McSorley's Irish Black Lager - Pabst Brewing Company

chefelf

New York

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer has a toasty, caramel flavor. I will try to be objective since it's from one of my least favorite places in the world: McSorley's Irish Pub. It's not actually brewed there but rather it has a label slapped on it in Latrobe, PA where all the finest beers in America are brewed. Latrobe, PA is 324 miles away from McSorley's. Too close for comfort in my opinion but enough of a buffer that the beer is able to escape the intense pull from the black hole of despair that is McSorley's Irish pub.

Okay, objectivity didn't work out so well.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 14:58:57 | More by chefelf

scruffwhor

Illinois

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

Black to cola brown and ruby in color. Light beige head that leaves a slow island of filmy foam throughout the twelve ounces of brew.

The aroma is roasted and effervescent. Dark roasted malts and a little grassy hops. Thats it, pretty simple and satisfying overall.

Miedium roasted malt flavor with the astringent hops from America, and a an effervescant yeast gives a little dry palate. The finish is a little musty, but still very drinkable. This is a perfect local pub session Irish lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 01:29:35 | More by scruffwhor

Buggies

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black with dark ruby highlights when held to the light. Nice tan head. Smells of caramel and roasted grains. This one tastes quite nice for the price. Nice rounded flavor of the caramel and toffee. The roasted grains provides a nice balanced bitter bite too. But overall, it's light like a lager should be.

Overall, a nice beer for the price. It was pretty drinkable I thought.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 22:13:16 | More by Buggies

LacquerHead

Illinois

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

This wasn't too bad. It had a roasted coffee like aroma, slightly robust. The taste was similar but it was a little thin. Again, it had a roasted nature. It was like mixing a light stout with a well carbonated lager. Overall, I thought it tasted a tad generic. It wasn't bad and for the most part I was happy with my 6pck purchase. I bought it on sale on Sat 12 when every store was having an Irish beer special. So it was worth the price on that day, but I wouldn't go flocking back unless it was on sale.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 01:39:06 | More by LacquerHead

chicagoabbot

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Notice a high score for appearance and nothing else...they got the color of the style right but that's about it. No yeast funk like there should be...the malts lake depth...the hops are forgettable, even though this isn't supposed to be a hoppy style anyway...tastes like an adjunct version of a schwarzbier, which I suppose is what it is...was cheap anyway...avoid

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 00:20:47 | More by chicagoabbot

FoamyMustache

Rhode Island

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured a dark brown with hints of deep cherry red from a bottle into a becker glass. Two finger cream head quickly dissipated leaving no lacing.

S - Initially lacked any noticeable smell aside from a faint roasted malt, but as the beer warmed I noticed hints of dark fruit and alcohol.

T - Definitely leaves something to be desired. Restrained roasted malt with very mute chocolate flavors if I strain for flavors. Tastes like a heavily diluted simple stout.

M - Moderately carbonated, appealing initial feel, but finishes dry.

D - They definitely go down easy...mostly because the beer lacks any form of impressive flavor you wish to enjoy.

This was my first experience with a McSorley's brew. Didn't expect much as they're part of Pabst, but overall not a terrible beer. For about a buck a bottle, it's a good value.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 18:36:16 | More by FoamyMustache

THECPJ

Delaware

2.68/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: brownish hue black with 1 finger off white head

smell: roasted malts, coffee,

taste: coffee, some cocoa notes, roasted malts, lager yeast

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, thin mouthfeel

drinkability: overall it was just an average lager.

Cheers,

The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 03:59:27 | More by THECPJ

yesyouam

New York

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

McSorley's Irish Black Lager is a very dim brown beer with a thin, sald colored head that fades to a film and leaves decent lacing. It has a sweet, malty aroma with a lot of roasted coffee and a touch of greenness. It's medium-light bodied, a little watery, pretty smooth and the finish is chalky. It's pretty lightly flavored. It's roasty and tastes a lot like dark malt extract. There's no bitterness, really. It's not sweet or dry. Roast lingers in the aftertaste. It's nothing stand-out. It's a pretty bland session beer with no glaring faults.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 16:18:53 | More by yesyouam

lumberjerk

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

Pours very dark, but you can see points of light around the edges. When held up to direct light (think desk lamp; who doesn't drink where they work?), it's a deep and clear reddish-brown. Head was thin and coffee-colored, but constant.

Smell is nothing to right home about. I can smell the dark malts, but nothing outstanding.

Tastes of coffee and caramel roasts, right down to the bitterness of a dark cup of joe.

A very creamy head. Some sharpness from the carbonation. Smooth and light.

Very drinkable. At the price and at 5.5% I won't be slamming these down, but I'd be happy to have this with a meal.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 02:19:44 | More by lumberjerk

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

NODAK

Tennessee

3.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma isn't all that strong at all, but features some dark chocolate and roasted notes.

Taste is a pretty simple one. Body has roasted malt and dark chocolate on it, but it is all rather restrained. I would say it reminds me of a thinner, muted stout. Not much to speak of in the hop department.

A good entry beer here, I think. Drinks very easily and has good flavor, even though it won't punch you in the face.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 01:41:51 | More by NODAK

bluetravlr

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is my first time trying this brewery. I've heard good things.

A: Black. When held to the light a bet of dark amber/ burnt orange comes through. Moderate head quickly fades but maintains on the side of the glass throughout. Little lacing.

S: Great licorice smell is dominant with back tones of roasted barley and freshly trimmed grass. Slight coffee tones are also present.

T: Like the scent only not as intense. Licorice, grass, dirt, and roasted coffee are all there in a tremendous balance. There is also a caramel sweetness that plays with the tongue during the middle and into the aftertaste of this beer. The finish is very dry, with a nice hop presence . . . not too bitter, but just a reminder that they're in there (more so than most black beers I've tried). Earthy flavors throughout. Stick your head in some great, intoxicating dirt and this is what you have.

M: Light and dry. Perfect for this style. The carbonation is just a little too high for my liking, and the dryness might turn some people off, but this is nitpicking.

D: I don't know what the abv on this beer is, but the only downfall I see in drinkability is its dryness. Other than that, it is a tasty, smooth, and very drinkable lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 11:10:05 | More by bluetravlr

suretolose

Minnesota

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. This beer is a nice black with amber on the edges. About a half inch of head that fades quickly.
Aroma is very light, a slight chocolate and malt.
Taste is better than I expected with such a light aroma. Hints of malt and chocolate and a little coffee.
Coats the mouth a little which I tend to like.
A solid beer, nothing too fancy, just good.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 01:12:28 | More by suretolose

GRG1313

California

2.63/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark brown with a tan/yellow head.

Nose is simple light coffee and roasted grain with a light cooked fruit undertone. Not bad-just nothing about which to make note.

Mouthfeel is thin and a bit watery.

Flavor profile is very simple and not really appealing. Thin, watery, lack of character and body and with a simple light roasted grain flavor and character profile. Again, not bad-just not noteworthy.

Light thin coffee finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 03:05:51 | More by GRG1313

BranfordBound

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle into a SA Perfect Pint

Pours a dark brown color, but has some transparency to it. One and half finger tan head arises from an aggressive pour. Not too much lacing.

Aroma of roasted malts (a la Guinness) and a touch of coffee.

Has a maltiness to it, but not really roasted in any way. Small notes of chocolate and coffee play in the background. Finishes clean with a hint of lager yeast and malts.

Neutral mouthfeel, lots of carbonation.

Easy to kick back a bunch, just wish they cranked the flavor up a notch or too, it would still make it a session beer, but a more enjoyable one.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 22:05:21 | More by BranfordBound

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours a cola color, letting enough light through to highlight maroon flecks about the edges and bottom. The quickly disappearing head is tan, and stands about one finger high. Carbonation looks to be medium, and there is no sediment observed. The aroma is dominated by dark, toasty malts. There are also suggestions of toffee, buttery diacetyls, dark chocolate, and a bit of booze. As we sip, roasted malts meet the tongue up front. These continue, softening out through the middle, where they are met with flavors of bittersweet milk chocolate and those buttery diacetyls from the nose. The sip concludes with more bitterness from chocolate, with a twang of metallic character and coffee beans. The latter effectively controls the aftertaste, which is also malty, with a bit of sweetness. Both the body and carbonation are medium. The diacetyls give the beer slickness, helping to increase the ease of drinking. There is also slight astringency, drying the mouth a bit by the end of the session. The abv is fine and, again, the drinkability is reasonable.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was its deep and dark aroma. It was certainly unexpected to have such roasty malts, but it was considerably more surprising to find robust chocolate and nice buttery character. The taste followed through for the most part, lacking only in the same assertiveness found in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 04:19:20 | More by TheBrewo

clings

Tennessee

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There is nothing that is blatantly wrong with this beer, but there is nothing that makes me want to buy it if I have the choice between other beers. It's not bad by any means and for some it may be a good choice however it doesn't do anything for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 03:45:33 | More by clings

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

TheBigE5

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful black/red color and a nice thick head with a light brown color. Not too impressed with the smell, simply a bold malty scent. Impressive roast flavor at first and then finishes with a mild chocolate/coffee flavor and a good bit of carbonation. The drinkability of this beer is very impressive considering its dark reputation. I have had this on tap and in bottle form and will definitely drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 00:32:08 | More by TheBigE5

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

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

Notes from 11/28/2010:

12 oz bottle at 42* into a pint glass.

A: This pours a nearly opaque black color with a half-finger of slightly off-white head that dissapates quickly.

S: This shows some roastiness up front with some dark fruitiness and a bit of wet bread as well.

T: It is mostly of roasted coffee and dark chocolate early with a toasty/bready finish.

M: This has a rather thin body, but the carbonation sticks around and makes it quite drinkable.

D: This is drinkable but could be much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 05:30:06 | More by bucklemyshoe

brentk56

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a chocolate brown color with amber highlights and a creamy ecru head that sits like pancake batter atop the liquid and leaves a few strands of lace

Smell: Chocolate, with a hint of roast and leafy hops

Taste: Tootsie roll chocolate, up front, with coffee, roast, and a bit of leafy hop flavor developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate flavors dominate the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, with a creamy feel and moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I note that this beer is now brewed in Latrobe, and I wonder a bit whether the recipe has changed; certainly, I was more impressed than I expected to be reading the reviews of others

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 01:54:26 | More by brentk56

Suds

Pennsylvania

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

This beer is a wonderful dark color, nearly black with red hues. The aroma is layered with lots of chocolate malts. There's little hop aroma at all, just lots of specialty grains, backed by a touch of alcohol. The taste is similar. It's a dry beer, very clean, with a lot of heavily roasted malt. Balanced, slightly bitter. The mouthfeel is just a touch oily and slick. Easy to drink, and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 02:16:49 | More by Suds

cpolking

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours pitch black. It has a slightly spicy aroma. I don't believe it is brewed with rye but it has an aroma of a bit of rye and a hint of smoke. It tastes of dark roasted malt, a hint of coffee, a hint of smoke and a hint of sweetness on the back end. It is flavorful yet not heavy.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 02:21:16 | More by cpolking

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