5 O'clock Shadow Double Black Lager - Grand Teton Brewing Co.

morimech

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown color that appears black in my pilsner glass. Not quite one finger of head forms and settles to a thin cap. Moderate amount of lacing is left down the glass during consumption.

Aroma has a little roasted and caramel malt notes. The hops add some grass and spice. There is also a sulfer smell.

Just a slight roasted malt flavor that compliments the stronger caramel malt. The hops do not play a large role, but do add some spicy notes. Alcohol does come out in the flavor and adds some warmth.

Nice carbonation and texture. The body sure does not feel like a 7.6% beer as it seems light. But that is the nature of the style.

Quite flavorful and well crafted lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 19:10:43 | More by morimech

homebrew311

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on draft at Bad Apple.

A: pours opaque black, minimal head, some lacing

S: nose features roasty notes with a healthy dose of smoke, pleny of cocoa, some bitterness, very nice

T: the flavor features bold and roasty notes, hints of smoke, some sweet malty notes, nice balance

Mf: decent sized body, mellow carbonation

O: very nice and full flavored, great roasty and smoke balance

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 06:23:40 | More by homebrew311

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a tulip glass at Bad Apple.

Roast + burger = tastiness, right? This stuff pours a deep dark garnet-brown topped by a finger of sandy tan foam. The nose is a straight-up blast of roasted malts, with touches of dark chocolate and coffee creeping in at various points as well. The taste brings in more of the same, though now the coffee and dark chocolate are more intense, creating quite the panorama of dark flavors on the tongue. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a damn fine impy schwarz, one that delivers on its roasty promises (and then some).

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 16:39:14 | More by TMoney2591

Bung

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Grapevine. I would barely call this black. Very thin layer of light tan head.

Aroma, A nice malty caramel, more chocolate. Light earthy roast with some cocoa.

Taste, pretty strong roast malt, chocolate, some peat. Light coffee and cocoa finish, fairly dry, lingers well.

Nice mid bodied lager. The fine carbonation was just about creamy. Drinks quite well, though I wish the abv was a tad lower. Above average.

Serving type: growler

02-22-2012 02:37:38 | More by Bung

KuehneBe

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just tried this from a 10oz tulip at JL Beers in Moorhead.

Appearance
Reminiscent of a heavy stout, for obvious reasons. Opaque, with a very nice head.

Smell
The predominant smell was smokey, dark chocolate with hints of coffee.

Taste
Damn good! Malts, heaps of coffee and dark chocolate. The dark chocolate and coffee add some pleasant bitterness. A flavor that I would describe as "roasted" and caramely.

Mouthfeel
I was surprised by the amount of carbonation in this one, until I remembered that it was a Schwarzbier and not an ale. A little less carbonation would make this one even more enjoyable, I think.

Overall
A tasty and wholesome beer. I would suggest letting this one warm up slightly before drinking it. After about 10-15 minutes in the glass, the flavor improved dramatically.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2012 23:48:22 | More by KuehneBe

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark black with a thin layer frothy brownish head. The head fades pretty quickly leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted and burnt chocolate malts with some coffee, along with some earthy smells.

T - Starts off with some heavily roasted chocolate malts with some coffee and a bit of earthy flavors and some smoke. Through the middle, some more coffee and lightly burnt flavors come through. The finish is a mix of sweet dark chocolate, roasted malts, earthy hops, and some smoke.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a creamy mouthfeel and a dry and lightly sweet and smoky finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nicely balanced flavors with a great roasted malt character with some nice complexity from the hops and smoke.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 03:28:33 | More by ngeunit1

beergoot

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very dark, brown body with a thick, creamy tan head. Excellent roasted grains, dark chocolate and cocoa, and dark roast coffee dominate the smell. It maintains its lager smoothness and lightness while conveying the great dark tastes promised in the aroma. There is almost a hint of tartness or 'brightness' to the beer, but the malt characteristics are the showpiece. Finishes with just enough bitterness to bring great depth to this offering. Excellent beer...gonna get me another...

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 23:03:08 | More by beergoot

hardy008

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark black with raisin colored highlights, and a two finger tan head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has dark roasted malt and a little bit of caramel.

The taste has dark roasted malt, caramel, and cocoa. Does a nice job of combining the light sweetness of cocoa and caramel, with the bitterness of dark roasted malt. Neither is overpowering. Nicely balanced.

Medium bodied with modest carbonation. Slightly creamy. Has a slightly sweet aftertaste. A very nice Schwarzbier from Grand Teton.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 01:10:45 | More by hardy008

Blakaeris

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown, almost black. Head is dense and creamy.

Aroma is smokey, charred dark grain with a touch of chocolate.

Taste is rich smokey dark malt and powdered cocoa up front. Then dark fruit makes an appearance - raisin and date. Woody and nutty. Finishes with charred dark grain and mild earthy hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium-full.

A flavorful malt experience. Smoke is apparent, but understated.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 02:21:16 | More by Blakaeris

bashiba

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep dark black with some dark clear mahogany highlights, a nice sticky dark tan head with lots of lacing.

The smell is very good, big char, smoke, and a bit of leather.

The flavor is both full and restrained at the same time, lots of nice complex flavors going on with none of them overpowering the others. Nice levels of smoke and char along with subtle chocolate and a nice touch of earthy bitterness giving it a very nice even quality.

The mouthfeel is very dry and clean.

Very nice big Schwarzbier.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 02:40:22 | More by bashiba

rand

California

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Tiger! Tiger!, poured into a pint glass

The brew pours jet black in appearance and form a small chocolate-tan head. Small patches of lacing touch the glass, and it looks fairly viscous.

The chocolate malts establish the bouquet and they carry notes of buttery bread. Earthy grains poke through, a touch of hop dryness in the distance.

Roasty, chocolate malts are again the big player on the palate, slightly sweet and smoky. There aren't a lot of hop charecteristics to meet te sweet malts, but they're not needed - this brew is eminently drinkable. A little buttery, creamy mid-sip, which gives the beer a deeper complexion than you'd expect. The hops do their part towards the end, leading to a dry finish that leaves almost no lingering flavors between sips.

Damn, this has to be one of the better schwartzbiers I've tried. A little richer than some of the German varieties, but I hate getting hung up on categories. This is just a damn good brew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 04:55:11 | More by rand

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a normal pint glass. 2012 date on the label.

A: Nearly opaque black body, some brown highlights on the edges. Nice dense off white head.

S: Nice clean roastyness. Maybe a slight fruitiness as well.

T: Good roast malt flavor up front, mild bitterness. Clean and complex finish. Not as much going on as a stout or porter, but actually refreshing.

M: On the low end of carbonation, mouthfeel works well. More residual sweetness than I'd except, but not overboard.

O: A very clean roasty beer of high alcohol. I don't think I'm had anything quite like this. If I feel like a dark strong, but easy drinking beer, this would do it.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:28:58 | More by 51mmz0rz

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.48/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA. Shared with @LaitueGonflable and @tobeerornottobe.

Pours a pleasant clear and clean black, with a bubbly but solid head of mild yellow-brown. Lacing is spotty. Body looks rather fluid, but slick, and it holds carbonation well.

Nose is lovely. Toasty malts leavened by a mild touch of something bright, fresh and even a little lemony. Dark rye bread, spread with cream cheese and shallots. It's a beautiful balance between darkness and light. Love it.

Taste is also excellent. Lovely clear lines to the feel and the vectors through the palate, delivering solid toasty malt all the way. Flavours of mild chocolate, a little crust and some dark seed cake on the back. This is all beautifully balanced with a really lovely dryness and a lovely clear but slick feel. Only a lager delivers that integration and lightness.

Overall, I love it. Black lagers are well underrated: this a superb example of why this should not be the case. This is clean and pleasant, but loaded with flavour and character. More craft lagers, please!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 03:35:15 | More by lacqueredmouse

beagle75

Iowa

4.63/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a half-pint chalice.

A: Clear, dark brown color that shows no light at its core, with one finger of diminishing mocha-tinted foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Roast is aggressive and slightly unctuous, suggestive of strong black coffee. Earth is a bit musty, complementing other dark qualities.

T: Begins off-dry, with creamy brown malt and sedate earthy hops. Acidity is extremely restrained, as more bitter roast emerges in the middle. Bitter chocolate is suggested in the waning finish that tapers down nicely, leaving a restrained earthy bitterness to linger on the palate.

M: Medium to think viscosity, velvety smooth and creamy on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: Smooth beyond belief, this is the strong dark beer I have been waiting for. It achieves such clarity of purpose in its ability to transmit pure roasted qualities. While clean, understand that this beer is more of a bold American creation than any real attempt to faithfully recreate a continental recipe--but that's okay. Another home-run for Grand Teton!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:46:36 | More by beagle75