Neuzeller Kloster-Bräu Schwarzer Abt (Black Abbot) - Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.58/5  rDev +37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Neuzeller Klofter-Brau Black Abbot

Appearance: dark brown, small head, and a little lacing.

Smell: caramel apple.

Taste: roasted malts, slight apple, and faint toffee.

Mouthfeel: light.

Overall:
This is a decent brew. It is slightly watery, but full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:14:51 | More by megahurts4

JonnoWillsteed

Germany

1.6/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

My recent criteria, in the last few weeks before leaving Germany for more tropical shores, has been to go to the local beer shop, and buy every beer priced at or above about euro 0.85-1.0 per 0.5L bottle. I go maybe twice a week, and in this way choose maybe 8-odd beers each time - thus perhaps 2-3 hopefully good beers to enjoy per night. This selection strategy narrows the field down to about the top 20% or so, of the (maybe) 300-500 beers on offer..

With the idea that expensive should somehow hopefully loosely equate to good, this exercise is intended to give me a last blast through the huge German and central European offering, before heading to Singapore, and being resigned to only getting expensive swill, or hideously expensive imported mediocrity.

This 'Black Abbot' beer was one that came into these criteria, but what a jaw-dropping surprise!

A: Black. But very very dark chestnut when held up to the light. 1/2" pale caramel head that held up well.

S: No discernible smell to me.

T: Truly jaw-dropping. I have never had a beer anywhere approaching this. It is like a cola (Pepsi?), with extra sugar added. It was my first beer of the evening, so I had a clear palette and yet there was nothing in it that would make me identify it as beer, or for that matter any alcoholic drink. If blind-folded, I'd guess sweetened Pepsi. Last guess? Sweetened Pepsi. That is how strange I found it.

M: Like Pepsi

O: Perhaps the most surprising, disappointing, and unpleasant beer I have ever encountered in my life. The 2nd half got poured down the drain, and I cannot even imagine if, never mind when, I might have ever done that before, that dear reader is how dreadful this relatively expensive 'beer' was for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:12:46 | More by JonnoWillsteed

JeffreyJDavis

North Carolina

2.75/5  rDev +5.4%

02-10-2013 13:32:14 | More by JeffreyJDavis

Arborescence

Finland

2.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Black. Pours a creamy two finger head.

Aroma: Malty, with a hint of liquorice. Very mild though.

Taste: Kind of a malt liquor flavour, not much depth or character.

Mouthfeel: Lightish body, low to moderate carbonation.

Overall: Nothing to impress.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 17:29:01 | More by Arborescence

matjack85

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -33%

02-02-2013 21:28:16 | More by matjack85

Sunnanek

Sweden

2.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Pour is black with a rich large tan compact head that slowly sets into awsome lacings.

S: Hard roasted dark malts, mostly dryness. Bitter hops. Some smoked ham and even some tobacco.

T: Very, very sweet - it feels like they put suger in it. Dark, hard roasted malts and even the smoke gets overpowered by the sweetness.

M: Sweet, sticky aftertaste. Body is rather thin and carbonation mild.

O: How to ruin a beer with to much sweetness...

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 16:43:59 | More by Sunnanek

drzauis

Manitoba (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +34.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle.

Very light head, and very light lacing around the glass.

Initial smells are strong of caramel, hints of coffee and sweet malts.

Taste profile is very similar to the smell, dominant caramel flavor with hints of liquorice.

Mouthfeel is very light, body is small and carbonation also very light.

Aftertaste is an overpowering sweetness, almost to the point of making it unpleasing. I find this aftertaste spoils the rest of the experience of the beer, which has some complex and interesting elements to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 06:12:23 | More by drzauis

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

500ml Bottle poured into a strange looking mini-stemmed goblet glass (badged by the brewery) in ‘Aufsturz’, Berlin.

This is a true ‘schwarzer’ beer, it is black: well almost anyway. Very dark brown really: with a lighter brown head that produces good lacing as the beer level falls.

The smell and tastes are very similar: sweet. Malty molasses dominate both with a nut chocolate bar feel. The bodyfeel was OK, even with only 3.9%ABV it held together well and seemed rich and almost creamy in texture.

Overall the beer is just too sweet and although I enjoyed the first half of the bottle it was a chore to finish it: in fact I passed it around the table for my wife and two friends to try, sickly sweet was mentioned in their thoughts.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 12:51:01 | More by BlackHaddock

BillSiel

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +60.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was really impressed with this beer. After slowly enjoying a tall glass and passing it around my household, I eagerly looked for more information about it and found such an amazing array of disparaging reviews here.

Let's not misjudge someone else's beer culture. Yes, there is plenty of sweetness here, but it accents the rich malts of the recipe. The flavors are clean, roasty, chocolaty, full and yes sweet - not accidentally but with a purpose. Much has been told of those old German beers consumed during Lent, but this beer would be much more practical in comparison to those very strong dopplebocks.

The old beer community near this far eastern German brewery cares not one wit about the rest of the world's opinion - this recipe came before and will go on - that's what this beer say to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 04:39:15 | More by BillSiel

chinchill

South Carolina

2.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

16.9 oz bottle served in pint glass

A: nearly opaque, but rather brown for style. Small, short-lived head.

S: slightly sweet, caramel malt; not bad, but very light

T: sweet! Probably the sweetest beer I've ever had. Think, beer soda. Certainly way, way sweeter than is to be expected for a schwarzbier. Other flavor components in there, but the sweetness is just overpowering. I'm drinking this rather cold; if it warms up it is likely to taste even sweeter.

M: too thin and watery; low carbonation.

O - very disappointing beer from a monastic brewery. "ultimate German dark beer" (on label) ... not even close. {The ultimate would be the black beer from the Bavarian Weltenburg Brewery, in my experience).

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 00:47:54 | More by chinchill

Bung

North Carolina

2.4/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

500ml. Pretty black, little brown edges. A thin white layer.

Aroma has light roast, molasses. Some anise and licorice maybe.

Taste- it is sweet. I get a ton of molasses. Some off cardboard flavors. Finishes with sweet molasses, brown and candy sugar. Bottom line, sweet.

Thinner bodied, the sweetness doesn't thicken it up. Not an easy brew to put down in spite of the low abv.

Maybe for getting a cola drinker into craft.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 19:14:00 | More by Bung

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

2.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: great tawny head, near opaque in color
S: somewhat light, a bit of caramel malt, slightly sweet
T: yuck!, sweet, cloying, thin, very disappointing at $4.99 per bottle and a monastic brewery, not at all what I expected.
M: thin, sweet, watery
D: not, somewhat diacetyl too

If this is their flagship beer (as written on the bottle), look out! One of the most disappointing German beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 00:51:11 | More by wisrarebeer

crossovert

Wisconsin

1.93/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

500ml bottle. Pours a dark pretty much black with some red notes. The head is large, foamy and off-white. As it recedes it leaves some pretty good lacing.

The smell is light, with a hint of cocoa. There is a subtle sweetness, and a bit of bread.

The taste is too sweet for my taste, I'm not sure what they were going for here, but it isn't that great.

The mouthfeel is rather thin.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 03:07:18 | More by crossovert

beerdrifter

Germany

1.53/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Picked this up while on vacation in Berlin. Deep black pour with nice caramel colored head. Nose had a tinge of bacon to it but not really much else going on. The taste blew me away. I just reviewed a German Porter that was over the top sweet for the style but this was even worse! Almost all the German Schwarzbier I've had has been great. But this was straight up cola beer. I at least got half way through the Porter before having to pour it out, but this was almost immediately going into the sink. This was one of the worst German beers I've ever had!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2010 16:08:48 | More by beerdrifter

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

2.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

The first time I tasted this brew I thought it was ok, but I think the other beers I had prior to it masked it's undrinkability. It pours a very dark brown with a foamy cream colored head that dissapears almost immediately. The nose was that of brown sugar and maple sap. Flavors were just way too off for this style. It was almost sugary-sweet, with hints of spice. The beer is almost as if it were ten-year old cola with alcohol. The mouthfeel was mediocre as well. Thin and diluted, I am glad the finish didn't stick around for very long. I found Black Abbot to be undrinkable. For me, it was a drain pour after a third of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 08:10:13 | More by WYVYRN527

108Dragons

Illinois

1.7/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Had high hopes for this after seeing how it was brewed in a monestary and all. I had a german hefe weisse just before this and couldn't believe the taste of this. Cleansed my palate and started over affirming the flat Dr. Pepper taste of this undrinkable "beer". Poured it down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 02:25:15 | More by 108Dragons

philipquarles

Louisiana

1.58/5  rDev -39.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

50cL bottle. Pours black with mahogany tinges; thick, fluffy taupe head. Strong chocolaty malt aromas with some metallic notes on the nose. Taste is incredibly sweet; very cola-like without much malt character. Slightly fruity finish. Medium bodied with very little carbonation. Way too sweet to be drinkable--actually poured this one down the drain after finishing half of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 02:09:06 | More by philipquarles

beerkittycat

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Appearance is a deep black-brown with a minimal rocky tan head. Aroma has deep malt character with notes of raisin, burnt sugar, and just a hint of smoke. This just smells "German" too, with notes of melanoidans and flowery noble hops. Taste has some wonderful malty notes of the same character as the aroma....aaand that's where it all ends. This was sooo sweet and overpoweringly cloying that I could not finish this beer. It's got some really wonderful aromas and complex malty flavors but the sweetness is just to overwhelming. Maybe this is intended by the brewer for the style and I just don't get it, or maybe something went horribly wrong between the brewery and my glass. Either way, I really wanted to like this beer because of it's potential. Darn.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 01:57:46 | More by beerkittycat

tmitch75

Illinois

2/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Cool 500ml bottle so I thought I'd give it a try. Color is black as night, opaque, with a thin tan head.

Smell is predominantly roasty chocolate with coffee and a hint of anise. Pretty good so far.

Here's where it goes south. The taste is surprisingly sweet, cloying, with slight cocoa and vanilla. Just way too darn sweet.

Mouthfeel is syrupy with no carbonation at all. Quite disappointing.

I tried to fight through, and I might've made it if it was only 12oz. I tried to let it warm (partially because I couldn't bring myself to drink it), but it didn't help at all. This turned out to be a rare drain pour for me.

Tasted on 11/11/08.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 01:58:50 | More by tmitch75

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

2.42/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Appearance - pours a cola black with brownish edge hues. Minimal head despite the rough pour. Light mocha head with good striped lacing.

Aroma - light crackery grain, some buttery diacetyl. After it settles it has a very butterscotchy nose. Okay, but is that how a schwarz should smell?

Taste - sweet malt, very sweet. Roasted grain, light diacetyl, coffee with sugar - make that sugars... No hop presence, which is desperately needed to take some of the edge off the overdone sweetness. Missed opportunity, I think with one-third the sugar this beer would contend.

Mouthfeel - thin and with low carbonation. My first thought is that this beer was flat, but I think it's where they intended.

Drinkability - way too sweet for me to session, though I reckon that provides some additional sustenance during a fast.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 19:59:15 | More by brewdlyhooked13

plaid75

New York

1.9/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured a deep brown, almost black hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured a smooth burnt grain with some coffee overtones. Some sweetness.

The flavor consisted of a full blown sugary sweetness. Tasted like cold coffee with milk and sugar substitute. Difficult to finish.

The mouthfeel was sickeningly sweet and milky.

This beer was difficult to finish. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 16:48:08 | More by plaid75

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.03/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Definetly a dark, even black beer. Not much head after pour and a little foam for most of the drink. The aroma is of light brown sugar, toffee and cheap caramel syrup. The taste has hints of roasted malt syrup with some Bullseye candy in the middle with some pecan torty flavors. All of these sweet flavors are heavily diluted with water. But still very cloying. This is beer feels like steeped grains with straight cain sugar added to the brew. Won't buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 05:38:21 | More by scruffwhor

marcobrau

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +39.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The brewers aren't kidding around when they call this a black beer; no light penetrates through my mug. This lager foams up real good and and leaves a nice little ring of foam. The aroma is quite wonderful, suggesting cocoa and bits of charcoal. This is ever so silky smooth schwarzbier is quite sweet, with a lot of cola-like sweetness from the start to the finish. This beer loses its carbonation quickly and ends up tasting a bit like a flat RC cola. There's actually a bit of jager-like spicines and flavor to this beer. Perhaps the addition of a small amount of licorice? Still, this beer may be a bit too sweet for my taste.

Overall, a very interesting schwarz for sure and one that may scare some people (especially hopheads) away, but is worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2006 01:07:51 | More by marcobrau

PBRstreetgang

Ohio

2.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Pours an opaque ebony, with a one and half finger head of biege cream. Good retention that leaves sticky sheets of lace. Roasted barley nose with faint dextrins and coffee notes, and a bourbon or oak-aged aroma. The taste is very sweet upfront, like under-attentuated. Roasted and coffee flavors, with an overall artificial sweetener taste. Drying aftertaste with a charred flavor and faint herbal hops. Nearly flat carbonation and full body give a creamy mouthfeel, but allow the unbalanced sweetness to become cloying. Final swig is very residual despite the herbal hops pulling through. This starts out nice, but I can't say it was easy to finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 04:10:22 | More by PBRstreetgang

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -33%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Poured a vitrually black color with moderate tannish head. Smell is enjoyable with nice dark fruit, rich chocolate and black coffee dlending together nicely. Slight molasses smell also present. Taste is absolutely horrible. One of the most disgusting tastes of any beer I have ever. It's akin to amixture of coke syrup, expresso, molasses and pure sugar. I am having trouble getting the taste out of my mouth. Horrible. Three sips is enough.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2006 00:32:25 | More by tgbljb