Draft at Toroando, SF. Pitch black color, thin head in a 6/oz. Glass. Aroma is dark charred malt with a big earthy hop note. Nice flavor of charred malt, hints of coffee and a lingering "over hopped" bitterness. Well, over hopped for the style. More hoppy than the true German style but still, tasty and well made.

On tap in Santa Rosa. Dark brown appearance with a light brown head. Roasty nose with some light smoke and coffee. Hint of diacetyl. Kind of nutty, caramel, roasty flavor. Light butterscotch. This batch seemed a little dirty but I’m sure it could be a good beer.

Keg at the Hopmonk Tavern, Sonoma, 28/04/14. Black with a moderate tan swirl and edgework. Nose is light roast, liqourice, charred wood tones, dark malt, spice. Taste comprises dark malt, dark toffee fudge, liqourice stick, light spice, faint herbals, treacle toffee, earthy tones. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, crisp close. A most decent schwarz, can see why this is at the top of the style list!

On tap at Toronado San Francisco, pours black with a reddish tinge and a small beige head. Aroma of light coffee, some toasted malt, charcoal, and bitter unsweetened cocoa powder. Flavour is similar, with a wonderful balance of unsweetened cocoa powder and black coffee grounds. Exceedingly dry and fairly light on the palate, making this very easy to drink. Wonderful stuff.

Tap at Toronado, San Francisco. Colour is black with small slightly brownish white head. Aromas and flavours: Smoke, chocolate and roasted malts.

Draught@CPH BF 2011. More or less black in colour (very deep coppery brown) with a mediumsized beigeish brown head. Aroma is nutty, chocolate, roasted malts as well as some toffee. Flavour is the same with some mild spicy notes to it. More complexity as it warms up a wee bit.

On tap at Toronado. Aroma is all malt. Light roast and chocolate along with some burnt toast and cracker with a hint of caramel. No diacetyl but there are low esters. Low hop aroma as well. No alcohol. Appearance is dark brown to black with a thin light tan head that recedes to the edges. Flavor is malty sweet with a decent amount of roast an secondary notes of chocolate, burnt toast, a good amount of cracker, and light caramel. Moderate noble hop flavor; some floral spiciness. No diacetyl and a touch of fruity esters, but I could be confusing the eaters with the hops. Hop bitterness is moderate and alcohol notes are not present. Mouthfeel is crisp and light as a lager should be. Medium high carbonation. Low astringency in the finish. Low to medium alcohol heat. Overall I really like this beer. It's an easy drinking dark lager with more character than the Full Sail Dark Session Lager. The hop flavor is perhaps a bit too pronounced. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone