Style: Schwarzbier (Black Lager)

ABV: 5.1 IBU: 18.0

88/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

Hi-Wire Brewing Big Top Production Facility Black Lager

What the brewers say

“Notes of mellow coffee, pleasant roast, and a touch of chocolate, with a dry finish.”

What our panel thought

“Dark chocolate malt in the nose. Sweet and dark chocolate flavors intertwine like a homemade chocolate syrup; light roast, coffee, tasted bread, and caramel are takeaways, leading to a medium-dry finish. Slightly sweet aspect lingers.”

What our editors thought

“Roasty aroma with a faint hint of smoke. Bouncier in the sip, dry, but with a round edge that softens some of the more strident malt.”

Review printed in: Lager Levels Up (Fall 2024) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Hi-Wire Brewing Big Top Production Facility Hi-Wire Lager

“Medium pome-fruit esters up front provide some complexity. Corn and bready malt character with some residual sweetness. Light bitterness with a light earthy and woody hop character. Semidry finish.”

WestFax Brewing Co. Lager Series: German Style Pilsner

“Floral-herbal hops, touch of geranium, rose, oak. Herbal notes blend seamlessly with bready malt. Medium plus bitterness, a slight grainy character, with some Grape Nuts and a hint of yogurt. Herbal hops stick on the dry finish. Touch of sulfur.”

Civil Society Brewing Co Beach Access

“The herbal and zesty citrus notes on the nose scream summer. Juicy hops and high lemon notes characterize the flavor profile. Finishes nice and dry with a clean, fresh flavor. A slight bitterness rounds things out.”

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.