Brick Waterloo Dark Lager - Brick Brewing Co. / Red Baron Lounge

ThirdCoast

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +47.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type: A 341 mL bottle poured into a glass.

A: Dark dark dark dark, with a red tint if held to the light. Nice.

S: Hints of malts, chocolate, sweet, dark fruits.

T: Very smooth, chocolates, coffee, goes down smooth without an aftertaste.

M: Stings the tounge a bit, but goes down very nice with a nice aftertaste.

D: This is by far my favorite from Brick. This will allow the non dark beer drinkers to sample a dark beer, but still please the dark beer lovers alike.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2006 21:36:47 | More by ThirdCoast

camzela

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +45.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a delicious example of an accessible dark beer for the average palate. While it will not be a favourite of the most hard-core fans of dark lagers, it is of admirable quality! Much more interesting than the average Brick beer. The rich brown colour and creamy head is appealing, its smell nutty (though not overpowering), and its taste leaves little to be desired. Feels a little thin in your mouth, but goes down like a dream come true!

Serving type: can

11-26-2010 03:56:18 | More by camzela

npaulsmith

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Overall an average beer. It is extremely carbonated, has a slight hint of liquorice in the taste while leaving a pleasant aftertaste. The smell is neutral and ultimately tastes relatively smooth going down. Compared to the other beers brewed by Brick brewery, this beer is at the top of their range.

Served in pint glass

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2010 00:14:09 | More by npaulsmith

tfinn

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

inky brown with dissipating head, although it could be the rinse/chill all glasses get at this particular bar.

smell is almost nonexistant; with close concentration I could make out some dark malt (chocolate) scents, but nothing else. no hops, to be sure.

taste is very smooth; very well-integrated. it's familiar to me in some way, and I can't help but wonder if they're using the harrington/klages malt blend which is so prevalent in the pacific northwest. the chocolate character comes out with some sweetness but never gets astringent at all.

mouthfeel is on the thin side, although it is bolstered some by the chocolate malts.

all of this is completely appropriate for a dark eurolager, but it doesn't fit with the munich dunkel style. this is on the path to schwartzbier as far as smoothness and chocolate goes, and if I get a chance to do the brewery tour, I'll certainly mention this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2006 03:56:27 | More by tfinn

headlessparrot

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Some rough calculations indicate that, in the past three years, I've drank approximately a metric ass-ton of Waterloo Dark. It's our standard keg-beer (necessitated in part by our close proximity to Brick), and I often find myself drinking it in pubs, and even picking up the occasional case. I can't explain this behaviour for the life of me because there are so many better beers readily available in this area. But there's something comforting and familiar about it.

Nevertheless, along with a recent rebranding - they gussied up the labels, cases and caps - fellow BA pootz mentioned a tweak of the recipe late last year. So I thought that I'd take a second look.

Waterloo Dark pours a nice cola brown, perhaps a bit more reddish than I recall, with a nice two fingers of off-white cap that has just a bit more staying power than it used to; the head does die down relatively quickly, to about a half-finger, but it stays pretty well constant at that level for the rest of the drink. Moderate lacing, but nothing to write home about.

The smell is interesting, but time has dulled my impressions, and I can't tell if I'm smelling the same thing as I did before. An interesting combination of lager-y cereal grain and darker, roasted malts. Just a hint of coffee, nuts, and chocolate, though in sparse supply. An interesting, almost berry-like scent that I've never detected before - tangy - I think they may have notched up the hopping in this brew a bit. All in all, similar, but perhaps slightly improved; you don't have to strain so hard for those sweet malty notes.

The taste remains relatively constant; you can certainly notice the added hops, but the malt dominates here. However, it seems like the quality of the malt has improved a bit - cocoa, coffee, and nuts abound (insofar as any flavour note 'abounds' in such a straightforward beer). Some lighter malt sits under the surface, giving it enough lager-y character to earn the style distinction. A bit bitter at first, it mellows and sweetens, though it ultimately finishes just a bit dry. Quite nice, and pretty tasty for such a simple, straightforward brew.

Mouthfeel is still average - I don't think Brick has ever been able to get their carbonation levels perfect, but I can't complain, as this isn't quite as bad as others for that. It certainly lacks the ultra-effervescent of macro beers. Drinkability, however, also remains high. The light-ish body make this a beer that's virtually designed for mass consumption. And yet it's just barely erudite enough to be appreciated by a beer nerd. It may just be nostalgia, but Waterloo Dark will probably always get my recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 00:00:02 | More by headlessparrot

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

To start, I must say that I didn't have much hope for this tasting, since I don't find the bottled version to be all that appealing. So here it goes...

Appearance: Very clear light brown colour with red highlights. It had a dense tan head composed of small bubbles and showed good retention and excellent stickage. So far so good.

Smell: Malty aroma with a bit of roasted chocolate and a light hop spiciness.

Taste: Malty and sweet with some nuttiness and chocolate. Light bitterness gave it a bit of balance, especially towards the end. The finish was of medium length and had some sharpness due to carbonation.

Mouthfeel: Medium/light body and a fairly smooth texture. Not bad.

Drinkability: Surprisingly good. Overall, there's nothing outstanding about this brew, but having it on-tap is much more pleasant than my experience with the bottled version. I'm glad that a friend basically bullied me into trying it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2005 18:31:21 | More by DrJay

therica

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in Kitchener, Ontario in a nice 20-ounce Waterloo Dark pint-style glass with the boar head logo and "Pour The Boar" lettered on the rear.

A= dark chestnut, modest head with nice lacing & pooling.

S= light smoke, some soured-apple.

T= very nice, then a bit watery, then some dark and maybe also light malts, some caramelization. Modest on the hops and bitters, but has an interesting tartness.

M= some toasted caramelized malts, light bitters, some tartness, interesting.

D= oddly, did well before and also with seafood pasta. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2010 14:56:17 | More by therica

ecoastman

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I remembered enjoying this beer while in school years ago and wondered if I still would after starting this journey along the path to premium craft beer enlightenment. I'm glad to say that I still like Waterloo Dark and think it makes for a good session or lawn mowing beer. This is another beer that I would choose over a macro beer at a bar any day.

A good looking dark beer with a red hue when held against the light. It has a nice head to start that recedes to a thin layer with some lacing. The aroma is very clean like a good lager but has no distinctive notes. Some mild chocolate and nutty notes in the glass as the glass empties later.

The taste is smooth and lightly nutty with balance between the sweet malt and hops. Some faint sourness and low bitterness. Nothing outstanding but certainly not offensive. Definitely not complex for the style (if Munich Dunkel Lager is correct). It's somewhat refreshing for a dark lager and I could drink this beer all night on any session occassion.

Serving type: can

03-25-2010 01:49:11 | More by ecoastman

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out cola brown, and started with a nice large tan head. However, by the time I had taken a few smells of the beer, the head was gone.

Smells like root beer. Maybe just a hint of coffee and nuts in there.

Flavours are fairly light. Bit of that nuttiness and coffee, but neither is powerful. A little bit sweet. Inoffensive all the way through.

Mouthfeel is thin, but not too thin, with a mild carbonation. Comfortable. The beer goes down easy due its light flavour, body and carbonation.

I was expecting to be very disappointed by this beer, as it was given to me by a friend who really didn't like it. After trying it though, I wouldn't mind having it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2004 09:05:55 | More by elricorico

Wintermute

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dark brown with ruby notes when held up to the light. The light brown head lasted a few minutes and there was a little bit of lace on the glass.
Noticeable Pours a nice dark brown with ruby notes when held up to the light. The light brown head lasted a few minutes and there was a little bit of lace on the glass.
Noticeable lager smell. Some faint roasted malts. Slightest hint of sour fruitiness and some hops to go with it. Overall a very mild smell.
Again, very mild tasting. Not at all what one might expect from the colour, but then again, it’s a lager, not an ale. Somewhat sweet but not overly. Some mild roasted malts flavours. A little bit vinous if you look for it. You have to search for the hops too.
Light to medium body with moderate carbonation.
Overall this beer is quite mild and easy to drink. Looking at it I’d expect more punch from it. Easy beer to introduce macrobrew drinker to.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2007 21:23:06 | More by Wintermute

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown colour with thick tan head that dissipates to leave a nice ring. Some rings of lacing. Smells quite nutty, with typical macro lager smell. Flavour is much nicer than a typical lager, but still pretty muted. Smooth mouthfeel. I used to drink this a lot when I went to university in Waterloo, I seem to remember it being better then, but I also hadn't tried too many beers at the time.

Serving type: can

11-09-2010 23:41:23 | More by kwjd

nickfl

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with two fingers of light brown foam on top of a dark brown body with clear, amber highlights. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves moderate lace.

S - Light, malty notes on the aroma with some caramel malt and a bit of molasses.

T - Sweet, dark bread up front with some toasted malt notes. Carmel and light molasses in the middle as the beer transitions to a malty finish with notes of cola, brown sugar, and light hop flavor.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a lightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, reasonably pleasant and quite drinkable. There is plenty of malt character and while it is certainly nothing I would trade for or go out of my way to find, there is nothing off putting about it. It is, if nothing else, quite a bit better than the one other beer from this brewery that I had a chance to try.

Serving type: can

05-23-2011 04:20:25 | More by nickfl

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Re evaluating this beer after hearing it was recently reformulated.

The pour produced a decent dark cola colored lager with a rocky-sticky 2 finger cap that lasts well and laces the glass.

Aromas are subtle: some cocoa and sweet bready tones light musty earthy yones.

Medium bodied, fair malt spine, silken mouthfeel, and a more rounded toasy malt character than before.

Up front the toasted dark Munich malts depart some cocoa sweetness that is quickly balanced by light pearl hop presence..mid palate there is more substance in the body with some dried fruit and nut notes and some light souring ...finish is clean and lightly drying with lingering bready aftertastes.

This transition seems to have given Waterloo dark some dunkel characteristics as the hops have been slightly attenuated and the malts beefed up...a pleasant change.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2006 22:47:55 | More by pootz

atomicbolt

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Now, I go to school in Waterloo, so I've drank gallons of this stuff. I can't explain it, since it's not exactly phenomenal, but somehow it just reminds me of the city, and I have a feeling that I'll always have that nostalgic connection to this beer. Anyways, the beer. It's definitely better on tap (creamier, deeper taste) but I've got a bottle in front of me, so that's what I'll be reviewing.

Dark, chestnut-brown colour, very deceptive once you've tasted it. (The beer advertises with a "don't be afraid of the dark" gimmick.) Thin, off-white head subsides quickly. Smells sweet, with some fruitiness as well as some burnt, chocolatey malty goodness, but not overwhelming.

Chocolatey sweetness to the taste, a tiny bit cloying, limited bitterness or hoppiness. A bit unbalanced, it needs a bit of hoppiness to grip it all together. Still, I enjoy the offbeat, sweet aftertaste. Definitely not what you'd expect from the dark colour. Thin, almost watery taste, but I don't necessarily think of it as a bad thing. It's an enjoyable, quaffable brew in my books, but maybe it's just that I've developed a soft spot for it. Try to get it on tap, it's worse in bottles and the worst out of cans.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 04:01:09 | More by atomicbolt

sixerofelixir

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Julian date on neck. The fact that this is imported by Esber, out of Canton, OH (printed right on the label) has me intrigued..

Pours a translucent, dark-brown ruby-red. A small tannish ring happens. The smell is different - peaty, almost woody and dirty. Taste = lots of mineral. Sweet sugars and slightly smoked malts. Carbonated well, lively. A "backwoods" kinda beer, not the best thing in the world, but decent imo.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 14:32:16 | More by sixerofelixir

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a 6 pack of this with a pig's head bottle opener. Hadn't had this one in a while so I decided to give it another shot.

This poured nicely into my pint glass with a head that lasted only a short while. Smell is of slightly roasted barley malt. The barley malt aroma makes the flavor of this brew with a slight nuttyness. Not too bad, Unfortunately however the beer was a little flat and could use a bit (more like a lot) of carbonation.

Even with the lack of carbonation, it still was not an unpleasant experience, this beer isn't that bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2007 23:47:57 | More by funkengruven

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark reddish-brown with a thick off white head, some decent lacing.

Not much of an interesting smell, grainy, malty.

Tastes like a lager with a bit more malt, not bad, but nothing to write home about. Some subtle nuances of caramel and chocolate but the lagerish taste dominates the palate.

Decent, carbonated mouthfeel, pretty drinkable. Not something I would ever buy.

Serving type: can

09-06-2010 00:50:38 | More by GodOfBeer

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown apperance with litte head that disappears quickly leaving little lacing. Smell is sweet with a hint of caramel and malt, fairly light.

Taste is sweet with a hint of bread, roasted caramel and some nuts. Taste is fairly light overall. Creamy and light bodied with low carbonation. Aftertaste is dry with a lingering toffee taste.

Not a bad dark lager, very light tasting with no strong features, but it is refreshing and creamy. Good summer beer.

Serving type: can

06-01-2011 23:42:09 | More by CrazyMike

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brick Waterloo Dark Lager

LOOK: Pours a amber brown, with an off white cream foam. Leaves some lace, and the head has some staying power.

SMELL: Barley malt, cereal grains, some grassy hop. Malt forward aroma.

TASTE: The first few sip bring impressions of doughy malt and dark breads. There is a flash of lemony, grassy hops then the flavor is gone. Odd mineral twang and more grains to follow. Slightly nutty, like a macro dunkel lager.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated, crisp. A refreshing dark lager brew easy to drink.

OVERALL: A pretty decent product from the Canadian brewery, a good beer to either enjoy in mass quantities or with a hearty meal.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 21:00:00 | More by Stinkypuss

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This has been sitting in my fridge for a while, I decided I should clear out some cans.

Appearance: Pours with a finger of head that did not retain at all, or lace. The body doesn't show much in the way of carbonation, but it is unsurprisingly dark with a very deep red when put to the light.

Smell: A sweet hazelnut and chocolate scent with a slight malt backing and maybe the barest hint of raspberry. I wouldn't say it's strong, but I wouldn't say it's subdued either. I'd go with 3.25 if I could, but it gives just barely enough for to go the rest of the distance.

Taste: Starts with a fairly weak malt that that turns sweeter, but held well in check by some nice dark roasting. It ends with a nutty chocolate taste, that which not rich isn't bad. A big lack of bitterness though, which while not unpleasant, isn't quite what I expect from a dark beer.

Mouthfeel: Serious issues in the carbonation department, as it doesn't do much to accent the flavors, and contributes to the lack of head. However it makes up for it by having a nice chocolaty and roasted malt aftertaste that doesn't linger and transitioning fairly well.

Drinkability: Medium bodied, so it does leave a bit to sit in the stomach. Decently refreshing enough and no gas issues due to the lack of carbonation. Certainly went down easy and quickly enough. Better then average, but nothing all that great.

Final Thoughts: Well, you certainly could do better, and you certainly could do worse. I'll be honest, I expected a bit more richness on this one because for a dunkel it's fairly tame. Still I wouldn't call it bad, by any means. I can see this being good with sheppard's pie. Worth picking a can, but don't go and buy a case.

Serving type: can

11-13-2009 05:52:24 | More by TheHammer

seand

California

3.18/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown cola-like color with a fairly small amount of tan head. Most of the head fades pretty quick, though enough sticks around the edge of the glass to leave a bit of lacing.

S: Quite sweet, some nutty notes, oddly unbalanced - just those two things really.

T: Simple sweetness from start to finish. Not a lot going on, not much balance, but not really bad tasting either.

M: Medium body, medium fizzy carbonation.

D: Drinks pretty easily if the sweetness doesn't bother you.

Serving type: can

03-31-2010 02:20:13 | More by seand

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Some friends swear by this beer, figured I'd give it a shot and check another off my Ontario Craft Brewers list.

Poured with a large tan-coloured head that survives as a collar about 15 minutes later. There was no lacing at all.

I rather like the colour, it's a ruby-burgundy-cherrywood colour when held up to the light, a nice contrast to the head.

The aroma is quite sweet, like roasted malt and molasses, with a certain nuttiness to it. Falls a bit flat, but it does smell fresh.

I get a rich and sweet taste, like chocolate toffee. There's a bit of a tang in there, but no real dry or bitter balance to it. Again, a bit flat.

The mouthfeel is pretty thin, even for an Ontario dark beer. There's a fair amount of carbonation in there and I get a sort of toasted resin aftertaste.

Really easy to drink and accessible to people that may not like "dark" beers, but too thin and overly sweet to be a regular in my rotation.

Serving type: can

01-27-2011 19:27:03 | More by bryehn

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cold beer store special, tall can out of a bucket of ice. Good amber brown, clear with a soft creamy light tan head. Loads of brown sugar and caramel notes on the nose with a little spice. The taste is honey lager and medium roasted malts. The mouthfeel is slightly dry with a light body and a miner bitter finish. Over all, not bad for a Lager. Quite refreshing and an easy drinker but a perhaps a tad too sweet.

Serving type: can

05-15-2011 01:26:55 | More by LazyL

Brent

Kentucky

3.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As the last reviewer noted, I'm not sure this is a dark ale - seemed much more like a dark lager. I checked the brewery's website, and they did not identify which branch of the beer family tree this is from. A pleasant dark beer, whatever it is. Mild roasted malt with a touch of grainy sweetness. Firm bittering at the finish. Quite mild, overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2003 15:33:40 | More by Brent

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another brand that Brick has put in stubbies. The beer pours a a dark brown / mahogony color with a short tan colored head. Too bad the foam is gone in less than a minute. A little bit of sweet malt smell, but not much else. I was expecting a full flavored, full bodied brew, but wasn't there. There is some malt flavor, and I found it quite sweet. Overall it is quite thin and watery, yet still very smooth. That fact does make it easy to drink, especially is people are a bit tentative because of the dark color. Still a bit pricey for a slightly above average lager beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2005 13:36:51 | More by BigBry