Pils Noir - Susquehanna Brewing Company

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

My first SBC - and for that matter, the first Schwarzbier I can remember drinking.

So my framework for this brew was the following:
-It's a Pils, right. So it should have that Saaz hop, Czech-style.
-It's "Noir" - so it's gotta have some Czech-style cojones, right.

Pretty average smell with some molasses aroma, but certainly nothing too potent. Subtle, if not average.

First sip, it reminds me a bit of a excellent-fresh Pils Urquell - refreshing, drinkable lager with a barely noticeable hop finish. I like the malt backbone to it - it's actually a well-put-together blend of crisp lager-style and some molasses malt punch. Not a hot mess, and that's a good thing.

I would drink this again. Good brew, Central PA.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:02:42 | More by brewsclues

WesWes

New York

3.6/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark brown/black color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a light pale malt scent along with a touch of black malt earthiness. It's bone dry with a slight bitterness. The taste is decent as well. It has a smooth, earthy black malt flavor. It's faint, but adds a solid bitterness and excellent color. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a pretty good beer, but nothing too interesting. Nonetheless, I'd throw a few of these in the fridge any day.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 23:36:51 | More by WesWes

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.49/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P- Wegmans

A- cola/rootbeer type of look to it. Minimal head and ok lacing. Nothing exciting.

S- roatsed dark malts but no hop presence in the nose. it tends to be confusing because i am not getting an dominate scent.

F- caramelized sugar and molasses is what i get but i tastes like i am drinking a root beer with alcohol and dark malts mixed in.

M- smooth and light on the creamy side. It is nice gulper.

O- interesting and different. I dont beleive i have ever had a schwarzbier do i cant rate it accurately.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 17:51:35 | More by Dodo2step

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

wow what a wonderful beer took me by surprise dark in color and smooth in taste a great beer a beer you can drink and drink puts a a smile om your face a good drink beer all susquehanna beers are worth drinking all night enjoy theese beers thank you sbc your worth drinking

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 02:29:19 | More by wac9

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into Hardywood Park tulip. no bottled on date.

A: ah definitely not anything remotely German Pils looking. dark, dark brown body. head has brown hints to it as well. retention is good as is the thick coat of lacing left behind.

S: lots of roasted, dark malt. slightly acrid, a little bit of smoulder. not getting any hop aroma, all dark grain.

T: starts dark and stinging. sharp dark malt cuts into the palate. a minor black licorice flavor. finish is dry while remaining refreshing. similar to the nose, not getting any hop flavor and it is hard to tell if the bitterness is from the grain or hops.

M: average/slightly higher carb on a light bodied brew.

D: first of all, this should be labeled on this website as a Schwarz, not simply as a German Pils. baring the mis-labeling on BA, this is a pretty solid Schwarz. plenty of bitter dark malt while not being fruity. lager-like throughout. wouldn't hate for a touch more on the hop aroma side of things, maybe some aroma has worn off due to time since bottling, but without any date coding impossible to tell.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:44:09 | More by Jimmys

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pilsner glass.

Appearance
Cola color brown with 3 fingers of fluffy head that dissipates slowly. Good clarity and lacing.

Nose
Light aromas of milk chocolate and smoke.

Taste
Chocolate milk, toffee and butterscotch candies. Caramelized sugar with just a touch of earthy bitterness.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, silky, smooth and clean.

Overall
Similar to a Schwarzbier in flavor. The Pilsner qualities are completely lost. I can't say that I'm crazy about this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:02:33 | More by justintcoons

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first brew from this start up and a good choice on my part I think.
Pils noir has a deep garnet crimson brown color with a smallish head and gentile carbonation. pleasing inn appearance.

Aroma is light with a sutle spiciness over a sutle roasted malt smell.

Taste is good. There is a very sutle roasted malt taste intermingled in the sutle spicy pils.
A bit course drinking but flows farily smooth over the palette.
I like this beer it was good. I hope to try more of thier products as they come my way.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 12:47:37 | More by micromaniac129

RyanGoodman

Bolivia

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

SBC touts this beer as a black pilsner, a twist on the classic pilsner. Also, their website reports that they use Pearl (Winter) barley from Muntons for this beer.

A - The appearance is black, but when you put light behind it, you see a crimson/brownish color. A small head formed at pour, but diminished to a decent size ring around the glass after a few moments.

S - Smell is a pilsner bullseye. Very inviting with it's German effervescence. If you close your eyes, you're taken to a field of barley as the gentle breeze blows.

T - I didn't know what to expect tasting a "black pilsner", and I wasn't dissappointed. The basic flavor is truly pilsner, not overly malty, nor too much with the hops. It is zesty, however. It quenched my thirst as I was eating cheese and peppers.

M - The carbonation was well done, popping across the palate.

O - I'm not a huge pilsner drinker, but this one was very enjoyable. One of my final beers before we move to Bolivia, the boring beer capital of the world.

Once again, thank you SBC!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 21:27:31 | More by RyanGoodman

undeadozzy

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

A - I love a good dark beer, and this one doesn't disappoint. Thin white head that disappeared quickly (sadly) but a deep blackened amber body helps to keep my attention.

S - Unlike a lot of dark beers I drink which have powerful odors, this doesn't really have any smell at all. I'm not sure if it's just because it was really cold or what, but no matter how hard I try to find anything scent to follow, I just can't find anything.

T - Tastes surprisingly good for having no smell. Tastes kinda like dark bread, maybe some molasses, and I can taste a little funk from the hops, but nothing overwhelming. Great session beer, but don't go in expecting anything deep.

M - Watery but smooth, and not washed-out feeling. Like a generic macro beer.

O - Not bad. A unique brew if anything, a gimmick if you will. Don't get me wrong, it's a good beer, but I would've hoped a little more character could be in a unique beer such as this. Regardless, SBC still has yet to disappoint me, so keep it up guys!

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 17:01:33 | More by undeadozzy