Category Archives: Lager – Black / Schwarzbier

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Japan, Lager - Black / Schwarzbier, West Coast Brewing

West Coast The Schwartz

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 5%
Style: Lager – Black / Schwarzbier

Brewer Description: (from website) Ladies and Gents, It’s officially dark lager time. Hop Dude lager aficionados are ringing in the fall with “The Schwartz” our first ever take on a dark classic, schwarzbier. Lightly roasted coffee feels with hints of milk chocolate and dark fruit in an easy to consume low ABV elixir format—helllll yes. We may not end up comparing the size of our Schwartz, but we will end up having a damn good time taking it down. If and when, the next iteration we will def aim for a touch more bitterness, but for now we’ll gladly take the roasty drinkability.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.57
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 11th October 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a two fingered tanned head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, milk chocolate, a touch of coffee, and dark fruit notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, light roast, malty, black coffee, milk chocolate, with light plum dark fruit notes.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were a little light in that I was hoping for stronger and more bitter roasty notes.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Hong Kong, Lager - Black / Schwarzbier, Moonzen Brewery

Moonzen North Cloud Lager

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Brewery: Moonzen Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 4.5%
Style: International Dark Lager
Other Notes: Brewed with Yunnan Fermented Pu’er tea

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Slip into the shadows of power with this complex black lager brewed with Northern Hops and Yunnan Fermented Pu’er tea. Root yourself in its earthy essence and descend into its darkness.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.63
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a two finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some decent lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, bready and earthy. Lightly herbal and black tea, with hints of chocolate, smoke and oak.
Taste: Roasty dark malts, lightly sweet, black tea, herbal, earthy, with hints of cacao, chocolate and toasted oak.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, a little watery, but with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was not bad, but the mouthfeel was just too watery for me. The Pu’er tea was a nice touch, but a heavier body would have helped this along.