Mönchshof Schwarzbier - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG

Halcyondays

California

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 mL swing top bottle,

A: Pours a deep brown to black with a medium frothy light tan head with some thick lace.

S: Dark bread/pumpernickel with a hint of molasses and dark fruit. Sweet malt character.

T: Strong dark malt flavour with a mild roast character. Tons of dark chocolate, tasty full malt flavour.

M: Light-bodied for the most part, very clean, smooth, definitely shows its lager character.

O: A really good German made black lager here. If you want to get into schwarzbiers this would be a good place to start.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 03:43:16 | More by Halcyondays

CamuMahubah

Nebraska

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Didn't have a snifter so I threw a swirl of this into my Florida Gators freezer mug so I could see the color and it was a brown mahogany but think is it froze so fast that swig tasted like chocolate ice cream!

From the proper mug(as I envision the Germans drink this from ceramic steins unchilled...well the beer is slightly chilled but not he stein...)

Very nice beer...I wasn't expecting such a refreshing beer. I was expecting this to be a bit heavier but this was such session beer!

I keep tasting chocolate ice cream...dry chocolate ice cream...not cloy at all...very fantastic finish and mouthfeel...

German Beer FTW will buy again!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 03:01:41 | More by CamuMahubah

secondtooth

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark amber -- not truly black. Substantial tan head. Not much in the area of lace.

Nose is a mild bittersweet chocolate.

Sweet taste, with some mildly roasted malts and more of the chocolate for sure.

This one's light-bodied, and very easy to drink. An enjoyable schwarz that doesn't demand too much with complexity, but proves to be another solid German sessioner.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 19:18:28 | More by secondtooth

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Brauhaus Schmitz, Philly, PA

Poured into a 1/2 liter mug, a translucent dark brown with a nice off-white head. Big malts in the aroma, mild undertones of coffee and cocoa. General schwarzbier goodness in the taste: dark roasty malts, caramel and molasses, with light notes of tobacco and coffee providing a sense of bitterness to balance the overall smoothness and give a drier finish. Smooth, heavy-medium mouthfeel, and very easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 15:05:05 | More by Rifugium

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance -- A deep chestnut hue, slightly rosy, with a cap of stiff beige head.

Smell -- Ample roast malt aroma and nuttiness paired with fruity lager yeast character, along with a hint of earthy hop bittering. Quite nice.

Taste -- The dark malt bill lends flavors of roast malt, dry cocoa, walnuts, and a touch of smoke. Malt sweetness is moderate - neither dry nor sweet. The lager yeast contributes a nice counterbalance of fruity fermentation character. There is also a faint mineral/sulphur character, which I can only assume to be from the source water of the brewery. There is a strong push of earthy hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-light body, moderate carbonation. Very crisp, as a lager should be. Delightful.

Overall -- Great representative of the style: well-defined roast character and crisp lager drinkability. If you've never had a Scharzbier before, this would be an ideal place to start.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2011 22:42:42 | More by yeahnatenelson

samie85

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours pitch black color with a light tan head.

S-Smoked wood and anise with a bit of chocolate and roasted malt.

T-Smoke and chocolate notes upfront with some roasted malt on the finish.

M-Rich, full-bodied, and creamy mouthfeel with a slight, crisp carbonation bite one the end.

D-A very solid, delicious beer. The best mouthfeel and flavor profile on a Schwarzbier I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 02:28:57 | More by samie85

MikieV

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours very dark, near black with a thick, pale head.

Medium roasted flavor with some smokiness. Some heife weisen flavor sneaking in, but not overwhelming, which is fine with me.

Very smooth mouth feel. Dry, very little aftertaste. Very easy to drink.Not thin, but not thick.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 02:16:52 | More by MikieV

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

0.5L swing top bottle, with unclear bottling code on back label.

appears almost black, with ruby highlights around the edges of the glass. 1/2" of nice thick head. good head retention, and great lacing coats the glass as I drink. aroma of slightly roasted malt.

taste is a bit roasty, a bit smokey, but mild and balanced. very smooth body and almost creamy carbonation.

label says "World Classic", and it does seem to be the perfect example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 03:14:52 | More by jmdrpi

eric5bellies

Australia

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank from my Hofbrau half stein.

A - Pours adeep Mahogany colour with a nice ivory coloured head that retains well and laces

S - Nice raosted malts and a little sweet malt

T - Notes of dark chocolate up front then some nice sweetish malt and a little roast. Very nicely balanced.

M - Medium to full body complimented well with a medium carbonation.

O - Highly drinkable and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 06:14:26 | More by eric5bellies

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

50 cl tap pour into a brand correct mug

A: Deep black with only the slightest tones of red around the edges. No head poured, but could be bartender error. No lace.

S: Big malt with a little alcohol. I enjoyed this in a cigar bar so some of the nuance may not have made it through the smell.

T: A little bland overall. Well rounded malt flavors give the impressions of smoke and umami.

M: Med carb, full body.

D: Extremely drinkable. Won't tire the palate. A good example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 18:34:10 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

jerryjeff

Tennessee

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma
Very nice, getting some nice malty overtones. Chocolate, mocha possibly.

Mouthfeel Relatively low end of carbonation, nice oily feel on the palette with some creaminess.

Appearance
Poured into 20oz plastic cup as it was all I had and against the light none is making it through, completely black.

Taste
As scent hints, some chocolate and mocha I believe in there with the maltiness driving this some bitterness on the sides of the mouth but not enough presence to overshadow.

Drinkability
Rather, this is really nice. A bit of body but not so much so that it would be overly filling. Could session this easily.

Overall
Great beer, good aroma and appearance. Didn't hold a head well but could be due to plastic cup.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 18:39:59 | More by jerryjeff

NWer

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Generous pour into Chimay chalice. Dark appearance, some head, nice lace.
Much bolder flavor than I expected for the style. I expected light - almost lager-like but got bold chocolate with some hop bitterness.
Sour, bitter feel slightly off-putting that affected the score a little.
I nice change of pace from strong over the top IPA's and barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 01:35:32 | More by NWer

teromous

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black with a creamy tan head. The head stays up about the width of a thumb and laces excellently. In the light the glass shows a rosy black color.

S: There's a roasty smell with some oak scent. It is also metallic.

T: It tastes a little watery and not too bitter, but very smooth with chocolate hints. It's a very mellow dark malty beer. It's perfect for people who like dark beers but aren't fan of robust bold flavors.

M: The mouthfeel is great. It's very smooth and no bitterness clings to the mouth at all. It has a nice sweet aftertaste. A very pleasant drink.

D: This is incredibly drinkable. It is mellow enough that a person could have many beers without getting overwhelmed by it. I assume that because mine was a bottled import that it this would be fantastic on tap in Germany.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 17:31:51 | More by teromous

dasenebler

Maine

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

.5L swing-top in Germany, best before 9/14/11. "Urtypisches Schwarzbier" on the label. 4.9% ABV.

Pours a dark, dark brown with reddish highlights. A thick, creamy beige head forms atop the glass, creating a nice mound in the center and retaining at two fingers. Combined with the the textbook lacing, I must say this beer looks perfect.

The aroma is fine, with some subtle roastiness and charred wood.

Flavor is nice and dry, though full-flavored. This is a lighter dark beer, but it's far from watery. There are some stout-like flavors of highly kilned malt, and also a pleasant bittersweet chocolate finish. Well attenuated and somewhat bitter. The mouthfeel is smooth, with fine carbonation, a swift finish, and some hard-water character.

Overall this is probably the best Schwarzbier I've had, and I was very happy to find it.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 22:31:57 | More by dasenebler

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep roasty earthy nose, this is actually quite dark almost reddish brown with a big rocky magnolia head. The liquid shines a rusty sparkle throught much of the glass. An element of fizziness starts things off before the tongue encounters lots of dark chocolate along with a smooth but firm earthy darkness which coats the mouth. Long aftertaste, this is intense yet shows incredible balance and a lightness of touch which is as far away from dilute as you could ever ask for.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 18:15:30 | More by Zimbo

rarbring

Sweden

3.28/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is red brown with a tan head leaving some lacing.

The smell has toasted malt and some chocolate aromas.

Initially rather sweet, brown syrup, some sour fruit notes, a slightly bitter finish.

Medium high carbonation, small lively bubbles, a medium body, rather refreshing.

An accessible beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 20:29:23 | More by rarbring

jsdunlop

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out black as night, good full, tan head forms up, good lacing. There's a bit of chocolate in the nose, some grainy notes and some roasted malt. Very nutty, roasted character in the taste, nice and smooth with an enjoyable hop presence that is noticeable towards the end of the sip. Very bready and malty, slightly dry with a solid medium body. Two thumbs up for drinkability, extremely refreshing and crisp, nice light abv. An all around good beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 23:36:48 | More by jsdunlop

berley31

New Brunswick (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured with a moderate-sized, light-tan head that hung around for a little while before fading to a thin wisp. Body is very dark brown, almost black, with hints of ruby when held to the light. Excellent clarity.

S: Malty sweet aroma... caramel and bready malt coming through. Nice mild roastiness without any accompanying bitterness; coffee is present, as well as dark chocolate.

T: Mostly roasty flavor, but not burnt, with a bit of chocolate in the taste, as well as some malty sweetness.

M: Medium-light body, with moderate carbonation. Smooth.

D: Very tasty, easy-drinking Schwarzbier... a style that is ignored far too often.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 20:45:01 | More by berley31

atis

Finland

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

Pours clear dark ruby with airy brownish head and thick slowly downsliding lacing. Aroma is simple, but pleasant mild roasted malt.

Mouthfeel is smooth light-medium, very balanced weak roasted character with light caramel-like sweetness.

Overall, seems to be very nice and pleasant Schwarzbier, extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 17:52:42 | More by atis

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fun flip top bottle served in a Russian River wine glass. Beer is clear but dark brown, almost ruby in the light. Thin head of tan bubbles that leaves very little lacing on the glass. Carbonation low.

It is much roastier than I was expecting but it has a nice simplicity to it. Smells very good.

Beer is light to medium in body and has a little sweetness at leadoff. The second flavor is some yeast in the midpalate and mild bitterness from the roasted grains at the back. I enjoyed this beer and put it down rather quickly. It is a fun drink. I would have it again but I love some lagers out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 14:50:56 | More by drabmuh

LordAdmNelson

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sweet swing-top bottle I picked up (mainly for the swing-top, I wanted one so I could split bombers over more than one sitting--I wanted the beer too though). Pours a nice brown-black with ruby highlights. Nice pillowy tan head. Really a pretty beer. Nose is clean, roasted malts mainly, same with the flavor. This is a really nice example of the style, showcasing a bit more depth than others that I've had. Lighter mouthfeel, but that's consistent with the style. Very drinkable, glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 03:07:59 | More by LordAdmNelson

omahawk

Nebraska

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - near black, almost opaque with some slight red tints. Good lacing and head retention.
Smell - Chocolate and sight roast smell.
Taste - Smooth pilsener backbone, with hints of roast, but not as much as many American examples I've had. Complemented by some chocholate, but taste is more subtle than the color. Very pleasant.
Mouthfeel - Medium to light body with low to medium carbonation. Slightly watered down taste, a little more body would be my preference.
Drinkability - A nice change of pace from the usual, and I could see having more than one of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 01:22:03 | More by omahawk

OatmattStout

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pillowy head with great retention and sticky lacing

very mild nose with basic bready malts

flavor was very balanced. definitely roasted malts with a slight charred sugars. has a dry astringency in a good way making it quite quenching. dry hop finish that fades just in time for the next quaff. does have hint or sourness in finish.

good mouthfeel, that is slick over the tongue and drinkability is very good.

like this beer

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 02:59:11 | More by OatmattStout

RoyalT

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - This is indeed black in color with a nice, black-white head that came up beautifully, showed great attention, and left a nice film on the inside of my glass.

Smell - This is rich and roasty with some spectabular malts mixed with coffee grounds and a slight sugary sweetness.

Taste - The aroma makes its way perfectly at the taste. The roasty character is less robust here but it is extremely balanced. The sugars are raw and again very light.

Mouthfeel - This was my favorite part of the beer. The roasty malts were so smooth and creamy almost like the character of root beer or a cream-based soda.

Drinkability - This light to medium-bodied bier went down extremely well. It is a rare and difficult style to master and they hit the nail on the head here.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 01:27:48 | More by RoyalT

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Teresa's Next Door, 11/24/10.

A-Deep ruby brown with a thin off white head. Surprisingly nice lacing.

S-Roasted malt, some nice chocolate notes and a background of creaminess.

T-Roasted malt with some nice sweet caramel in the front and some sweet cream.

M-Light to medium bodied, maybe a bit more watery than I'd like.

D-A perfectly nice example of the style but nothing all that special.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2010 02:56:37 | More by sholland119