Black Thunder - Austin Beerworks

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Another impressive Austin Beerworks pour, with the clear chestnut colored liquid presenting several fingers of ecru foam; both the retention and the lacing were noticable

Smell: Brown bread and nutskins, with hints of powdered chocolate and coffee

Taste: Brown bread with a bit of acidity and nutskin bitterness developing; in the mid-palate, the powdered chocolate and coffee arrive; chalky and dry, in the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I am a bit disappointed in this beer, as the finish fails to hold the promise of the front end; not bad, but not something I would be inclined to re-visit

Thanks, Phoenix2443, for the opportunity

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 17:51:57 | More by brentk56

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Fair shwartz. Big white head on black body. Aggressive carbonation. Significant acid. Drinkable beer, it grew on me.It was only an extra, thanks Steve in Austin for some fun. Some burning tummy. Good roast aroma.Some chocolate. Lots of Rough patches.

Serving type: can

01-29-2013 03:26:05 | More by northyorksammy

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

deep brown pour with a finger of tan head which dissipated slowly. smells of chocolate, roasted grains, nutty. the taste is much better than the smell. lots of dark roasted grains are present, dark chocolate, sweet malty profile with a roasty essence throughout.. really nice. medium body with moderate carbonation and a creamy feel.

a nice sweet yet dark schwarzbier. very good in the flavor department with a really nice mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

01-21-2013 01:50:17 | More by facundoCNB

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A decent sized light brown head settles into a nice lacing above a dark red like a wine but even darker clear colored beer.

A very light aroma consisting of dark roasted caramel to coffee like malts.

Dark caramel roasted coffee and dark chocolate malts taste that is quite pleasant and enjoyable.

A dryish almost chalk like, but to a much lesser degree, dry aftertaste on this medium to medium/full bodied beer.

This beer is advertized as a German-Style Schwarz but I think it's pretty close to a lot of porter and stouts I've tried with the dark coffees and dark chocolate aspects. A pretty tasty drink.

Serving type: can

11-27-2012 22:42:06 | More by LXIXME

Pegasus

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep obsidian in color, all but impenetrable to light, with a small off-white head, which soon descends to an scattered archipelago in a dark sea. The lacing is thick, glass-coating, and fine-beaded.

Aroma: Mild notes of roasted malt, bitter cocoa, cold coffee, and faint dark fruit.

Taste: Opens with bitter cocoa and cold coffee. As the taste progresses, notes of charcoal appear. Late in the taste, there is a faint flush of sweetness. Finishes with a lingering roasted barley note and some earthy hop notes.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, pleasant, with a hint of effervescent carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: A nicely made example of the style.

Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: can

11-26-2012 01:28:35 | More by Pegasus

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Can opened on 8.21.12.

A - Pours a dark brown with a touch of red. A one inch light brown head forms, and fades slowly.

S - Not much here, light roasted malts.

T - Roasted malts, some wheat as well.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Light and roasty, pretty simple.

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 06:41:42 | More by HuskyinPDX

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can into a standard pint. The brew appears a cola colored brown that is hazy. A finger of tan froth sits atop and slowly fades leaving patches of lace sticking to the glass. A light swirl effortlessly revives a finger back to the surface.

The smell is pleasantly roasty with hints of chocolate and mild coffee. A sweetness is present mildly like vanilla mixed with a touch of nutty grain. Faint herbal inclusion and earthy hops.

The taste is mildly musty with roasty grain. Hints of chocolate snd coffee with a bitterness that is a mixture of the roast and herbal hops. There is a light touch of fruit that feels like a combination of hops and alcohol ester with a minor note of mineral quality.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is pretty easy drinking and nice and crisp finishing. A depth of character here between the hops and roast of grain. Overall a solid interpretation of the style.

Serving type: can

08-14-2012 21:56:42 | More by stakem

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a pint glass. Thanks to SSW117.

A- Pours an opaque dark brown with about a finger of brownish off-white head that is slightly creamy and a little bit bubbly and has decent retention- slowly fades to a thin layer leaving nice lacing. Decent carbonation.

S- Coffee beans, a little bit of dark chocolate, some light citrus hops, caramel malts, etc.. Slightly above average aroma strength.

T- Coffee beans, light dark chocolate, pretty malty, a little bit bitter on the finish with a little bit of a watery coffee aftertaste that lingers.

M- Fairly thin, decent carbonation, easy to drink.

O- I haven't had too many schwarzbier to compare this to, but I thought this was a pretty decent beer. It had a nice appearance and aroma and a pretty nice taste (not the best aftertaste in the world, but not bad). It was easy to drink and I definitely enjoyed it, nothing that stands out about it though. Glad I got to try it, thanks Sam!

Serving type: can

08-04-2012 02:30:01 | More by jaasen64

specksnreds

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"SCHWARZBIER!"I like yelling that and sounding all in-charge and what not. And speaking of in-charge (that's called a segue), this beer is all in-charge up in here. Though not much to look at with its not-so-black appearance and lack of bubbly head, it smells heavenly sweet and inviting. Pretty sure I smelled some hops, but who knows. A little too bitter to be refreshing, but I do sense that said bitterness is a function of hops. And that's OK.

Serving type: can

07-28-2012 21:28:06 | More by specksnreds

emerge077

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Chris for sharing this beer today!
Live review, served in a tulip glass.

Black with a thin skim, earthy roast aroma and flavor. Thin ring ofthe edges, reddish copper color in the light. Dry and roasty aroma. Dry bitter flavor, some woody smokiness, with traces lingering nicely in the aftertaste. Dry and savory, would pick this up if I saw it, it's a nice Schwarzbier.

Serving type: can

07-23-2012 02:12:51 | More by emerge077

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received as an extra in a trade. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a deep, dark brown with a nice one finger super light mocha head that fades to a thin creamy blanket.

S - Light roasted malts, slightly nutty, with an off putting metallic aroma.

T - Similar to the nose with lots of light roasted malts, slightly creamy, the metallic flavour is there too but thankfully just in the aftertaste. Hmmm...

M - Mouthfeel is slightly creamy, but that metallic aftertaste is really messing with me.

O - Overall this had potential to be a decent beer, however, that off metallic taste and aroma really ruins this beer for me.

Serving type: can

07-19-2012 18:02:34 | More by rudzud

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to kevin123 for this can...

A: Pours a wonderful dark brown with noticable ruby hues as light shines through. There is a full finger of light khaki colored head that takes awhile to settle. Good amount of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is pretty solid. Roasted malt, caramel, and a good amount of nuttiness. I'm picking up cashews mixed with coffee. It smells delightful.

T: It starts off with a bit of creamy sweetness and light roast. A touch of cashew comes in towards the middle, but it's not as much as I would have anticipated from the nose. The finish is a bit like toast (light burnt notes and bitters).

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet and creamy to start, but finishes bitter. Still creamy in the back end, but the carbonation dries it up a bit too fast.

O: I like this beer. It's not amazing, but it's solid. The look and smell of this beer are it's high points. I though it was a bit lacking in flavor.

Serving type: can

05-16-2012 20:17:01 | More by trxxpaxxs

ElCommodoro

Texas

2.25/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Pour is a barely opaque mahogany brown colour with a small, quickly dissipating tan head.
Smell is really quite good. Sweet, malty, and chocolatey with some hops thrown in. The hops are a bit nauseating mixed in with those other flavours. But oh well, it's a schwarzbier.
The first thing that hits me is the astringent bitterness. Terrible! Terrible hops and way too much for a dark beer. I know that hops are supposed to supply the bitterness in a schwarz, but the idea is that they aren't as bitter as stronger-flavoured dark beers, right? This bitterness hides all the lovely flavours that could be lurking underneath. This is not refreshing at all.

Serving type: can

05-01-2012 06:17:16 | More by ElCommodoro

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to wagenvolks for sending this can my way. Served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours a very dark brown with a single-finger tan head that goes away fairly quickly without leaving much of any lacing behind. The nose has faint roasted malt with a touch of chocolate and coffee. Flavor is quite similar, with roasted malt dominating (though not being over the top), with some chocolate in the background. Light-medium body with slight chewiness and a semi-dry finish. A pretty decent example of the style, though I could use a bit more depth.

Serving type: can

04-10-2012 00:16:40 | More by Thorpe429

wagenvolks

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can into a Foothills pint glass.

Black Thunder, the 4th can to hit the shelves from Austin Beerworks, pours not quite black, but a deep chestnut brown with bright, ruby-rich cola hues at its edges. The head is slim and dissipates quickly to a fine veil of light tan bubbles. The aroma is the best part about this beer--subtle, yet intricate with a healthy dose of nutty, roasted dark malts that suggest chocolate and coffee.

The flavor is a bit thin and too sharp in its acridity. Still, the nutty malt backbone isn't without merit, as it finishes clean and dry with a bit of bread crust and a raw, leafy hop bitterness to round out the profile. Mouthfeel is light with big carbonation bubbles that add to the sharpness. Overall, not my favorite ABW beer, but I'll still happily imbibe the remaining 5 Black Thunders in my fridge.

Serving type: can

03-18-2012 00:36:21 | More by wagenvolks

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a deep brown with good carbonation leaving behind a moderate sized tannish cap which fades leaving spotty lacing

S : A light roast, grains and some faint cocoa

T: Black malt base provides hints of cocoa, some roast upfront. A small amount of bitterness is detected toward the en but minute.

M: Light to medium bodied, some creaminess to it.

O: Not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 13:37:36 | More by barleywinefiend

Daxio

4.63/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

By far the best schwarzbier I've had.

A: Cola black. Amber at the edges held up to the light. Head sticks around a little while. Lacing is normal for a not-too-thick beer.

S: The scent is as if a porter or stout: coffee, smoky, smoked malt. Very appetizing.

T: The taste is simpler than the scent, but still satisfying. Hops come in on the aftertaste as they should.

M: Medium carbonation. the feel is not thick. Like the lager it is.

O: Best on tap, but the cans are great too, poured into a pint glass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 00:49:59 | More by Daxio

elcatan

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at Draught House.

Almost black, with a reddish-brown tint when held up to the light. Thin ring of light beige foam at the sides of the glass, with a hurricane swirl of fine bubbles in the middle.

Aroma is upfront caramelized grains and maybe some roasted stone fruit. Mouthwatering.

Initial taste matches the aroma, then becomes oddly neutral before a grainy, roasted wallop to the back of the throat that, well, tastes kinda like a roach. (Not the crawling kind.) I can see how burnt flavor could be overpowering to some, but to me it was delicious. Of the few schwarzbiers I've tried, this is indisputably the best. I hope they can this stat.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 02:29:19 | More by elcatan

champ103

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Flying Saucer in Houston Tx

A: Pours a dark brown, almost black color. Some ruby highlights around the edges. A two finger dark beige head forms with good retention. Plenty of lace is left behind.
S: Roasted malt with some lagerish yeast. Light bread that is slightly burnt. Kind of like burnt toast.
T: Again that burnt toast flavor is up front and center. Dry crackers and baked bread that is almost charred.
M/D: A medium body that is very crisp, clean, and dry. Easy enough to drink.

I really love Austin Beerworks, and was very excited to try this. Though Black Thunder is just a bit to burnt and charred for my tastes. Worth a try, but not one of ABW's better offering IMO.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 02:16:50 | More by champ103

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Draught House.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with an off-white head. The aroma is very nice. I get a lot of chocolate and roasted malt notes, with a little bit of dark fruit. It smells quite a bit like a nice, roasted porter.

The flavor is more of the same. I get a lot of dark roasted malt with some bitterness from the malt and chocolate notes. There is also a little bit of nuttyness in the flavor. There is a ton of flavor packed into this lower alcohol beer.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Hopefully this beer is canned because I could drink this all day long.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2011 05:23:04 | More by Mora2000