Mönchshof Schwarzbier - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A solid white head that persist. A deep brown colour, bordering black. The aroma is like an eisbock, so full of malts! It carries the complex nuances of a barleywine or strong Belgian, with hints of raisons, figs, dark fruit and an abundance of dates. A good smoky (tobacco like) character of smoke. The body is thick and malty like a dopplebock with a good deal of roasted barley. The smoke character ties all the flavours together well. Fairly light bodied considering how much there is going on... really impressed.
Special thanks to Amanda at Goodbar for the sample!

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2007 17:45:01 | More by biegaman

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a very clear deep garnet color that looks black unless the corner of the glass is held to the light. There was about a 1/4" head of off white bubbles that was there at the first pour and was still a solid layer of foam even a few minutes after the pour.

Aroma: Has a clean and dominantly malty aroma with plenty of Munich malt and plenty of other toasty aromatics. There is no real roast to speak of in this aroma even though the beer is black. There is no hops noticeable in the beginning, but as the beer warms a bit, there is a subtle floral presence coming in that I am assuming is from the hops.

Taste: The flavor is perfectly portrayed by the aroma. Plenty of toasty malts that lead the profile all the way from the nose to the finish. There is a whole bunch of sweet caramel in here that leads into the finish which has no alcohol and a super subtle acidic feeling that pokes its head in really late after the sip. The mouthfeel of this beer is pretty dry and well attenuated and leaves your lips squeaky clean after drinking.

Opinion: This is a really refreshing beer and a fine example of a Schwarzbier. I believe that I was fortunate to have a pretty fresh example of this beer as it shows no signs of oxidation or age that you often get with swing-tops. I didn't feel cheated in any way with such a low gravity beer, and I would certainly drink this one again. Give it a shot if it is available in your area.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2007 22:52:05 | More by SkeeterHawk

roddwolff

Mexico

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark copper color with reddish tones, the foamy head has a finger in thickness without consistency;

S: Roasted malt and dark fruits like figs and prunes;

T: Malt essences with coffee and chocolate, also some orange;

M: Dry with a prickly bitterness, the end is bittersweet like coffee without sugar, and medium body;

D: Very tasty, definitely to drink it without food.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 16:59:06 | More by roddwolff

RunawayJim

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard tumbler pint. Beer pours a dark brown opaque color with a creamy 1.5 finger head that lingers around for a while then disappears, but leaves a nice thick lacing on the glass as the beer is drunk.

The beer smells of chocolate and caramel malts. The taste is very nice and smooth with a milk chocolate flavor and slight roasted and caramel malt undertones. Almost no bitterness to the taste at all, though there is a little to round it out. It's amazing that this beer isn't a stout as it could easily be mistaken for one.

Mouthfeel is nice and smooth with ample carbonation, but not too much. The beer feels a bit creamy and full bodied.

This is a very tasty and drinkable brew. I wish I had more, but I only bought the 1 bottle. I could easily drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 00:06:20 | More by RunawayJim

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a nice crème head. Nose is very malty with a sweet tone to it. Flavor is beautiful robust. Thick malts that seem to have a spice to it abound. On the end I get some nice coffee tones. Feel has a good carbonation and a thick liquid feel. Nice and hearty and thick. Well worth trying, and even better on the bottle as I have had it on tap before.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 01:54:38 | More by RblWthACoz

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Appearance: From a 1 pint flip top bottle. The beer is black with brown hues on top is an off white head around an inch thick.

Aroma: Figs, little notes of grapes, wild berries and even some blue berries. Wisps of pumpernickel, herbal, floral and some citrus hops.

Taste: Sweetness up front, brown bread, floral hop, smokiness with bits of woodiness. Dark berries are in the back along with touches of herbs. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and is fairly smooth.

Notes: An amazing lager even though there are not alot of Schwarzbiers this is a remarkable treat and I will pick this one up again. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 21:25:57 | More by horshack7

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sometimes you come to a beer on an unusual path. Sitting around one day with my Bud-loving, but occasional craft beer tasting, father-in-law, he started talking about a beer he used to love from a place/brewery called Kulmbacher, When I found it in the store I was stunned to see that it was a Schwarzbier, I was expecting something close to a German pils. Picked each of us up a couple.

Swingtop bottle. Black/brown body with ruby highlights. Dark ruby when held to the light. Big foamy, lumpy, tan head. Roasted malt, a little smoke in the nose. Nice rich quality on the tongue. Roasted malt, with enough subtle hop presence to avoid overt sweetness. After all that roasted malt passes on, you're left with a nice dry hop finish. I really have to drink more schwarzbiers. This and Sprechners are both wonderful. A nice alternative to porters and stouts. Definitely something I might keep a couple bottles around.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2003 22:18:21 | More by RonfromJersey

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep and glowing ruby-brown in appearance. Poured with a large and creamy head of tan foam. The aroma is very interesting – touted on the label as “the black pils” and this beer seems to fit the description. Nice fresh grainy aroma of a pils combines with buttery pistachio nuts from like a quality brown ale. The taste is rich with roasted and woody malts with a slight and mild smokiness. A toasted and pleasantly roasted bitterness is soft on the palate and smooth in the throat. Light and roasted malt body. A very interesting beer that comes across as an hybrid to me. But, instead of being strange tasting , this pulls it off wonderfully.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2004 14:09:07 | More by pezoids

tugdriver7

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First off, the bottle is a keeper. Nothing is more fun than impressing your macro-loving buddies by popping a flip top from Germany and pouring a nice glass of black bliss. Monschshof looks good literally as it is coming out of the bottle. It pours a dark, potent brown/black with a gorgeous tan head that disappates quickly, but laces the glass nicely. A bit bubbly at first (surprising, given the flip top), but settles down to a silky smooth mouthfeel. The taste is dark chocolate, toasted malt and a bit of burnt coffee with a downright refreshing fruitiness to tie it all together. Truly a great black beer and, though a bit pricey, worth the occasional venture to the "expensive" import aisle.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2006 20:42:45 | More by tugdriver7

DoubleJ

California

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This has been sitting in my fridge for weeks, and it's been overdue for a taste run. On to the beer:

Poured into a glass, it's a lighter black body with a creamy head. The smell brings out fudge and brownies, grain, and a little rust. This beer is a little sweeter than other's of this style, and that makes this a winner in my book, hinted with more fudge, and raisin notes.The bitterness is light on the palate and is lifted after a brief stay. This was almost like drinking a chocolate brownie shake. It's a damn smooth beer. I was even tempted to make a float out of the last half of this beer! I might save that experiment for another day.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 05:08:36 | More by DoubleJ

Brad007

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown, almost black color with minimal head. Aroma is rich and malty with some coffee overtones. Taste is very malty, very rich in flavor. Coffee overtones stick towards the back of the throat. Goes down very smooth. Second sip confirms much of the same. The aftertaste is nice and roasty. A very well-done schwarzbier. It mimics a porter/stout in many ways but never strays too far from the drinkability of a lager. Excellent.

The late Michael Jackson was right, as stated on the label of this beer. Definitely world-class in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 02:55:11 | More by Brad007

dwilkins

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear, dark reddish brown. Not as dark or brown as I think is representative of the style, but very pleasing.

S - Roasted malty sweetness predominates. No hint of hops. Perhaps a little too sweet.

T - Fantastic balance with the bitterness evident, but not clearly not due to the roast of the malt. The malty dark sweetness comes through immediately and the finish (due to the hops) is dry as in a good pils.

M - Medium to light bodied. Close your eyes and it is just like a good pils, which it should be.

D - Great. The dry finish prevents the roasted malt from being cloying or overpowering - I'm ready for another sip as soon as I set the glass down.

All in all, although I'm more of a Belgium and American IPA fan, I could easily live with being stranded on an island with an unlimited supply of this beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 21:39:58 | More by dwilkins

anneseg

New York

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Definitely the best Schwarzbier I've had. The head retention is good and the color is black with no other colors around the edges.

Sweet and malty with definite roasted quality to it. Chocolate and coffee seemed to be the dominant tastes with little in the way of discernable hop bitterness. The low ABV and bitterness make it easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2010 20:31:57 | More by anneseg

ArsenicDrone

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Had this out of the swing cap bottle. No problem finishing this bottle, so no need to reseal.

A: A nice dark mahogany color, with a rather thin head. Poured like it was thicker than it turned out to be.

S: Molasses. Maybe a little beer here and there, but mostly molasses. That's nothing to complain about, in my book.

T: Molasses. There's a vague fruitiness, but anything that you notice beyond the molasses is going to be an individual perception thing. About the right amount of sweetness: present, but, well, certainly not like drinking molasses. All in all, an enjoyable set of flavors.

M: A bit thin. I tend to like a thicker beer, so you might see it differently.

D: Excellent. I could drink at least a couple of these. Easy going down, cold and not-so-cold.

This was my first experience with a dark beer which I really liked, but was not a meal in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 09:42:52 | More by ArsenicDrone

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a dimpled mug.

A – Dark reddish black with a thick two-finger tan head of creamy bubbles. Moderate lacing.

S – Nice strong aroma of dark roasted malts and caramel. Mocha-esque.

T – Wow. Powerful dark roast flavor, with none of the “graininess” sometimes associated with dark lagers. Caramel malts make their presence known. Esters of nutty toffee, coffee, dark fruits, and chocolate as well. Bavarian style hops lurk way back in the flavor profile, but you can taste them if you look for them. Slightly smokey. Fruitiness comes out as it warms. Not overly complex, but perfectly balanced between bitter and sweet. Smooth. Delicious.

M – Light bodied, with medium carbonation, but with an amazing creaminess that really makes this beer stand out. Dry finish.

O – This is the first beer in a while to really blow me away unexpectedly. The combination of flavor richness, balance, and the creamy mouth feel makes this a real winner. Proof that a beer doesn’t have to be super extreme to kick ass. A new fave.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:53:19 | More by TempeBeerMan

ryanocerus

Iowa

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am biased as this is my favorite style of beer, but this beer served to remind me why. I loved the presentation of both the bottle and in the glass. It poured a dark amber/near black with a thick tan head. There was a very malty aroma and the carbonation filled the mouth. The malty aroma carried through into the taste, which gave way to roasty undertones. It did not have as roasty of a flavor as Sprecher, more on par with Kostritzer.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2002 13:15:04 | More by ryanocerus

karst

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black lagers have become fashionable since the fall of the Berlin Wall when examples from the East were rediscovered.

Half Liter swing ceramic topped bottle served @ 45-50°F in a 0.4 L Rastal sniffer. From The Chef's Pantry - newly added to their growing selection.

Pours clear redish brown with a 2 finger head that receeds slowly leaving rings of lace and sheeting the sides of the glass with each tilt.

Aroma of slightly sweet malts, and under currents of dark roasted grain (almost coffee) and mild chocolate. Some alcoholic aroma as it nears room temp.

A well balanced taste with mild hops, black malt and highly toasted grains dominating a bready sweet malt start. A crisp dry lightly acidic finish. Overall very drinkable but not comming across as complex.

The creamy mouthfeel is about medium as was the body both helped by an active level of CO2.

Very drinkable as it warms and mellows and softens. A very interesting if not " World Clasic" Schwarz beer from the brewers of the Monks Courtyard in the north of Bavaria.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2005 16:32:36 | More by karst

ncbrewerbun

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brown 0.5L flip top bottle. No "best by" date, but I got it only a few months ago and it's been in the fridge.

This beer pours a brilliant mahogany, so clear that you can read the newspaper through it. It has a two finger off-white creamy head, which after several minutes turns to lace. A nice looking beer!

Aroma is malty (roasted malts) with caramel; toastines along with hints of chocolate.

Taste is malty, slightly sweet; the roastiness, toastiness and chocolate also comes through, Very well balanced and really "clean".

A medium mouthfeel; substantive enough to fill your mouth with a caramelly malty sensation.

The bottle label calls this beer a "black pils". That is a decent description. One of the easiest beers to drink that I have run across. Goes down very easy....another 500ml would be very welcome.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2006 00:54:44 | More by ncbrewerbun

BuckSpin

Maine

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 500ml swing top bottle in a classic dimple stein glass mug

Opened with a "POP" and poured thick & brisk. Surprisingly strong chocolate, fresh, sharp, acidic black coffee, roasted nuts, dry, a little dusty, English biscuits, crackers, more like a porter or stout....very nice. As it warms maybe some dried cherry and even a peep of black licorice are noticeable. Deep, rich, earthy roasted malts are present, the last of the bottle brings a creamier, sweeter tone, more blonde coffee in aroma. Head was a fat, thick, sticky sculpted 2 fingers of mixed ivory foam that floated like sea foam, eventually settling to a silent 1/8" carpet that didn't budge and laced like curtains.

Its the deepest, ruddiest, port ruby burgundy, thick, almost opaque, light curling around the edges and bottom, a magnificent beauty to behold.

Hmmm, the chocolate and black coffee from the nose are deliciously present on the tongue in a semi-sweet creaminess thats even, velvety, smooth, very well balanced, but yet is also refreshingly light and crisp with roasted malts and a cracker-esque dryness that provides a "crunching" tongue clearer to the overall gestalt of the brew.

Faintly sweet fruit (warm raisin, dried black currant) comes alive on the palate as it slightly thickens, the black coffee, baking chocolate & toasty malts subdue, yet remain as a counter balancing presence. It finishes with more of the same it started with and leaves a pleasingly bittersweet, dulled mocha aftertaste that coats the mouth like a Dry Stout, dry, crisp, chewy...nice.

What a wonderful beer. Kulmbacher is slowly becoming my favorite non-American brewery with their solid offerings. This was a lush treat, admittedly unexpected in its depth, yet crisp & clean and very easy to drink. It could easily be mistaken for a lite Porter, but its dry crispness & ease of drinking set it apart. A wonderful beer for a summer's evening, I could see it paring beautifully with a killer char-grilled steak or even a big ol' burger, as well as a iced chocolate dessert. If you like deep, rich, almost lush Schwarzbiers or even Porters, definitely check this out, I recommend it highly.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2007 01:02:12 | More by BuckSpin

BucBasil

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass from the sweet swingcap bottle. Not actually black. Some brown can be seen shining through when held to light. Head is 2 fingers and off white to light tan.

Smell: Aroma is of light coffee with a lot of nice thick malts.

Taste: Medium body with a ton of beautiful roasted malts prevalent throughout. A tiny bit of hops shine through for balance. Finishes dry with a nice roasted flavor lingering afterwards. Supremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2007 23:15:55 | More by BucBasil

homohabilis

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

i like black beers and this one came highly recommended by my beer connoisseur friend.
poured nicely, half into a clear pint glass (to admire the visuals), half into a stonewear krug.
the color isn't really black, exactly, but a nice, dark ruby - quite pleasing to the eye. nice sturdy head of tan foam lasts until a couple sips in.
the smell is very malty, earthy and rooty, but fairly faint.
taste is sweeter than i expected, rather licorice-like. toasty, then a bit bitter, then mostly gone, leaving only a lingering tangy bitterness like underripe fruit. the abrupt finish actually makes this more drinkable than i was expecting, especially with the sweetness up front. i like this quite a lot and see it as a better representation of the style than some of the other schwarzbiere i've had, which seemed more like watered-down porters than their own distinctive type.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 08:19:25 | More by homohabilis

MisterClean

California

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge-ass can purchased from BevMo by a friend.

A - Mahogany pour wth 2 fingered chocolate head. Dissipates quickly.

S - Caramel, toffee and chocolate.

T - Caramel, chocolate, toffee, and bittering, earthy/spicy hops.

M - Mouthfeel slightly more malty than hoppy.

D - Real good. Notes of chocolate and toffee are very pleasant.

Serving type: can

12-14-2008 18:21:25 | More by MisterClean

DerBayer

Germany

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hmmm this is a very good Schwarzbier - think refreshing stout

Pours a very dark Hazelnut brown almost schwarz

i smell hazelnut roast almond chocolate faint aramel

tastes divine

decent carbonation slightly prickly and only leaves a very faint coating in the mouth for such a dark beer

Drinkable guys

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 21:40:56 | More by DerBayer

soju6

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer has a deep brown color with a good head. The aroma is roasted and sweet, with caramel and a hint of chocolate The taste continues with a roasted flavor with slight sweetness. It is full bodied and is smooth. This is very easy to drink. Nice change from pilsner while in Germany.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 12:05:04 | More by soju6

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle no. 1959401. Sampled on September 9, 2010. Upon the popping of the ceramic cork you get an immediate aroma that builds to a nice brownish-red pour with about two inches of long-lasting foamy tan head. The scent is full of inviting dark malts with a hint of molasses, caramel and maybe some modest hops as well. The taste begins bold but ends mellow with a pleasant combination of sweet bitterness, raisins, and dry hops at the finish. Altogether, a well-rounded likeable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 22:17:33 | More by puboflyons