Sagres Cerveja Preta (Dark) - Sociedade Central de Cervejas

rickyleepotts

Arizona

2.48/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I have no idea what this beer is about. I see this all the time at Total Wine & More, and I didn’t realize it was a Heineken product. But I have seen the logo somewhere… I just don’t remember where. Besides Total Wine that is. Perhaps it has something to do with soccer. When I was in Poland, we went to a few soccer matches. Maybe that is it. Not sure… but I am excited to drink this low ABV beer. Especially when the tasting notes mention caramel and sweetness. I love my sweets! Let’s see what this cerveza tastes like.

In the Glass: It pours thin, but very dark. Black, really. The thin head is in fact tan, but is gone quickly. There is little to no lace, as well. I am hoping this beer smells as sweet as they say!

Nose: Yep. It does! There is a ton of sugary sweetness in the aroma. Not really smelling caramel, but I love the sugars I am picking up. Not having had this beer before, I have to assume (based on price and the thin lace) that this should be drank cold. Or is it drunk cold. Either way, drink this beer cold. We pulled this from the fridge and are drinking it as cold as we can. Let’s see if that sweetness carries over into the flavor.

Flavor: It does… a little. But this beer smells WAY better than it tastes. There isn’t much flavor here until the aftertaste. We will get to that. Not sure why I had higher expectations, but this beer is really disappointing. There is no caramel in the flavor, and what sugars I get are toward the end. Those sugars taste burnt and over saturated. This might be OK on draft and in a huge cup during a sporting event, but I wouldn’t order this at a bar. I am not even sure food would help this one.

Mouthfeel: There is a ton of carbonation going on here. It kicks off and stays full of bubbles until you swallow. The beer is also thin (as it appears in the glass) and goes down smooth. This is nothing to write home about.

Aftertaste: This is the best part of the beer. As soon as you swallow, what sweetness there was is gone. However, you get some burnt sugar flavors that rest easy on the tongue. If you like that taste, then you will want to finish this beer every drink just to experience those flavors.

This beer might be nice for those living in Portugal, but my palate is more advanced than this. Not trying to be a snob here… but man, this is just not a good beer. Glad it was a small bottle! Oh, and the burp provides more of those burnt sugar flavors. Now I want to light up some sugar and see if I can replicate that flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 21:14:41 | More by rickyleepotts

cadaugherty

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -19.1%

05-08-2013 02:00:28 | More by cadaugherty

mitlinks

Switzerland

3.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-26-2013 10:20:27 | More by mitlinks

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +5.2%

03-22-2013 17:02:00 | More by mick303

jmccraney

Washington

3/5  rDev -2.9%

02-23-2013 08:26:44 | More by jmccraney

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

3.25/5  rDev +5.2%

02-16-2013 03:22:30 | More by Beerstorian

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +13.3%

02-09-2013 00:30:33 | More by BigTrubble

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.45/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint.

Appearance: Dark as the night, brown tint to brew with little tan head maybe 1/8"

Smell: Light malty scent, that's really it.

Taste: much better than the scent, malty, and light sourness that reminds you of rye. Hops are there but not too strong just enough to offset it with the right bitterness.

Mouth: medium and smooth. Light bitter after taste but still sticky and feels toasty.

Overall: Complimented with a medium-rare steak this beer is even better. Straight and simple. Salud

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 21:41:34 | More by BlurryVisi0n

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.38/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Black with a thin and bubbly white head on top that has some light tan tinges through it. It starts about half a centimetre think before reducing to about half of that and staying the same after that, managing to leave some light lacing on the sides of the glass too.

Slightly darker, rich malts and a little bit of chocolate that is well-balanced and not too overpowering. There is some roasted barley and a little burnt sugar along with some light coffee notes.

Barley and darker malts along with a little chocolate and coffee. There is some cocoa and sugar in there too and overall the taste is a rich but sweet one.

Smooth for the most part with only a tiny bit of grain present. There is a dark and rich feel to the beer but also a sweetness throughout. There is a good balance also and whilst nice, nothing is out of the ordinary.

An okay beer and a welcome change for the scores of pale lager Portugal has to offer. This one is by no stretch a fantastic beer but it is a pleasant enough one and definitely worth a try if you're in the country.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 21:47:12 | More by flyingpig

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -35.3%

11-22-2012 01:31:22 | More by cfalovo97

jmtpi

New York

2/5  rDev -35.3%

09-03-2012 18:20:07 | More by jmtpi

XmAjOX

2.5/5  rDev -19.1%

09-01-2012 17:10:12 | More by XmAjOX

sfprint

Germany

3.15/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

exp: 12/2012
A: Jet black, but with a huge 4 finger head and lots of little streams of rising carbonation.
S: Toasty, wall plaster, acidic.
T: Toasty with a bit of sour fruit. Or perhaps just sour, implied lemon. But quite ok. Very plain, but easy to drink. Chocolate.
M: Not exactly dry, but alters the inside of your mouth in a funny way.
O: Decent, unexciting but very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 01:00:56 | More by sfprint

JMSiefer

3.25/5  rDev +5.2%

06-26-2012 18:01:34 | More by JMSiefer

bpfrush

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev +5.2%

06-18-2012 14:30:30 | More by bpfrush

Burt

Rhode Island

3/5  rDev -2.9%

11-29-2011 16:29:43 | More by Burt

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

3/5  rDev -2.9%

11-15-2011 09:33:08 | More by Thehuntmaster

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

2.73/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

330ml Bottle served in an ordinary glass in bar in Coimbra.

A: Pours a dark, dark brown with red notes. Clear. Half finger beige head with medium carbonation. Medium retention and only few lacings

S: Roasted malts with some notes of coffee. A bit sweet and some yeasts

T: Follows the nose: Roasted malts with some notes of coffee. Quite watery. Mild bitterness. Disappointing

M: Very light body and medium carbonation. Watery

O: Expected more. Portuguese market hunger for better personality beers

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 19:53:44 | More by eduardolinhalis

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle from grocery store in Albufeira. From notes.

A - Poured a dark, dark brown with red notes. Bright. Half finger beiege head with minimal visible carbonation. Good retention at a half finger and no lacing.

S - Coffee was obvious. Chocolate, sweet notes, yeast and cola. Yeast melds with the flavours in a very odd way, losing points.

T - Burnt coffee, cola, nuttiness, very sweet, and some chocolate. Again the yeast is mixing in here and just stirring things up in ways it shouldn't.

M - Mild to medium carbonation and a mild to medium body. Sweet finish cut by some coffee bitterness.

O/D - More of a mishmash than anything. It was an ok beer, just lacked structure and purpose for me. Kinda like they didn't know what they were trying to do. I didn't dislike it, but I was ready for something much better.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 00:01:55 | More by tbeckett

warnerry

Michigan

2.63/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep brown, though still translucent. About one finger of head with poor retention.

Smells of some earthy malts, but not much aroma to speak of.

Taste is pretty thin. Again, some earthy malts, but really nothing else to speak, save maybe a faint bit of hops.

This is really thin and pretty watery; carbonation level is nice though.

Other than the wateriness (which is a pretty big problem), nothing taking away from the drinkability, but not much making you want to drink more, either. For 0.65 euro from a Lisbon convenience store, you could do worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 01:46:58 | More by warnerry

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.42/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours dark and quite opaque, a deep black-brown colour, although the head is incredibly lacklustre. It's not even a film, just a collar of rather overtly large bubbles. Oily residue on the top. Very light body. It's very ininspiring.

Nose is very thin as well, slight dark grain note, faint adjunct character, with an earthy character than genuinely reminds me of soil. Slightly sweet, very faint. Not a huge amount on it.

Taste is similar. Slight caramel sweetness, bit of corn syrup and a very faint burnt crisp character on the back. Feel is abominably thin, and lends nothing to the otherwise bland palate.

Very thin, and really not worthy of a lot of discussion. It's bland, neutral and really quite unexciting.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 09:04:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Boy, the new beers just keep coming tonight...third and final new (and exciting!) brew...a first from Portugal. 33 cl bottle, listing a slightly lowered 4.1% abv. Also shows 'Dez.09' on the label - uncertain if that's a 'brewed on' or 'best by' date, but we'll take our chances. A pour to the '2008 Fresh Hop Festival' shaker pint glass...one can hope.

A: Attractive pour, a deep/dark mahogany with a fluffy 1-finger+ pillow of almond cream. Held to light, a vibrant inverted cascade of bubbles rise and refurbish a dwindling head. A good-looking lacing, too - clinging in broken cobwebs.

S: A dark 'grainy' scent that entices, yet ultimately smells of both a musty ashtray and an acrid, day-old coffee. That's kinda the style, so I'll go with it - and the strength is promising.

T: Malted grains are so dark, yet balance between ashy dryness and a more treacle-sweet blackness. Tea-like spice dances around...it's got some complexity behind a fairly simple exterior. Caramel and a nutty roast, hints at cocoa and a cola-leaning roast.

M: The (slight) downfall of this beer (and perhaps the style); thin and a little slick. Sure there's lasting bitter char and a sticking darkness of mildly sweetened grain...just nothing too memorable. Light-medium body with a lively carbonation.

D: Easy enough to drink and of a completely sessionable strength. No complaints; while I won't necessarily seek this out again, it definitely is a tasty/well-done selection for its style. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 07:46:13 | More by msubulldog25

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.28/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A solid pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces three-fingers of lightly browned, tan colored foam. The beer is a dark, concentrated brown color (not quite black) that does have some burnt amber notes to it; when held up to the light the beer shows a brilliantly clear, deep, ruby / plum color. The aroma smells of toasted bread crust and perhaps a touch of dark chocolate up front, but then picks up a tinny, cheap lager like note towards the finish. Some caramel notes are here as well as just a touch of diacetyl that supplies a hint of butterscotch that also boosts the caramel aromas. I like the light roast influence in the nose, but the mix of diacetyl (that most will miss as I am a bit sensitive to it and it is subtle here) as well as the metallic finish just make this a touch off-putting to smell.

A fizzy carbonation couples with a dry'ish, but dark malt sweetened flavor up front. The beer finishes with a solid toasted grain note that is reminiscent of biscuits and crackers that have been well browned in the oven. A touch of berry-like fruitiness is here as is a faint coffee note that reminds me of a pale-roasted coffee. The malt provides a slightly earthy undertone that is mixed in with the toasted grain character; toasted whole grain character actually, as there is a touch of complexity to this note.

The beer isn't all that bad in the flavor, it is well within the style of a schwarzbier, but the aroma is not quite as clean as it needs to be. Not bad, but I can't see myself giving another one of these a go.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 20:47:10 | More by Gueuzedude

NewGeneric

California

3.93/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

After being in Portugal for several days without any hints of anything other than basic golden lagers, I was pleasantly surprised to find this at a local grocer. Still somewhat nervous from my experience thus far, I only bought one. When I opened it, I was happy to catch a big roasty smell with some caramel undertones. I poured it in my glass and enjoyed the deep, dark amber almost-brown color, with a nice light tan head that leaves a fair amount of lacing. Upon drinking, I was blown away to taste rich, roasted malt and toffee, with hints of coffee! I had been just about ready to give up on my beer tasting while in Portugal until I found this gem. The mouthfeel was a little disappointing in that it was slightly overcarbonated and left a slightly slick feeling on the tongue. But after having this beer, I got it everywhere I went, very drinkable. Thank you Sagres!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2009 20:20:22 | More by NewGeneric

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours deep, dark brown that closes in on black in color. Thinnish, slightly tan head that dissipates quickly. Looks fairly substantial...

S - Sweet maltiness, nearing in lactose in the nose. Pruney/raisiny aroma that's fairly mild. Just a slight touch of roastiness

T - Very much mirrors the aroma. The pruney sweetness is the dominant flavor, and it's actually not bad. A bit of an "off" flavor with the papery (perhaps oxidation) flavor.

M - Pretty thin MF given the color, with subdued carbonation.

D - I would say this ranks as pretty drinkable for me and the general pleasant flavors. Certainly not difficult to take down, but I've seen both better and worse takes on the style.

Overall, not a bad brew, but nothing to go out of your way to get.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 22:20:02 | More by Nickls