Sad Devotion to Ancient Religion

Review Date 5/9/2023 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Schwarzbier   Brewery: Prison City   Country: USA   State: New York   $ Per OZ: $.25 (B)   ABV: 5.2%

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.” A little voice, well actually a deep booming malevolent voice, said that in my head when I got my can of Prison City Sad Devotion To Ancient Religion, a German-style Schwarzbier from the Prison City Brewing Company of Auburn, New York.

The first beer that I tried to get from Prison City (and failed to get, twice I might add as it sold out) was their Mass Riot IPA. AT the time, I assumed Prison City was in Walpole, Massachusetts (another prison city if you will) and that the “Mass Riot” was a play on the nickname for The Bay State. Not the case however, this Prison City is in New York.

I have driven by the Walpole facility in the middle of 95 (literally) on many an occasion, but never had I been to Auburn, New York. I had to look up their prison city on Wikipedia.

Auburn Prison was built in 1816 and was the second state prison in New York state. The first execution by electric chair occurred here in 1890. It is one fo the oldest operating prisons in the country. It is located on State Street, and Prison City Brewing has one of their two locations on the same street.

Prison City says of Sad Devotion to Ancient Religion:

A German Style Black Lager. Roasty, dark biscuit, subtle coffee and chocolate notes. This beer will lift your soul on a cold winter's day.

Prison City Sad Devotion to Ancient Religion has an alcohol content of 5.2% by volume and I paid $4.99 for my pint can from Half Time Beverage. A 4-pack of same will run you $16 at the brewery. My can had a packaged date of 03.02.23 on the label. I drank it on April 20th, 2023. ++

sa

Prison City Sad Devotion To Ancient Religion pours to a jet-black color as dark as Darth Vader’s cape and soul. The nose is malty and roasty and hints at what is to come: a sip reveals a medium bodied beer, appropriate to the style, with dark roasty char immediately coming through. The beer finishes dry roasty with a hint of chocolate and is clean with no esters.

Very well done indeed, I bought the beer for the Star Wars reference, but got a very credible Schwarzbier in the process. Certainly a beer I would buy again. You don’t want to cross a Dark Lord of the Sith after all.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??