Black Radish Dark Lager - Weeping Radish Eco Farm & Brewery

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.49/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Weeping Radish Eco Farm & Brewery in Grandy, NC

A: Pours a clear very dark reddish brown in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some garnet red highlights. The beer has a half finger tall foamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of roasted malts with a hint of dark fruits (raisin).

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of roasted malts with just a very light hint of dark chocolate. There is a subtle hint of dark fruit (raisin) but without adding much sweetness to the beer. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Probably my favorite offering from the brewery and one that I have had numerous times before both in bottles and on-tap (though before I started actively reviewing beers). I could easily have a couple of these since both the aroma and flavor are nice and light.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 17:20:53 | More by dbrauneis

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Comes out of the bottle a bubbly, translucent mahogany with a thick and rather persistent pale tan head. Strong, malty aroma has smoky and dusty hops notes and a hint of caramel. Malty flavor has a firm note of woody hops, rather like hay, with a caramel touch. Texture has above average strength and fizz, leaving a malty and woody finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 02:08:15 | More by Cyberkedi

tdm168

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - deep dark brown with a reddish hue; big mountain of brown, thick, soft, head; good retention

S - faint roasted malts, lager yeast, very light chocolate notes

T - same as the nose; all flavors are very light and faint; roasted malts, chocolate, lager yeast

M - smooth, well carbonated, light to medium bodied, a bit thin at times

This is a decent beer, but it's light, thin at times, and under flavored. All the basics are there. A bit more flavor would do this beer a great service.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 22:47:18 | More by tdm168

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark, chestnut brown. Not a schwarzbier color wise. Foamy, off white head. caramel, sweet malt aroma. Almost a raisen like tang. Malty enough flavor upfront. Presents a somewhat metallic/sulfury taste. Slight hop bitterness in the fade. Nice full mouthfeel. Overall there is better out there. I hate to dis Weeping Radish but for me the have never been the same since the move from Manteo. I try them each year and it just is not there for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 00:40:25 | More by lackenhauser

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to stevea1210 for the bottle, enjoyed from a pils glass chilled.

The color is deep brown like cola with ruddy hues and a thick tan collar of foam, The laces sticks decently and bead is fine. The smell is woody, roasted and raisiny without any strong coffee elements, more yeast driven aroma than anything. The feel is good with medium light body and slight sweetness with a caramel tinge and semi-high carbonation with moderately dry finish.

The taste is good a very nice lager with some yeast notes and raisin twang from specialty malts with s subtle hint of green apple and plum with a nice woody nuttiness in the flavor, The caramel sweetness seems to balance a little of that though. The overall impression is a good black lager. I remember the original and this is still a good one although there are many I prefer in this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 16:32:57 | More by Slatetank

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark red-brown, the color of rosewood, with a hint of haze. Head was mediocre, and not much lacing on the glass.

S: Not potent with any aroma. There's bready malt, a hint of citrus, and a cabbage-like odor.

T: Surprising tartness up front, folllowed by a grassy malt with little sweetness. The tartness lingers to the very end, when the hops bitterness kicks in.

M: Crisp, well-carbonated, very moist.

O: Different, but not in an exciting way. Frankly, the tartness is the most noticeable characteristic, and it's a little distracting, but it isn't unpleasant either. The second half of the bottle was drunk with food, which helped temper the beer a bit. I finished it easily, but will cross it off my list for future trips to the store.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 23:43:07 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a great dark brown/black with reddish hues at edges. Nice tan foamy head.

S: Notes of bread and grains come first with little or no hops.

T: Taste is of dark malts chocolate and black patent maybe a hint of molasses.

M: Medium bodied but weakly there almost a watery feel on the tongue. Nice lacing and good head retention.

O: Overall a good beer with a full flavor not to familiar with the Shwartzbier style and not to bad to me. The more I drink I get a chocolate flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 03:08:56 | More by nukem5

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thin offwhite head, hazy brown-amber body. Some surface retention

Smells of nutty malt, maybe almond or hazelnut.

Nut and malt in the taste, but finish is a bit watery. Decently balanced.

Nicely textured if a bit airy.

Decent brown, but I wouldn't call this 'black.'

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 01:14:25 | More by zaphodchak

jnn4v

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Looks more like a doppelbock than a black lager or Schwarzbier. It's a chestnut brown color that's fully translucent. Tan head filled about 1/5 of the glass even on a careful pour. No visible sediment or haze.

S: Caramel, roasted nuts, pumpernickel bread, molasses, honey wheat bread.

T: Very watery compared to the scent, unfortunately. Vague brown ale malts blend with some hop and stale beer bitterness. The aftertaste is the best part, featuring hints of smoke and roasted chestnuts.

M: Very thin mouthfeel, unfortunately. It's got some carbonation, but seems like the body I'd expect out of Coors, not a craft brewery.

O: Not what I was expecting and/or hoping for, but still drinkable. If I scored it strictly against the style, it'd get an even lower rating.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 00:18:36 | More by jnn4v

dball

Virginia

4/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At first sip I taste and smell hint of caramel in this light bodied dark lager. It drinks very smooth and I should emphasize the light body. It does not appear that it would have as a light a body as it does. The light body also seems to give it a mild flavor. There isn't a lot going on with this brew. It's simple, refreshing, and somewhat unique because the style is not available at most breweries. I picked it up in a 22oz bottle and at $4 I'd say it was overpriced. I would get it again particularly at a better price.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 19:31:55 | More by dball

iadler

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle poured into a Russian River "Tion" glass.

A- Dark brown with red highlights that forms a two finger head that dissapates into a thin cap. No sign of lacing.

S- Faint aroma of roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and coffee beans.

T- Bittersweet chocolate, coffee, roasted malt and a bit of lemon zest at the finish.

M- Medium carbonation and thin body. Finishes slightly dry.

O- A nice session beer that could be enjoyed year round, especially in the winter. Nothing really jumps out, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 04:31:19 | More by iadler

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep chestnut or brown with a decent size head that was tan in color.
Aroma was light, but the overall aroma was of roasted malts.
Taste pretty good with a nice roasted character and some hop bitterness.
Had a decent mouthfeel but had a slight astringency at the finish.

Overall a good beer but flavor is lacking as in diluted or watered down.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:48:22 | More by micromaniac129

jsanford

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Schneider Weizen Glass.

A - Cola-brown with reddish highlights and a thin khaki head that settles to a slight cap.
S - Dark malt with a touch of cocoa, coffee, and some citrus hops.
T - More dark malt, a bit of chocolate, roasted nuts, and coffee with a faint hop presence.
M - Smooth, with a medium-thin body and moderate carbonation.
O - Not overly complex, but for a sessionable beach beer it's pretty good. Wish I had time to stop my the brewery, maybe next time.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 03:36:30 | More by jsanford

BuzzLitebier

Maryland

2.78/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I'm writing this without having read any other reviews, so I'm just giving my initial impressions. The beer looked very promising upon the poor with a nice head and a rich dark brown/black color. However, it was fairly unremarkable otherwise. The mouthfeel was thin, and I tasted a hint of a porter with cocoa and coffee but that was about it. That said, it might be a good session beer if it's not going to be the focus of the session.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 02:03:28 | More by BuzzLitebier

jale

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the brewery.

A: Pours brown with a finger of tan head.

S: Roasted malt is all I detect.

T: Roasted malt moving into burnt coffee coffee. Dry finish.

M: light medium body with good carbonation. Nice clean body that does not weight down your palate.

O: I would drink another.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2011 12:22:13 | More by jale

ebby82

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown into a pint glass.

A- malt, caramel

T- a little bit of dark malt, sweet, not a whole lot of complexity, but not bad.

M- Medium bodied, a bit thick for a lager.

Overall, I have only Sam Adams black lager to compare with, but this is not nearly as good as the SA. A ver drinkable beer, and certainly not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to drink it.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 20:21:35 | More by ebby82

Pencible

Virginia

2.53/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a hazy dark mahogany, with moderate light tan head.
S: It smelled like corn and soggy wheat, with a little roasted barley and copper and day-old coffee.
T: It tasted like rusty copper and sweet corn, with burn barley and a bit of old coffee. It had a very dirty and somewhat bitter aftertaste.
M: It was slightly thick with moderate carbonation. Ok body.
D: This was not a good beer. The scent and taste were dirty and not enjoyable. The body was acceptable at best. Not really worth drinking, so drinkability is low. This is probably the worst of the Weeping Radish beers I've tried, and the others weren't very good! Definitely not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 19:46:28 | More by Pencible

TheDudeBeers

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to pint

A - Dark Brown in color, almost black. 2 fingers of nice head

S - Caramel, Coffee, malt...kinda sweet smelling

T - Carmel, Malt, Coffee, slight hoppy finish

M - Very light on the tongue for a dark lager

D - Really drinkable, smooth, almost creamy lager. Reminds me of Boddingtons.

Overall a decent beer, but lacking in any serious flavor. Not bad though.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 01:18:41 | More by TheDudeBeers

akorsak

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A 650 mL bottle from the brewery in late August.

A: The schwarzbier (when did this transition from a dunkel lager to a schwarzbier?) is a dark caramel brown color, full enough to be opaque even though a few stray rays of light can shine through. The pour generated little in the way of head. What's there is eggshell white with a bit of legginess.

S: The nose is fairly nondescript. A bit of roasted malt, a dash of lactic sweetness. Not nearly as inspiring at the draught (or growler) version.

T: Dark chocolates add a brief flourish at the start of each sip. Unfortunately that flavor is quickly replaced by sweet flavors that seem out of place. A medicinal flavor, very powdery, follows the sweetness. A sour flavor, one that seems out of place, runs throughout the beer.

M: There are signs of the great Black Radish underneath the off flavors. It's there and they just need to do something about the quality.

D: Seems like the draught versions are superior to the bottled version. Too bad. When it's fresh, it's one of the best schwarzbiers around.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 17:46:20 | More by akorsak

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

my first beer from weeping radish. i had heard alot about them but for one reason or another kept missing them every time they were around. finally caught up and was able to try several offerings. nice pour here with a dark cocoa brown color and a good two inches of foam head that capped the top rather nicely.

aroma is dark campfire smoke, hints of chocolate, but as it warms it seems to fade a good bit and some off, dark fruit maybe? something just goes a bit wrong. flavor is nice, dark malts, lots of smoke an peat like notes and a nice chocolate base. smooth, light body and easy drinking taste made it go down quite smooth.

overall a really solid beer and one i would not mind trying again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2010 00:59:15 | More by mikesgroove

JayQue

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Probably Weeping Radish's best beer. Picked up at Harris Teeter supermarket in Kill Devil Hills. They kept it refrigerated (non pasturized beer). Pours a dark dense brown wit some light getting through when held to a light. Medium size off white head. Average to below retention. Some lacing.

Aroma is roasted malts, fairly ild but pleasant. Taste is the best part of this beer. Rich flavor of roasted malt, a little smoky and perhaps a faint hint of coffee.

Mouthfeel is light but not too thin. Very smooth. Goes down real easy. Drinkability is fine. This would be an ideal session beer. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 17:46:55 | More by JayQue

Seanibus

California

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

What is it with North Carolina and refreshing dark brew? Must be something in the water.

Anyhow - pours a deep, slightly translucent black with a small fuzzy head. The aroma is sharp, roasted, and surprisingly hoppy. It has a little nutmeg sting to it The flavor is a bit thinner than I expected - most of what's going on is going on at the finish. The front-end flavor is roasted and malty, with some nutmeg spice. The finish is bitter and slight woody, which develops an unexpected sweet overtone after a while.

Good beer

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 22:13:53 | More by Seanibus

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Another 22oz bomber conveniently stocked at the Kitty hawk Food Lion. Pint glass, then my belly.

Pours dark brown, near black, with minimal foam. Does not lace. Light sweet roasted smell. Very clean taste with espresso notes. Smooth finish, with an ever so mild hop .Notes of chocolate. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Very drinkable and tasty. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 11:14:10 | More by KTCamm

burnstar

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark hazy deep brown. A little reddish when held up to the light. Nice big head with good lacing on the surface. Smell is yeasty and somewhat phenolic. Nice sweet malty flavor. Some bitterness from roasted malt. A bit light bodied and well carbonated. Easily drinkable. Decent overall.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 01:42:16 | More by burnstar

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.42/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Picked up a bomber from Harris Teeter for $3.50, but was not impressed even at that price. The beer was oxidized and tasted like creamy, cocoa newspaper. The oxidation isn't awful, but this beer is a mess. Avoid this one, it's not worth your money. Go buy a sixer of Kostriker if you want a good black beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 03:24:15 | More by tempest