Kostritzer - Schwarzbier
I’ve had several good examples of European Dark Lagers - for example the fine Tmavy at U Fleku – but so, so many many more of them haven’t been so good. It took me a while to accept the Tmavy style of beer is in fact a dark lager and not a porter, with a few porters thrown labelled as a Tmavy because no one in the east would have bought a porter if it had been labeled as one. Which is strange really considering how fabulous the two recent Polish porters have been especially when proudly having porter stamped all over the bottle. When it comes to Black Lager I am still out considering my verdict.
| The Beer | Kostritzer – Schwarzbier; 4.8% |
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A little fruity at first (google for Vimto and you get the idea), some malts, and some fresh brown bread aromas. Black in colour with a foamy tan head. Mild bitterness, some darker roasted (burnt toast) flavours, watery and light overall feel, and far too fizzy.
Not a great fan of this beer. Aroma and colour is pleasing but not much else.
| Website | Koestritzer |
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3 comments
Hoot Gibson says:
Jan 18, 2012
To each his own….while not as good as some Stout Beers, it is better than most, and by far the best Black Lager I have tasted…plus, the price ain't bad either.
Sean says:
May 17, 2011
I'm a big fan of this beer, and must have drank gallons of it while living in Germany. I don't remember seeing it in _that_ many bars, but every little corner shop stocked it in bottles. I tried a lot of Schwarzbiers and this one was my favorite. I also shared my opinion on this one over at Barley Buddy. http://www.barleybuddy.com/89837_By_Region/89474_…
Velky Al says:
Mar 10, 2011
Given that tmavy was generally warm fermented until about 1895 (it is around then that U Fleku switched), there is an argument that the style is more closely related to porter than generally thought. I am, however, coming to the opinion that there are really only 3 styles of beer – pale, amber and dark, the differences being purely down to local brewing traditions and ingredients.