McSorley's Irish Black Lager - Pabst Brewing Company

soju6

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served a black color with a nice tan head that fades to some lacing. Aroma of malt with a trace of caramel. There is also a bit of coffee and nut in the background. Taste of malt, coffee and some bittersweet chocolate. There is a nice bitterness throughout and a dry finish. Medium body, crisp and smooth. Nice balance. Easy drinker, nice beer for the style. I think having this on tap at an Irish pub enhances the character of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2012 17:06:31 | More by soju6

cbinflux

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I tried it on tap at Bubba's Ale House. A great draft beer to complement pub grub! Very smooth and drinkable.

The taste was between Guiness and Newcastle, closer to the latter. The carbonation was also much closer to that of Newcastle.

I loved the fact that it's American made by Pabst; we can sure use the jobs! It's a 'real' dark beer, not at all like Miller's Lowenbrau Dark.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2011 02:40:16 | More by cbinflux

OMGTheyKilkenny

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft into two 8 oz. glass mugs.

A- So dark, light cannot escape its surface. Pours a thin hazel head with moderate lacing.

S- Smokey. Rich and heavy with notes of milky coffee.

T- Tasting notes include toffee, cream, and cola. A little smokey. Almost like the lager equivalent of a milk stout.

MF- Crisp, nicely carbonated. Not nearly as heavy as I expected. Goes down surprisingly easy.

D- Such a solid beer should not be so easy to drink, but sure enough, it is. I can and have easily made an evening out of this beer. Well balanced, delightful stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 00:18:28 | More by OMGTheyKilkenny

russwbeck

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Black pour with a light white head.

S: My allergies might be hindering this a bit, but smells like roasted
malts and dry coffee.

T: Taste pretty much follows the smell. Light up front with roasted malts following.

MF: Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O: Good drinking beer. Won't blow you away.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2011 01:06:33 | More by russwbeck

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- A not quite black, topped by a slightly tanned one finger head. Some lacing, though not extensive.
S- Smells sweet. Tends toward a caramel aroma.
T- Definite flavors of caramel, which are quite pleasant, backed up by a bit of a milk chocolate flavor. Low hop bitterness. Quite sweet.
M- Body is light, though not terribly. Carbonation is a bit too biting for me. Carbonation did not help the flavors much here.
D- A decent drinking beer, but nothing that will blow your socks off. Simple and light.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2011 05:45:47 | More by jsprain1

Cubsfan1087

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really loved this beer. I had never heard of it before and found it on tap at one of the local Bier Stubes. It was a very dark beer. Similar to a stout. Smell and taste of coffee/chocolate. The great thing about this beer is the lack of aftertaste. Most beers like this have a strong bitter aftertaste that lingers. That wasn't the case here. I will definitely have this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 21:19:10 | More by Cubsfan1087

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

One of the draft taps I had not tried before, recommended by our waiter at "The Saloon".
This arrived deep, dark brown (almost black) color with a half inch of slightly tan head. Foam quickly melted to a thin cap, thin lace lines left behind. Smell had some roasted malt, a bit nutty and bready. A solid Euro dark taste, some coffee notes with nice malt character. Touch of bitterness to finish. Body was a bit thin, but appropriate. Refreshing and drinkable, but at the same time nothing too memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2010 21:37:18 | More by BigBry

Zebus0

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Wow this stuff is good. Never heard of it till a local pub picked it up on draft.

A- Very pleasing. Nice black shade, nice frothy head on it that dissipates in a fair amount of time.

S- Burnt aroma, nuts and smoke, plenty of hops. Pretty good. Not a very strong aroma.

T- Seems like it's just a freak. (no negative) it's not quite thick enough for a stout, but a wee heavy to be a black ale. I would compare this to a marriage of 1554 Black Ale and Guinness. Very good taste. More of the burnt/hops taste. A little sweeter than a stout, very close to most black ales really, with some more carbonation added.

M- Fair. I never grade on mouthfeel too heavy. Medium body. Pleasing, quite smooth really.

D- Very good. I love this stuff for happy hour in the afternoon. That "in-betweeness" makes it very attractive for a stout drinker like me. Not TOO heavy if the weather isn't right or you're just not in the mood, but not water thin either. Rightly nice in the middle. Very, very pleasing find.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2010 02:22:13 | More by Zebus0

gatornation

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on tap it was dark brown/black color with a tan head,,smell is sweet malts and toffee with some hops..taste is good with hops and toasted malts a touch of nutmeg some light coffee..mouth feel is on the light side with all the flavors not bursting out at you..easy to drink and pretty tasty though try this one

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 01:13:27 | More by gatornation

PhillyStyle

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Found this on-tap, at Kevin Barry's in Savannah, GA of all places (8/15):

A: The beer appeared to be cola black, without much of a head that dissipated very quickly. What there was of a head, it was light, and light tan in color. I guess that I expected a thicker, longer lasting head, but this could have been partly to the pour by the wait staff.

S: The aroma is average, nutty with sweet roasted malted barley.

T: Again, the taste was average, lighter than expected, but a sweet malt flavor with maybe a hint of coffee or chocolate.

M/D: The beer was lighter than expected and seemed a bit over carbonated. As for drinkability, I did not finish the pint, but I am not sure that was an indication. The beer was smooth enough and left a decent sweet finish that did not last.

Overall, an average beer, nothing more, nothing less.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2010 18:01:32 | More by PhillyStyle

Jips

Kansas

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

-Mouthfeel: smooth, light-medium, light carbonation
-Color: black-brown w/ a light tan creamy head about 1 finger deep
-Smell: sweet malt, hint o' coffee
-Taste: hop forward (not sharp or too bitter) with dark sweet malty tastefollowing
-After: hardly anything, residual sticky sweetness on back of tounge

Great dark beer, quite a find in a middle of nowhere IL bar in the middle of summer (otherwise

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2010 21:39:52 | More by Jips

mjw06

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was an interesting experience being my first time with this style of beer. I didn't know what to expect and even afterwards I still wasn't sure what I got. It wasn't as simple as was described to me, as just being a brew with the taste and smell of lager that just happened to be black. Naw, doesn't work like that, but McSorley's did manage to throw all of my senses together in an array of confusion. The color was indeed black, with little to no head or lace. The smell came up and grabbed my nostrils with a clean and crisp, simple oat-like malt, with a very plain and simple hop note. The taste echoed the smell with very little residual. I was on the fence with how I liked the feel of it, telling myself that maybe the black color of the brew was biasing my opinion of what the feel should be like, but it was that of a medium body, with a few harsh bubbles here and there draining down the sides of the palate, the refreshment hits in the middle-back of the tongue. I'd like to try McSorley's again, I think it has potential. Probably need more time and concentration to really get a feel for it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 18:55:23 | More by mjw06

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black as the name suggests with a light tan head.

Subtle roast throughout like weak coffee. Not much else in terms of malt or hop character other than an offsetting hop bitterness. Finish is clean and crisp as a lager should be.

I would say this falls closer to a Schwarzbier with the more pronounced roasted note. Whatever you want to call it it's another underwhelming lager in the vast world of lager beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 23:15:04 | More by bump8628

AmberMan22

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Surprised to see this labeled as a Euro Dark. I don't feel that's necessarily an appropriate label, because if it was I'd be giving it some 5's.

Pours a deep brown color with an inappropriately light colored head. The head doesn't stick around long and there isn't much lacing to speak of. The brown borders on black, and has good clarity.

Smell is of dark chocolate, heavy on the malts, a slight amount of smokiness is there too.

Taste is solid, I'd place it between a schwarzbier and a Euro Dark, if that helps anyone. It does have a ton of dark malt though. Along with the malty overload of goodness, is a nice underlying smoky flavor, along with possibly some espresso in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin for a beer this dark and with this much malt.

Overall, a solid brew for my first taste of Lion Brewery. Definitely worth a try -- it's an easy drinker for being so dark.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2010 20:40:03 | More by AmberMan22

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16 ounce pint - $5.00 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Served up a near black body with some ruby-hued highlights when back-lit by restaurant lighting and topped with a finger of beige foam.

Smell: Aroma comprised of relatively mild notes: you've got some coffee, some baker's chocolate, some cola nuts, and some dark fruits in there.

Taste: Lightly roasted taste following with flavors of charred nuts and a splash of the rightfully discontinued Coca-Cola BlāK. Scarcely sweet. Mild dark fruitiness prowls around in the background. Some slight cocoa hints appear as it warms. Modest touch of hops provide a small measure of bitterness. Final notion of sweet roastiness on the relatively crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A simple, drinkable brew. Not bad, not great; it gets the job done.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 13:25:41 | More by ChainGangGuy

glid02

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Rira in Atlanta.

Pours one shade from black with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of black and roasted malts with hints of dark fruits - dates and raisins mostly.

Tastes similar to how it smells, however the dark fruit flavors are a bit larger than the smell would intimate. Black malt flavors up front with a bit of complexity added by roasted malts. Mild fruit flavors enter into things midway through the sip and fade out before a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's a bit on the thin side with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is alright. I actually got two for the price of one but one was enough for me.

Overall this beer didn't seem terribly clean, and while not terrible it's not worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2009 02:15:10 | More by glid02

psulovesbeer

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass with good head, nice lacing and a deep black color.
Smells bland and maybe a touch of roasted malt
Taste is clean upfront with a nice roasted grain finish
Mouthfeel is true lager upfront with a nice roasted linger to make you wan another sip this is highly drinkable and a refreshing example of the style... Not standout but good and worthy of a try

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2009 22:38:25 | More by psulovesbeer

plaid75

New York

3.34/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a black hue with amber edges below a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured sweet adjunct grain coupled with roasted barley.

The taste consisted of a slight sweetness tempered by a moderate roasted malt.

The mouthfeel was typical foe style with a vigorous carbonation.

Overall a tasty ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:52:43 | More by plaid75

CHickman

New York

3.39/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an almost black looking dark brown color with a little chestnut brown showing where the light hits the beer and a huge foamy 2 finger tan head that faded pretty quickly, leaving minimal lacing as it went down.

Smells of cocoa powder, roasted grains, coffee grinds, dry grass or hay, chocolate, caramel, dry and faint floral hops and some burnt wood; very basic and roasted grain nose, that’s just sort of devoid of any major accents.

Tastes like it smells, with cocoa powder, roasted grains, coffee grinds, chocolate Quick powder, dry grass, hay, light caramel, faint floral hops, tea leaf and astringent charcoal notes; basically this tastes of roasted grains and chocolate notes.

Mouthfeel is very smooth and light, with mild carbonation, a medium and almost chewy body and slightly bitter finish that leaves a sweet charcoal taste.

Average overall, this might fit the style profile, but unless I was at McSorley's in NYC throwing back a few, then I doubt that I’d seek this out again. Extra points for being easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 03:29:10 | More by CHickman

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I can reuse this bottle for hombrewing so I am giving some extra sumtin for dat! But look at that head! It is a very nice tan one finger head of tiny to small sized bubbles that fade to a heavy ring around the glass and a cap in the center and leaves a nice little Hopi village in the side of sandstone cliff kind of lacing on the glass. The beer pours a clear but opaque black. I poured this beer at about 50 degrees F.

At an instant an aroma of dark roasted malts hit me. Underneath that are some sweet malts and a bread like note. Someone reviewed it as the dark toasted crust on a slice of bread. They were not too far off. It's pleasant to say the least.

Taste wise once again like with many beers is amazingly similar to the aroma. At first the dark roasted malts are apparent and they carry through with the sip, but just after and sort of under that flavour is a darkened caramel sweetness almost like cola (as another reviewer put it) and then as the beer continues on the sweet fades to mild to medium English bittering hops on the back of the tongue with some dryness and a hint of licorice. Again, it is dry and a little bitter, but only enough so as to get you to drink more!

The mouthfeel is often described as crisp and I tend to agree. It's body is light to moderate with just over moderate carbonation which puts forth the crispiness. It's balanced and refreshing.

Overall, I would say that this is an excellent Schwarzbier at the least. I would totally seek this out AND recommend it to the beginning craft beer drinker as a good transition beer as well as an alternative to a stout in which they may not like. It is a great alternative to the latter in the winter as you feel like you can session this 5.5 % ABV beer without getting bloated and hammered. 4 out of 5!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 01:54:22 | More by WissBrauSean

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Gotta love the chops on ol' McSorley's jowls, yo! Anyway, this stuff pours a deep sienna topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises cocoa powder and a kiss of roasted malts, both thoroughly intertwined (as much as they can be, given the mass discrepancy) and fairly faint. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a strong contingent of cola. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a nice little schwarz, though it's Irish-ness doesn't really come through (whatever that would mean, anyway).

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 04:50:05 | More by TMoney2591

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a pint glass.

A - Pours a very dark brown with a hefty mocha head that has pretty good staying power.

S - Dry roasted barley, toasted brown bread, mild caramel and cocoa.

T - Roasted malts, brown bread crust, mostly dry but some sweetness is mixed in as well. Faint cocoa comes through and the finish is dry with a bready aftertaste

M - Moderate carbonation, coarse at times, light bodied, dry finish.

Texture was a bit off but overall pretty solid for the style. Nothing fancy but a solid session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:30:51 | More by StaveHooks

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a deeper brown colored beer with a two finger tan head. The head faded rather fast to leave a lighter level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is heaviest of roasted malt as well as some aromas of molasses as well as a light herbal hop smell.

Taste – The taste starts out heaviest of roasted malt. A light caramel/brown sugar sweetness is upfront, but as the taste advances further it fades more and more. More toward the end some hop flavors as well as a licorice flavor come to the tongue giving a lightly sweet and rather pleasant aftertaste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the lighter side with a carbonation level that is average. The thinner body could use a boost, but other than that it’s OK.

Overall – Quite nice and easy to drink with some decent roast and malt flavors. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:00:43 | More by Darkmagus82

godlessape

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured this one into a fine Paulaner beer mug. This is a dark brew. Foreboding to some, and inviting to others. I'm in the "other" camp. The wee tan head stays on like it should, and leaves a fair amount of lacing.
What I'm taking in the nose is rich earthy roasted malt, lots of molasses, faint hints of burnt sugar, and even fainter whiffs floral hop notes.
With this the taste follows the nose to a degree. I find the sweet roasted malt far more gentle, and neutral then the aroma and appearance may suggest. The minimal hop bitterness at the end compliments the brew in a great way.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied, crisp and refreshing. Something that you could drink all night long.
Overall this a decent mild and mellow brew, that I'd love to try out on tap--preferably at McSorley's Old Ale House.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 00:46:14 | More by godlessape

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Got this one trade. A black lager, dark like cold coffee in a glass, without ice. Black hole like. Nose is ripe fruits and raison and caramel and floral...OK. Taste is light malt and prune and then some bitter...overall quick and somewhat watery, not chewy or overly rustic. Seems much like the other black lager I've tried. I guess overall, however, I'm lukeW on the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:58:42 | More by Bitter_Echo