Style: Lager
Format: 500ml can
ABV: 4.8% IBU: 22
Date tasted: 29 Mar 2021

Final Rating: 43/50

• Appearance: 5/5
• Aroma: 8/10
• Taste: 18/20
• Mouthfeel: 4/5
• Overall: 8/10

Overview

I’ve had a long frustrating day dealing with some appliance issues, and after stuffing myself with some delicious pan-seared trout I felt like a little adult beverage. I picked this one up because it’s advertised as, “Germany’s No. 1 Black Lager Beer.” I thought that was an interesting disclaimer. Do they specifically mean “Black Lager”? Because surely that’s a narrow category. If it was the No.1 Lager that would be something! But I’m not sure how specific the categories were. Either way, I figured it was worth a taste.

Appearance

Almost pitch black, it’s reminiscent of a good, dark Stout. Fairly mild head that dissipates relatively quickly. Too dark and thick to see any bubbles at all, which I find intriguing.

Aroma

Hops, roasted malt, and caramel come up instantly, and after letting it sit for a few seconds, a little bit of honey starts to peek through as well. Not overly complex, but not bad either.

Taste

Tastes like a watered-down stout, which isn’t entirely a bad thing. It’s lacking that metallic hint that I know many find off-putting that’s present in most stouts, and yet it still has that creamy, malty, caramel-like flavours you’d get in a malt. Fairly short finish however, and I’d prefer a little more there. On the flip side…it tastes like a watered-down stout which leaves me, in a way, feeling like I wish I had a stout instead.

Mouthfeel

A bit like a watered-down stout here too: creamier than a typical lager, but not quite on par with a stout. I’m a huge Guinness fan, but I do find it’s heavy and this would be a great alternative.

Overall

I know I’ve seen this compared to Guinness by others, and it’s pretty obvious why. Having never had this beer before, I’m still finding myself reminiscing to times where Guinness played a part. I’m actually really pleased and impressed. Excellent, balanced, refreshing beer.

References:

Click here for an explanation of rating scale.