Rennsteig Schwarzbier

Review Date 5/25/2024 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Schwarzbier   Brewery: Schilling   Country: USA   State: New Hampshire   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 5.4%

Oh, the things we learn from beer. Case in point: Schilling Rennsteig Schwarzbier, a German Style Black lager fromNew Hampshire’s Schilling brewery. This made me ask myself, I said, “Self, what the hell is a Rennsteig, anyway?”. “Ich weiss nicht!”, myself replied, which is German for I don’t know, in case you don’t know.

Good old Wikipedia to the rescue. Apparently, the Rennsteig is a historic walking trail through the Thuringian Forest. It is dotted with historical stone markers, and hiking it might be analogous to trekking through a trail in New England. The Rennsteig passes by the famous Wartburg Castle, which is on the label of Schilling Rennsteig Schwarzbier. So what did I tell you? The things we learn from beer.

Schilling says:

A truly drinkable German dark lager. Loads of malt complexity – fresh baked rye bread, baker’s chocolate, and a hint of coffee, but still light and crisp. Named for the 700 year old hiking trail in Germany.

Schilling Rennsteig Schwarzbier has an alcohol content of 5.4% by volume and I paid $5.99 for my can from Half Time. My can was stamped 12/19/23 on the bottom and I drank it on May 5^th of 2024.

Schilling Rennsteig Schwarzbier pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a nose of dark roast. Taking a sip, the beer is immediately roasty, harsh roasty, with hints of dark chocolate, spicy rye, and charcoal. Finishes again roasty, dry roasty and very clean. Have I said roasty enough?

Just a delightful beer, but Schilling never does anything less than delightful.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??