Winter Rental Black Lager - East Coast Beer Company

socon67

New York

3.39/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A - Dark brown pour with some webs of lacing. Foam retention is minimal. Very little carbonation is noted.

S - Scents of sweet malt, light grains, and what smells like black licorice. However there is very little that stands out.

T - Light drinking beer that is true to the style. Has a sweetness that keeps it interesting, but not much in terms of complexity. I'd like either more of a hop presence or a bit more complexity. Still, not too shabby.

M - Light beer that at times feels a bit watery. Has a refreshing feel to it; a good beer with food. Finish leaves with a mild amount of sugary sweetness.

O - I appreciate the attempt at this style, as there aren't enough good ones domestically. But Winter Rental doesn't have enough to keep me coming back. Would work for those that like the sweetness of a doppelbock without the thick feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 00:03:40 | More by socon67

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint. Never heard of the company before. Kind of surprised to see a screw top.

Appearance: Looks the part. Slightly clear "black" lager/schwarzbier. Kept a surprisingly decent darker off-white head.

Smell: Can't pick up much on this one. Picking up a tiny bit of roasted malt.

Taste: This is a relatively "safe" play on this style. Solid roast malt taste with a hint of licorice and a dash of hops. I imagine this is cheap in Jersey, and for a cheap buy I'd be down next time I'm in that state. Problem is, that's normally not during the winter.

Mouthfeel: Light body, moderate, but not overabundant carbonation. Goes down effortlessly.

Clearly a "lower tier" and cheaper brew, but surprisingly good for being such.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 00:49:45 | More by ColdWaffles

abcdefghijkyle

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at The Shepherd and the Knucklehead Pub in Haledon, NJ.

A- Had an off white head. Really faint lacing going on. Very black in color

S- Mostly malty but had some mild spices and caramel

T- Much like the smell but with a lingering malty booze taste. As I drank more the malts cam through as well as a toffee taste. Hops didn't come through much at all. It was a bit like a Heath Bar in the end.

M- Had a nice, light fizzy mouthfeel. Very true to the Schwarzbier style.

O- Glad I tried it but I probably wouldn't seek it out again. It might be a good beer for when you're snowed in.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2012 07:01:35 | More by abcdefghijkyle

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Chestnut brown exit sits a steadfast midnight black in the vessel. A creamy khaki colored head sits moderately atop leaving a thin ring lacing. Strong backlighting reveals a steady and fast rate of effervesce.

S: Soft chocolate, sweet, with some dark caramel roast and licorice.

T: The flavor is sweet dark caramel roast, mild coffee, light chocolate with a bit of spicy hops. Nice spicy bite of of hops come on the swallow along with some sweet black cherry fruitiness.

M: Mouthful has a nice tingle, sharp carbonation wise, creamy with a medium body.

O: Overall easy drinkability, sweet with a nice roastiness, good enough for props, light enough for multiples. Its a schwarz people not a stout, and a pretty good roast backing for one at that.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:46:19 | More by beerthulhu

sulldaddy

Connecticut

2.83/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle at a local store recently, and I am drinking it at cellar temp in a pint glass.
The beer pours a cola brown with frothy beige head that fades to a sturdy edge layer with a few strings of thin foam.

Aroma is mild malt with some caramel and a bit of roasted malt but fairly mild nose overall.

WIndowpane lattice develops as I sample the beer.

First sip reveals an average body with thinner texture than expected not quite watery, but certainly not robust or chewy.
Carbonation is mild and fine, gently rolls across my palate.
The flavor is all malt with hints of roasted malt and a bit of chocolate. Pretty mild but easy to drink.
I dont really get any hop presence and there is no alcohol to speak of either. The beer is easy to drink, but almost to a fault. Not too much going on here and only the faintest of roast malt on each finish reminds me I am drinking a beer. A little disappointed here, but wasnt expecting to be blown away anyway.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:30:01 | More by sulldaddy

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up from the House of 1,000 beers for a dollar. I new it was old but was intrigued when I found out it was a Schwarzbier.

A - I really didn't get too much head but it has a nice cocoa color with a deep amber hue almost pitch black looking beer.

S - A touch grainy but I do get the standard chocolate and mild roasts associated with the style.

T - Well crap for a dollar and being old it was rather good. Roast is minimal and chocolate/malts were well balanced. The grains did clash a bit the the hops making for a mildly bittering finish but overall not bad.

M - Light to medium quite easy to drink.

Overall I might have to see if I can get this again. Possibly fresh next winter release. Not a bad beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 05:14:31 | More by DrDemento456

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass. Picked up in a six mixer.

Pours a dark black with clingy tan foam. Laces. Chocolately malty smell. Some coffee notes. Taste is a light creamy dark malt. Coffee flavored. Very mellow. Little hop bite at the close. Milky. Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 12:05:27 | More by KTCamm

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single bottle of this in Totowa recently, only because I had never tried this before and it's a Jersey beer. I wasn't sure what to expect but I didn't see a lot of this in stock or coming off the shelves and after having this, I got the impression that was a pretty run-of-the-mill beer. While it wasn't tough to drink or too strong, there wasn't a lot of flavor to make this stand out.

The pour was as I expected - dark, a bit of head, and nearly no carbonation. There was virtually no lacing here either and this had a pretty thin appearance and taste to it. Lots of pumpernickel and a strong roasted presence to this but both of those faded quickly after each sip. Had this been a bit more creamy, it would have reminded me of an Irish Dry Stout, but there's just not a lot here to remember. This was like a flat soda without the caramel and sugary aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 20:40:07 | More by JerzDevl2000

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Winter Rental Black Lager is a dark brown beer when poured into a glass. Hold it up to the light and it becomes a clear dark copper color.

It has a tan head. and left some lacing on the glass.

This is a medium bodied beer. On the light side for a dark beer.

Well carbonated with a nice mouthfeel.

It drinks easy like a like a lager should.

This is a mild beer. It has a mild roasted malt aroma. The flavor is mild too. Roasted malts with only a slight bitterness.

Overall, Winter Rental is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 02:43:20 | More by JohnFatAss

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a dark brown color with a fizzy cream colored head on top. The head fades away and leaving just a small foamy ring around the edge of the glass. The smell of the is lightly roasted with the earthy funk of what most lagers have. The taste is malty with some decent toasted notes. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth, decent carbonation also. Overall it's not a terrible brew. Its better than I remember it being the first time I had it.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 04:02:20 | More by Knapp85

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single from the Wegman's in Allentown. It pours a dark brown with a tall off-white head. The body is thicker and creamy, like an oatmeal stout. There's a little roast in the aroma and flavor, a hit of dark fruit, and a mild dry cocoa flavor in the finish. There's a bitter bite in the finish a la Irish stout for a pleasant finish. The mid-flavor is a little bland, the flavors aren't popping, but it's still a tasty beer worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 23:10:29 | More by tempest

benetoh

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A friend of mine who lives in Point Pleasant gave me two bottles of this to try.

Appearance: Dark brown, almost black.

Smell: Slightly roasty, a little bit of chocolate. Not much hops.

Taste: Similar to the taste. The hops aren't noticeable but the overall flavor of the beer is mild as a schwarzbier should be.

Mouthfeel: Relatively lLight in body; not Coors-light light, more like Yeungling.

Overall: A decent session beer, nice to have on a cool fall night. As long as you don't grab a bottle of this expecting to get blown away, you will not be dissapointed. Consider this a decent alternative for someone who drinks Newcastle, but wants something a little more mild.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 15:41:15 | More by benetoh

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown with about a half inch of tan head that retains somewhat well. Smells of caramel and dark malts with subtle scents of licorice and chocolate. Medium bodied with with a good amount of carbonation and finishes with a slight warming sensation as you swallow (perfect for a cold winter night at your lonely winter rental in pt pleasant)

Taste wise this beer does very well for a winter session brew. Lots of caramel, chocolate and dark malts followed by a mild hop presence to balance things out giving you a superbly clean finish!

Like I said before, an awesome winter session beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 23:37:22 | More by jtierney89