Samuel Adams Black Lager - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

RBorsato

Virginia

4.93/5  rDev +32.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark dark brown with ruby hues, a nice full creamy tan to light brown head, and decent carbonation which leaves some lace rings. Dark chocolate and roasty aroma; espresso like coffee character. Dark chocolate flavors dominate with a roasty coffee bean finish in the Robust Porter style. Medium bodied and smooth with a dry roasty finish.

Quite possibly the best Sam Adams brew I've ever had !! Nearer a Robust Porter in my book.

Per Label: "Roasted caramel and Chocolate malts" & "Noble Bavarian hops"

Per BBC website:
OG 14 P / 1.096 SG
191 cal
4.9 ABV
Malts: 2-row Pale, Munich, Weyermann Dehusked Carafa
Hops: Spalt Spalter


Purchase Before: 09/05 (notched)
Tasted: 06/26/05

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2005 15:53:01 | More by RBorsato

RushLimbmalt

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a dark, ruby red color and has a thick tan head. The aroma is of chocolate and coffee... Definitely a lot of malt in here. The flavor is exceptionally balanced. There is no really overpowering flavor... a nice meld of the coffee tones from the roasted malt and a nice chocolate flavor as smooth as any fine chocolate beer, but balanced in a way that it does not become cloying at all. The label says it all when it comes to the finish... Smooth, spicy and very clean for all of the flavors going on here. I really like this beer and I hope it becomes a regular in the BBC lineup.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2005 07:36:59 | More by RushLimbmalt

thelagerheads

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

O my good daddy who built me with my knockers on the low! I love this sap! It is the perfect accoutrement for the low-class denizen desserter of Keebler cookies and Chips Ahoy! I'm not a fan of coffee but this reminds me of coffee with a dark chocolate brain. It thinks burnt but says savor. I could easily become a drunk rotting my teeth out further on this brimmed black wizened wine of puddings! All stars here along with his step uncle SCHWARZ!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2006 22:14:48 | More by thelagerheads

krunchie

Sweden

4.83/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours pitch black into my flute glass. Brownish head with poor sustainability (don't expect that from a lager). Looks almost like Guinness with a much thinner head.

S: Chocolate malts and roasted barley. Hints of bread and earthy hops.

T: Fantastic! Perfectly balanced. Distinct chocolate and coffe flavours as well as roasted malts. Less bread compared to the smell, but it's still there. Very very good!

M: Top notch. No unpleasant bitterness. Light body and great carbonation with many fine small bubbles (when you can see them through this black haze)

D: Very smooth and drinkable. I could drink gallons of this brew!

Unexpectedly, this is a fantastic beer. Definitely world class, it tasted perfect to the last sip. This one's already one of my very favourites! I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 17:41:28 | More by krunchie

deliriumtremens

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Can't wait for the Black Lager to be available in 6pks in my area. As it is, I'm getting kind of sick of buying the mixed six and making my fiance drink the other 4 beers. Appearance and smell are good but somewhat unremarkable, but the taste is phenomenal. After drinking a Kostritzer and then one of these, I'm struck with the impression that *this* is how a black lager should taste. Caramelly and effervescent, sweet but well-balanced, mouthfeel is full and slightly creamy, not too much carbonation. Only a trace of the signature hops that make most Sam Adams beers taste exactly the same. If the Boston Beer Company would lay off the hops a little in all of their beers, I'd drink more of them.

The only reason I can't drink multiple Black Lagers in a sitting is because I don't have the fridge space for all of that Hefeweizen that I can't stomach and Boston Ale that I will drink only when I'm out of everything else.

If you like beers that are sweet-but-not-sticky, and if you're not a huge hophead, I can't imagine a more perfect beer, at least not for the price (as long as I don't think of it as $6.99 for a 2-pack).

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2005 01:36:59 | More by deliriumtremens

SteveO1231

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Nice dark color very good thick creamy head.
Excellent mouth feel, nice velvet creamy texture as it floods the palate.
Nice coffee flavor at first with a taste of sweet caramel. Nice finish.
Very, very nice drinkable beer every sip seemed to get tastier.
I was happy to see they have added this to the Holiday Pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2005 22:23:37 | More by SteveO1231

hideous

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh...my...God...this is most definately the best beer I have had. Drinking one now and it is most certainly an enjoyable experience. Went looking for a six of just the black lager, can only find the mix pack where I live. Oh, well...I will savor the two that came in the pack and move on to the rest...which ain't too shabby either
...I have had the brown ale and the Hefe Weizen that is in the pack at another time...looking forward to the scotch ale...think I already know what the regular lager is like...that is everywhere...
Very happy that I found these Sammy mix packs...it has allowed me to try many different beer styes, as I am somewhat new to beer exploration (have drank beer all my life, but never really worried about styles and such, just gimme a beer, plz)

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2006 18:15:34 | More by hideous

botham

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

love this brew. pours a deep black with a small tan head. in light, turns into a deep ruby red. though the liquid is black, this one is rather light in the mouth

smell is roasty up front, with some caramel and malts thrown in. not much alcohol present.

taste is also roasty, with undertones of hops. alcohol can be present, but is ephemeral at best. slightly more present on the way down. aftertaste does away with the roastiness and brings caramel and malts to the front.

mouthfeel is rather light, but with enough presence to know your drinking a good brew.

drinkability is suprizingly good, without any bad afterthoughts to make one weary of poping another open. it would be no problem to polish off a six-pack of these in one night.

this brew is very well balanced. the roastiness is not overdone (easily accomplished with a schwarzbier), and the caramel and malts are left to the background, letting the roastiness take the focus. cheers to Sam Adams, you've created another phenomenal brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2007 04:37:46 | More by botham

roddwolff

Mexico

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This time i drank my friend Sam Adams in a cold december afternoon. Once served in my glass "Pilsener Victoria":

A: A deep black color, like beer of coke, some amber flashes at the bottom, without bubbles, the foamy head is thin and long lasting, good lacing;

S: Dominates malt with scents of roasted coffee and biscuits;

T: Roated coffee, chocolate and cookie;

M: Clean and crisp, high bitterness with a sweet finish, medium body and carbonation;

D: Excellent beer from Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 21:26:17 | More by roddwolff

ely2000k

California

4.75/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A couple things first. I have never had this style before. If all beers of this style are like this, count this as one of my favorite styles. Second, I consider to be hands down the best Sam Adam's beer I have had. It's unique, it's complex, and it's not too hard to find. I'm sure they sell 6ers of it, I got it in the one of the "brewer's choice" variety packs, which is actually well worth sampling some of the other beers in there as well.

Onto the beer. Black in color as the name suggestions. Great head. Looks very similar to a stout. The nose is malty which I was expecting, with some light molasses or perhaps honey scent. Light, but pleasant. I love the taste of this. For 4.9% alcohol, this feels like a very full beer, like there is a lot going on with it. Initially a very sweet malt taste, and as it goes down, the taste leads to some subtle hoppy bitterness, and ends with a smokey whiskey style taste. Love the taste. Mouthfeel has some good carbonation that perfectly fits what this is going for. Definitely will get this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 05:42:56 | More by ely2000k

Manosbeeroffate

Maine

4.72/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I love this stuff!! Sam Adams may be a huge company now but they still put out some good product and this black lager is one of my new favorites. So far I've only gotten it in the mix packs, so mix packs I'll have to buy. Dark ruby/black color, nice smell, taste is a mix of dried fruit, caramel, roasted malt done very well. This is the first black lager I've tried, now I'm looking foward to finding more of this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2005 01:47:00 | More by Manosbeeroffate

scratch69

Missouri

4.72/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured a bottle into a Samuel Adams glass.

Appearance - Black with about a fingers worth of head that lingers. Nice lacing.

Smell - Roasted malt with a hint of molasses.

Taste - Same as smell but with a hint of chocolate at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and well carbonated.

Overall - A very good beer. This could easily become one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 17:44:42 | More by scratch69

OtisStreetBrew

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +26%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer puts a smile on my face. There is something special about the feel of a clean, smooth lager playing against a roasty background, and Sam Adams gets it right with this one.

Appearance is as advertised: black.

Smell those Hallertau hops and Bavarian yeast.

Clean lager up front, roasted notes, even some coffee flavors, finish and linger.

Feels nice and smooth.

Drinkability is exceptional. It is not often I find a beer I want to quaff massive quantities of... Sweet!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 23:48:15 | More by OtisStreetBrew

Tee76

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: The beer pours an almost black color with a thick creamy tan head.

Smell: It's a smokey smell with a hint of black coffee.Almost reminded me of the smell of Liquid Smoke.

Taste: Almost identical to the smell, very thick and smokey with a hint of coffee. Flavor kind of reminded me of how meat tastes when its charred on the grill.

Mouth feel: Medium bodied and with medium carbonation.

Drinkability: This is a great tasting lager.Easy to drink,and leaves you wanting more, the smokiness of the beer is what keeps you coming back. Highly recommended!!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 01:45:02 | More by Tee76

bonk420247

Kentucky

4.65/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

While its nice having a beer or twelve on Sunday's while watching the game I've come upon S.A. Black Lager. It has tossed me back in my lazy-boy a few times. Big in flavor, heavy in smell, large in body. These three cryteria are very important on any given Sunday!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2007 00:48:15 | More by bonk420247

Schmidts

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black as coal with a 1/2 inch head that goes quickly. Smells of Malts Chocolate and Caramel. Taste the same malt,caramel not to sweet not to bitter a delightful flavor this bottle was given to me by a friend I will be going out after work and getting a case today. This is a really fine beer and of the type I have never had like a porter in look but a lager That hits the Flavor mark! Mouth feel is a lingering delight that says have another, and drinking it, is the kind of Beer you can enjoy a few with great joy!
Beer Its Not Just A beverage Beer Is Food

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 12:03:17 | More by Schmidts

KodyBrannon

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass, Poured a very dark brown, almost black color, with a whitish cream head. The scent was of roasted malt and kinda smoky. The mouth feel was suprisingly light. The taste was coffeeish with a caramel hint. Very good to my suprise. Definatly one of the more intriguing beers I've had. Wouldn't mind getting more of this for future drinking pleasure.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2007 01:44:44 | More by KodyBrannon

Riccymon

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours from the bottle a dark black with a finger and a half of tan head that took some coaxing to show up and quickly fades. Smell is a little on the weak side--lightly roasted malt with a touch of hops, and a cream/buttermilk note. Taste has similar flavors, but here the lightness is delicious; there's no burnt flavor, which I sort of expected, and in its place is a pleasant sweetness. As good as Black Lager tastes, however, its creamy, soft body is wonderful and something I've not found in any other beer. As light and pleasant as this beer, I could drink several of them.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2009 01:14:56 | More by Riccymon

generallee

New York

4.63/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: The body is dark black in color and very nearly opaque with some ruby red highlights along the sides of the glass. There is some visible carbonation near the sides of the glass as well. On top sits a thick tan head with very good retention. It makes some good lace rings on the glass as I drink.

Smell: The aroma is sweet and bready with some mild hints of smoke and burnt sugar.

Taste/Mouth Feel: There is sweet buttery toffee and light caramel notes up front. This gives way to a robust espresso character with a light dusting of bittersweet chocolate. It finishes with some mild hop bitterness and dryness. The palate is medium bodied with a smooth texture and mild yet active carbonation.

Notes: Another solid beer from Samuel Adams!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 08:20:53 | More by generallee

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours very black with a brwon hue which I thought was a thing of beauty. The head was very frothy and creamy.

Taste: Very malty slightly chocolaty with hints of caramel. Slightly burnt hops and malts and a nice balnce of hoppiness.

Mouthfeel: Mildly bubbly yet smooth full bodied.

Notes: Jim Koch did very well with this one simply an amazing beer very drinkable to get one through a cold winter night. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2005 02:01:25 | More by horshack7

auxiliary

Rhode Island

4.58/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a dark beer and I am always saying I do not like the dark stuff. For some reason I love this stuf. Has a caramel and chocolate taste to it, with a bit of a smoked or roasted flavor, but it is nice. This is one of m top beers now.

It comes in a 6 pack, but I bought it in a mixed pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2006 07:38:06 | More by auxiliary

casualbeerman

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a real find. Since I'm not real familiar with which Boston Beer Co offerings are permenant and which are one-offs I can only say I hope they keep this one. This was one tasty brew. The color is, as you might expect, a pretty solid black. The head wasn't especially substantial compared to the Boston Lager, but it was still fair sized and on the creamy side. I've always liked the looks of black beers anyway, so I rate the appearance of this one pretty high. Smell is pleasant. Dark roasted carmel malt, a slight hint of coffee, and alcohol. Not very hoppy. Taste was great. Its smooth and rich with a little sweet, and a little bitter, with some coffee in the background again. Hop presence is not strong here either. Mouthfeel was also pleasant. Unlike a stout, this is a medium bodied beer. The drinkability is pretty good for the same reason. Its not very heavy and the bitterness doesn't weigh you down. This is a real winner here. Sort of like the Yuengling "Porter" (to which this is actually quite comparable since Yuengling uses a lager yeast for that beer) taken up a notch. This will be a regular so for me so long as the Boston Beer Co is kind enough to keep brewing it.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2007 07:52:45 | More by casualbeerman

waughbrew

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark brown mahogany nearing black. Tan head is impressive. Lingers and laces. Aroma of cookie-dough with hints of roasted malt, sweet and toasty. Aroma actually reminds me of Kalamazoo stout. Flavor begins with an awesome light caramel, cocoa, leather, and chocolate all perfectly rounded and balanced. Slightly roasty. Lager yeast leaves a small gap in the flavor profile. Medium-bodied and rediculously smooth. Cocoaish finish makes me want more.

One hell of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2005 03:47:00 | More by waughbrew

HockeytownBrew

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into my Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Deep black with a touch of amber color. Good sized fluffy head, leaves a bit of lace on the glass. I'm intrigued.

S: Wonderful scent of coffee, chocolate, toffee, and hints of nuts.

T: Excellent distinctive flavors of toffee and caramel as well as chocolate. Very easy to taste the roasted malt.

M: Smooth and creamy. Pretty light bodied, with light to moderate carbonation. Finishes very smooth.

D: Very good drinkability. This isn't the kind of beer that's meant to be thrown back, but it will definitely leave you wanting another.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 19:01:34 | More by HockeytownBrew

Gavage

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: clear black in color with a thick 2" tan head that nicely lasts. Decent lacing develops throught the drink.

Smell: the aroma is of roasted malts, licorice, and slighty earthy.

Taste: the flavor is superb, as roasted malts are nicely balanced with other components such as bitter chocolate, coffee, and soft licorice. Nice bitterness levels. One of the more flavorful schwarzbiers I have encountered.

Mouthfeel: crisp at the start. The finish is relatively clean, as the roasted tones fall off the tongue quickly. Light to medium in body.

Drinkability: great as this can be quaffed all night long. One of Sam's better brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2005 19:53:48 | More by Gavage