Herold Bohemian Black Lager - Pivovar Herold Březnice A.s.

BenConnery

Australia

1.4/5  rDev -65%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Tasted as part of a Weatherspoons beer festival.
Pours a lovely looking black colour, the head did not last.

This was a pretty awful beer. I was expecting so much more but perhaps the keg had problems I don't know. It was flat and warm without the flavours and aromas that should a room temperature beer should have.
Some chocolate hints I suppose but to be honest I could barely finish half my pint of this one.
I've seen some reviews here that say this was a very nice beer so perhaps it was storage or transport problems but I hated it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2003 04:13:04 | More by BenConnery

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer poured crystal clear black with a ruby highlight. The head was tan, moussy, and fell slowly to both coat and lace the glass.

The aroma was chocolate, coffee and caramel. Actually a very well done aroma for a Schwarzbier.

The flavor was not anything like the aroma. The chocolate flavors were masked by a harsh molasses and coffee flavor. The harshness was on the verge of becoming astringent. No sweetness existed in the flavor, only harsh dark grain bitterness.

The finish was dry with lasting harsh coffee and bitter dark grain harshness. The body was medium light and a bit watery.

16.9 ounce bottle. Says Schwarzbier on the label. Says Schwarzbier in the aroma. Says skip it in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2004 23:52:21 | More by GCBrewingCo

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

3.28/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Like burnt raisin toast, failry sweet raisiny start, with a burnt, but not roasty finish, some mollasses i there and a slight bitterness. Somehow, i expected a lot more, but in saying that, theres nothing wrong with this, a little sweet if anything..

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2003 00:49:01 | More by rastaman

thesyko56

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark black color. With a one finger brown head.

S: Smell of roasted malt and chocolate.

T: Toasted malt with some coffee undertones. Slightly sweet.

M: Medium body and nice carbonation.

D: Very drinkable. Good representation of the style..

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2009 00:58:23 | More by thesyko56

WMBierguy

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Pours a dark brown - almost black. Had a tan colored head that lasted a minute or two. The taste is very mellow, with very little evidence of hops and no bitterness. The aftertaste is reminscent of coffee. Would make a good dessert beer, and I think that it would go nicel with a piece of dark chocolate. It would be a poor choice for a heavy drinking session, as it has a somewhat cloying effect. An interesting beer, though not one that I'm likely to get again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2005 02:28:29 | More by WMBierguy

kojevergas

California

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on draught into a Staropramen pint glass at the Czech Inn, Dublin.

A: One finger head of fair cream but poor retention. Hazy dark copper cola.

Sm: Very light nut-hoppy scent.

T: Nutty hops, vanilla, slight caramel body. Finish complements the body, which is well-balanced.

Mf: Adequately coarse and nicely wet.

Dr: Not badly priced for Dublin, and worthy for fans of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2011 00:18:19 | More by kojevergas

rarbring

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is black, black and slightly red, a tan head leaving some lacing.

The smell is sweet, dried fruits, syrup, nuts and soy sauce.

Tasting of nut fudge, syrup with vanilla, waffles and red dried fruits.

Medium high carbonation, small bubbles, a medium small body and a dry finish.

A light, fruity and sweet black beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 18:13:24 | More by rarbring

Chadbrew

Delaware

3.55/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am pretty new to this style doesn't seem to be many examples available. The pour is OK, dark beer but not so dark you can't see light through it. There is a creamy tan head and adequate amount of very fine bubbles of carbonation. The smell is malty and caramel, there does seem to be a hint of roast. Tastes the way it smells. Malty and caramel and enough hops bitterness to almost balance it out. I do like the mouthfeel of this; it is rich and full, kind of chewy.
Overall the drinkability is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2006 17:06:16 | More by Chadbrew

Stephen63

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Well it's certainly black, almost stoutish. Head fizzled away quite quickly.

S - Served a bottle that was very cold so had difficulty getting too much from this, sweetness was noticeable.

T - Perhaps the stout appearance placed this in my mind but coffee/tobacco like flavour was prominent.

M - Quite a high level of carbonation.

D - Suprisingly pleasant and easy to drink.

Worth trying as, like most people, the "black lager" just got me too curious.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2007 20:41:57 | More by Stephen63

GreenCard

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark brown, good clarity despite opaqueness, thinnish layer of tan foam that collapses to a thin cap

Aroma: Danish rye bread (rugbrod), molasses, coffee, a touch smokey

Flavor: dry malt backbone with a surprisingly firm roast bitterness; hints of licorice and chicoree root, molasses, coffee; finishes dry with a lingering alkaloidal bitterness

Mouthfeel: medium body, pert carbonation, a bit astringent

Other comments: I was surprised at how roasty-bitter this beer is. It's good, but I was expecting it to be a bit sweeter for some reason.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2007 17:12:22 | More by GreenCard

stcules

Italy

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark color, with dark red edges. Beige head, one finger, quite compact.
Lightsmell, a lightly toasted malt, chicory, some burnt note.
At the taste again toasted, burnt, burnt coffee, chicory. Good, intense and pleasant.
In the aftertaste again toasted and burnt notes, and then a long bitterness of chicory and bitter herbs.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 12:45:30 | More by stcules

RocketWidget

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A very dark lager, with a small, short-lived, dark white/green head. Smell is very potent, butterscotch and sweet. Color is red /brown, hint of gold. Taste is sweet, malty and slightly bitter, with a chocolate aftertaste. Very refreshing dark lager overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2003 18:53:45 | More by RocketWidget

haz77

United Kingdom (England)

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours black with a mahogany hue. An inch of light tan head takes a couple of minutes to fall and leaves some lacing.

S - Chocolate, coffee, caramel, a little dark fruit.

T - Initial mouthful of chocolate and roast malts. Coffee comes through and leads towards a dry/slightly bitter finish.

M - Light-medium body and moderate carbonation.

D - Solid beer. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2006 21:43:33 | More by haz77

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lovely big head on this ebony-brown beer, pearly beige and very tall - unfortunately it doesn't last very long. Nose is a bit mild and mannered, but full of good nut and chocolate aromas, plus toasted grainy bread, caramel, and coffee. Hops cast a faint evergreen shadow over an otherwise completely malty nose. Like the aroma, the taste is mild yet lush - notes of cocoa and coffee mingle with buttery caramel, honey, and biscuit flavors. There is a surprisingly forward element of spice from noble hops and a bit of spirited alcohol, mostly to add a bit of balance and robustness. Pleasantly chewy and thick, but also well-attenuated and dry. Not my favorite schwarz, but one I would happily have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 21:01:22 | More by soulgrowl

endovelico

Portugal

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into dimpled stein. Taken from notes. Reviewed in 18 - 05 - 2010.

Appearance: Pours a jetblack brew with a one finger tan head with a creamy light brown rim that slowly recedes. Head retention is acceptable and lacing is minimal.

Aroma: Intense aroma of sweet chocolate with assertive notes of cacao and coffee with underlying notes of hop greeness.

Taste: Cacao upfront, with roasty and smoky undertones. On the back there is cedar and hops. There seems to be a metallic off-taste aswell.

Palate: Herold is a bit heavy on the palate, with spritzy light carbonation and low to medium bitterness. The alcohol is very well hidden.

Drinkability: Surprisingly unremarkable. Very drinkable but uninteresting. As far as style guidelines go, i wouldn't call it a straight forward Schwarzbier.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 11:44:17 | More by endovelico

bark

Sweden

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The colour is pitch-dark. The finger thick head is yellowish. Some lacing occurs.

The smell is creamy and fruity. Some roasted notes and chemical hints of paraffin and diacetyl.

The taste is Creamy with mild roasted flavours. Fruity flavours of apples, cherry jam and fruit drops. Chemical hints of candlegrease. The creamy aftertaste is rather mild with mild neutral bitter flavours and just a touch of smoke.

The carbonation is medium strong; the bubbles are very fresh. The liquid is smooth.

A very pleasant and smooth schwarzbier, although I could live without the candlegrease flavours. It might go well with mild delicatessen like Italian mortadella. Or perhaps a Brie?

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 10:38:23 | More by bark

dmbfrat420beers

Germany

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark-brown to black with tan, tight head of small bubbles. Grassy, whole wheat bread aroma. Medium to full-bodied, nice carbonation. Earthy, dark, crusty, sourdough bread taste. Slightly nutty, roasted malts and grassy hops. Ends with slighly sweet malts and chocolatey notes. Nice and pretty drinkable for a somewhat heavy and bready beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2007 08:45:58 | More by dmbfrat420beers

cyanidesid

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

That was a surprise. My first ever review on here for what was a completely randon pick from my local Tesco. Drank a few of these style beers when in Prague and it reminded a little of the bottles of Guiness you got years ago before the draught one caught on. Quite a bitter, dry finish which makes you keep sipping or is it gulping. It gets better the more you try it. Only £ 1.40 for a 500ml bottle.... Get in there.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2008 20:01:12 | More by cyanidesid

ncbrewerbun

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 500 ml bottle. No expiration date.

This beer is a clear very dark mahogany with ruby hightlights. It has a tan head and lasts well into the beer, but not for the time to drink all 500 ml. A very good looking pint.

Nutty, toasty, malty aroma....Initially a very nice smell; but as the beer warms, some slightly undesireable vegetal components come out. (I let this one sit around longer than usual, or I likely would not have picked up on this.)

A well done schwarzbeer. Nice malt -- chocolate, a hint of molasses, good complexity. Sweetness of the malts comes through making a nice "schwarzbeer" statement.

I'd recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2005 00:28:46 | More by ncbrewerbun

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. A nice, one finger sized head forms on the beer. Dissolves at a fairly slow pace and leaves a white sheet of lace on top. Nice lacing as well. Almost opaque but a purple/brown hue is visible in the bottom of the glass.

Smell is ordinary. Doesnt hint toward anything. Caramel malts is about all.

Taste is quite hearty. Toasty and bready flavor. Not a whole lot of chocolate or coffee which seems odd. Tastes nice alltogether.

Mouthfeel is pretty dry. Clean on the palate as well. Medium bodied I would say. A decent all around beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2006 19:53:41 | More by SaCkErZ9

mzwolinski

California

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was an interesting beer. The pour was black, with a very thin light tan head. The aroma, which was really the high point of this beer, was quite terrific -- roasty malt with hints of chocolate and black cherries. The taste, however, was a bit hard to rate. The first sip was utterly disappointing -- seemed watery in feel and in flavor. After the beer had warmed, however, or after my taste buds adjusted and became better able to pick up subtleties, the chocolate and roasty character of the beer really came out, as did a nicely bitter finish. Even still, though, the aftertaste seemed to fade rather quickly, and left me with a rather watery feeling/flavor in my mouth. Not a bad beer, but overall I think a bit too mild to really impress me.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2003 06:20:24 | More by mzwolinski

aracauna

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cola black body with light penetrating, but not all that easily. There’s a moderate khaki head that lingers for a bit then fades completely. The aroma is cake-like with a bit of chocolate and a bit of roast. The flavor is nice with more chocolate and more roast. There’s a little more body there than some schwarzbiers, but that’s a good thing. This is a really enjoyable lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2004 02:12:46 | More by aracauna

BeerIsland

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours av ery deep brown with a thick, bubbly head. Rich, sweet, malty smells abound and are carried through to similar flavors with chocolatey fruity notes. It's a little toasty on the finsh. Very smooth and drinkable. It would make a very good winter beer but isn't a load for all the flavor you get. I like it!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2006 01:22:25 | More by BeerIsland

TinusTime

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a coal black with a light khaki head. Aroma is rich with a malty chocolate nose with a hint of bitterness. Taste is deep and malty with chocolate, coffee and a bit of burnt sugar. Taste is very full and porter like. Mouthfeel is good with nice carbonation. Drinkability is OK a bit heavy for what I thought it should be. Overall a very robust lager. The label says Schwartzbier, but it seems a bit heavy for that

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2005 15:12:05 | More by TinusTime

Lnedrive14

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kind of tough to explain its look - very dark, like a stout, but not opaque at all. light passes through easily. medium-sized head.

A bit of fruit and chocolate sweetness and quite a bit of hops. Pumpernickel bread and a bit of molasses round it out. An interestingly complex beer - the flavors mold together in a strange way. can't say that i've had a similar experience before.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2006 04:55:39 | More by Lnedrive14