281. Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner 97 Bohemian Black Lager

Spoetzl 97 Shiner Bohemian Black LagerI just arrived in Austin, Texas for a couple of conferences – iMedia Brand Summit and SXSW Interactive.  However, the first thing I had to do when I arrived in the Austin airport was find a sports bar.  My Mizzou Tigers were playing my dad’s Kansas Jayhawks in the Big XII tournament.  I found one past security and settled in with this Texas beer to watch the game.

Numbers: 4.9% ABV

Appearance & Aroma: The black/deep brown color appeared a bit opaque when held up to the light.  There was no head, only a thin ring of small bubbles around the edge of the glass.  The aroma was roasty and slightly chocolaty.

Taste & Feel: The body was fairly light, and the mouthfeel was very crisp, with a carbonation tingle up front.  There was a light chocolate flavor up front, followed by a black patent malt bitterness in the finish.  The aftertaste had a bit of a burnt malt flavor.

Food Pairing: This is probably light enough that it would go with almost anything, but the chocolate and black patent bitterness would probably go best with a very rich chocolate dessert.  I think this would be great with a very rich chocolate brownie or cake, as it is light enough to help wash it down, yet has some flavors which would complement it.

Overall Impression: Whenever I travel, I look forward to trying the local brews, so it was nice to have this beer right after getting off the plane.  Overall, I thought it was a decent beer, but the bitterness/black patent astringency was a bit too much to make it a very drinkable schwarzbier.

My Rating: ★★½☆☆

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Author: kkozlen

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