heaven knows why more breweries don't make a schwarzbier. What a totally underutilized beer style, and this brand executes it perfectly. This is a wonderfully quafable beer to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Very thick and hearty without any off tastes.

A perfect session beer, big taste, medium ABV I think. Pour it into large mug, sit back and enjoy.

I just wish this was more easily available around here.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2002 07:43:56 | More by Scoats

putnam

Michigan

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful mahogany color and a tan head that struggles to maintain. The roasted malt is soooo roasty here that I hazard a guess that some of it has been subjected to a smoker, a la Bamberg Rauchbier. The neck label claims it as a "Kulmbacher" style, one that I'm not familiar with. Flavorful sweetness combines with coffee grounds, and bitter chocolate. The finish is medium in length with a breath of stainless steel. Not bad. Unique.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2002 13:34:35 | More by putnam

inebrius

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Whoa...wait a second. Is this for real? Wow!! Poured a sticky, thick and chunky khaki head. Wonderful nose of sweet malt and toasty bear claws. Mildly tart, but full and clean and little astringency to get in the way. Profoundly balanced and a drinker for sure. Top notch!

Cheers to Jon for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2002 00:43:35 | More by inebrius

Jon

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one poured black, just like the name would imply. When held up to the light, it shows a little burgundy color, but still, this sucker is black. I smell roasted malt. The taste is of roasted malt with a very faint hop bite. It has a bit of a coffee-like mouthfeel, which is pleasing to my palate. This is an excellent schwarzbier from the great brewery that is Sprecher.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2002 18:34:44 | More by Jon

ryanocerus

Iowa

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Being a Schwarzbier lover, I thought I would have liked this better. It poured with a thick tan head and deep black in color. The malty aroma was a little too prominent for me however. The roasty flavor is much heavier than other schwarzbiers I have had also, but as the long lasting flavor lingers on the tongue, I enjoy it more. Not a bad beer, just not my favorite schwarz.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2002 09:50:57 | More by ryanocerus

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Good head on a hard pour, medium bubbles and a stiff one inch layer. Color is a ruby-black, lets light through. A little yeasty in smell, mostly sweet. Malty flavor but not overly sweet, close to rich and nutty but attenuated. A little on the light bodied side, but fresh tasting. Drinkable but not as tasty as a Saranac Black Forest...

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2002 10:54:04 | More by ADR

proc

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lager, porter, stout, beer of some sort. I know its a lager, but it had me confused. Very porter-like in appearance and taste. Coffee taste is prevelent but not overwhelming. Lots of malt in this one. I liked it.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2002 07:00:43 | More by proc

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big rocky head on top, then microbubbles. Black body with ruby highlights. Chocolate, coffee, and hops in the nose. Wonderful smooth across the tongue. Great malts, but with perfect balance between sweet and bitter. Could be drunk as a session beer, except it could spoil you. This might be the best dark lager I've ever had. What can their Imperial Stout do as an encore?

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2002 22:11:05 | More by RonfromJersey

brakspear

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A beer above all others. THIS should be the beer that made Milwaukee famous! The other reviewers have perfectly described the way one taste of this beer informs you that no other Bavarian style beer brewed in America can hold a candle to a malty taste that is so rich and complex followed with a burst of coffee and hop sizzle. Midnight color that revealed a ruby undertone when held to a strong light. If you can find it in a bottle great...but if you can find it on tap....thank whatever god or goddess you pray to....

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2002 18:45:36 | More by brakspear

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer seems black and has a small tan head that is gone within seconds. This is a beer that you can seemingly smell the thickness. Great malty, toasty, roasty bitter aromas. What a creamy mouthfeel. Feels like velvet as it rolls across the tongue. Great complexity to this brew. There aren't any overbearing tastes, but many underlying ones that mesh well together: coffee, roast malt, biscuit, mocha and toffee to name a few. I just love the taste of this beer. It has been one of my reliables ever since I tried it about 5 years ago. There aren't too many Schwarzbiers available these days, but I'd guess it'd be hard to improve much on this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2002 21:25:27 | More by Bighuge

cokes

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nice and black with some ruby highlights. The pillowy head lasts for the duration. Strong aromas of dark fruit and malt sweetness.
The taste starts out quite sweet, with definate carmel notes. Almost sugary. This all rides on top of a delectable roasted malt. After the sip, as the sweetness begins to fade, the mouth is jolted with a bitter charcoal roasted blast. Intially, I found this to be somewhat jarring and unpleasant, but as I became acclimated to it, I began to enjoy this taste. It seemed to tie a ribbon around the excellent mix of flavors in this brew. A very nice closure to the experience.
A supreme example of what is quickly becoming one of my favorite beer-styles. I wish more breweries would take a stab at this.
As a footnote, those of us in Southern Central Wis. should count our blessings, as we have two great schwarzbier offerings to enjoy. The other being Tyranena's Rocky's Revenge (sadly, only a late-winter seasonal). You can't go wrong with either.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2002 00:45:12 | More by cokes

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 1 US pint brown bottle with a twist-off cap. Very German looking label with beer notes on the neck label. "No Additives, No Perservatives, All malt beer"

Appearance: Black with extreme crimson tinges against the light. Produces a thick tan froth that sticks.

Smell: Caramelized sugars with an almost burnt aroma. Hints of spicy hops.

Taste: Sweet and roasted in the beginning then puckers with a black malt acidity. Very malty with a hint of spicy bitterness and chocolate notes.

Notes: Very well brewed. The acidity of the black malt strikes you hard, but it does not make this undrinkable. In fact it makes it a bit more enjoyable.

Thanks again to Genevieve Futrelle for sharing her treasured Sprecher with us.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-1998 00:00:01 | More by BeerAdvocate