Port City Brewing Schwarzbier

“Deep brown and brilliant; good head retention. Intriguing aroma; chocolate malt embraces woody hops—floral, cocoa, coffee. Each sip, in turn, starts with the caramel/toffee malt, then fades down to a mix of lightly burnt roast malt and cocoa. Well-balanced with the hops, which build and linger. Clean, drinkable crispness. In the finish, touches of ash, warmth, and a mineral edge.”

“Interesting malt aroma: cake, a light bit of chocolate malt, cocoa, coffee. Mild floral/herbal hops. Clean, but subdued. Malt-forward flavor—hints of cocoa, toast, milk chocolate, caramel, bread crust. Clean, drinkable, and light. Finish mostly dry.”

Aroma: “Bright noble-hops notes, floral, spice, and honeysuckle. Slightly sweet pale malt aroma that joins pear, apple esters, and slight bubblegum.” Flavor: “Well-crafted malt complexity with depth of Continental base-malt character. The light sweetness of the malt works perfectly with the fruity esters and floral hops. Quite delicate, but with a zing from tangerine and lemongrass notes. Finishes smooth and dry.” Overall: “A well-designed and well- executed beer that is a near-perfect example of the style. A classic German hops character balanced wonderfully with grainy Pilsner malt make this an extremely drinkable Kölsch. It captures all of the malt character one could expect in such a light package without any of the less desirable side effects that malt can cause. Great balance where the whole is greater than just a sum of its parts.”