Black is back, people, at least for Boston Beer Company, makers of the Samuel Adams line of beers. Now, I’ve long hoped that they would finally make a Schwarzbier, or Black Lager. It’s one of the few styles left that they haven’t yet made.

Or have they? There hasn’t been a Samuel Adams Black Lager as such before the current incarnation under consideration tonight. But long time beer enthusiasts will recall that the brewery sponsored a homebrew competition some years ago that rewarded winning recipes with a limited bottling run.

One of the winners ended up being Long Shot Black Lager, another Schwarzbier. Schwarzbier means, literally, black beer. It’s a German style featuring a creamy palate, light roasted character, and lightly hopped finish.

Boston Beer has always done well with German beer styles. Their flagship brew, Boston Lager is an example of this, as are their Double Bock, Boston Ale, Dark Wheat, and more. In fact, the company seems to be doing quite well with all their beers: they are currently expanding the capacity of their Cincinnati brewery from 600,000 to 800,000 barrels a year.

As I write this, you can only find Samuel Adams Black Lager in the spring sampler 12-pack. You’ll get two bottles, along with two Scotch Ales, two Boston Lagers, two Hefeweizens, two Sam Adams Lights, and two Boston Ales.

Samuel Adams Black Lager pours to a dark brownish black color, though the beer is not entirely opaque. If you hold it directly up to the light, light will pass through and give the brew more of a chestnut color.

A generous creamy tan head forms atop the pour, and lightly roasty notes of chocolate malt are apparent in the nose. A thick film of Brussels lace clings to the side of the glass as the liquid descends.

Upon sipping, a slightly more than medium-bodied palate, generous for a lager is revealed, and the beer has a wonderfully creamy character. There are delightful roasted notes of chocolate, coffee, a touch of caramel and just a hint of licorice.

The roasted character here is soft, and you really won’t find the astringent, harsh roasted bitterness roasted barley imparts to stouts and some porters. In the finish, the roasted character becomes more noticeable, but the beer still finishes creamy and smooth. There aren’t a lot of hops here, either, just a touch.

But that’s appropriate to the style. Look at Kostritzer Schwarzbier , the classic example, and you won’t find a lot, either. An excellent effort here, folks. I don’t like it quite as much as Kostritzer, though I do like it a tad more than Saranac Black Forest (which ain’t a bad beer at all).

A nice example of the style, and well worth trying.

 

Update 8/20/2017: Samuel Adams Black Lager is back with a new label in the 2017 Beers of Fall Collection. If you ask me, it's better than ever, too.

My notes:

Samuel Adams Black Lager pours to a dark black but not opaque color with a thick creamy head and a soft roasty cocoa nose. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body with deep lightly roasty bittersweet chocolate notes. The beer is clean and free of esters and better than ever with robust roasty notes.

From the website:

Literally translated as “black beer,” schwarzbiers are one of the oldest and most traditional German beer styles. Dating back to around 800 BC, this dark, roasty beer combines caramel and chocolate malt notes with a bright flavor and crisp finish.

Ingredients, also from the website:

HOP VARIETIES Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Spalt Spalter Noble hops
 

MALT VARIETIES Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Munich 10, and Weyermann dehusked Carafa

Samuel Adams Black Lager has an alcohol content of 4.9% with 19 IBUs. The 12-pack sampler runs $13.29 this year. I'm bumping this up a 1/2 star to 4 1/2. It's that good.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 



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