Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner Bohemian Black Lager

Tonight I'll be drinking the final brew from my Uncle Mike's mixed 6-pack, Bohemian Black Lager from Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas.  This brewery was founded way back in 1909 under the Shiner Brewing Association, which was a makeshift brewery created to bring the old world brewing traditions of the bavarian style into the US.  Shiner is well-known for it's flagship brew, the Shiner Bock, which is the personal favorite beer of a couple co-workers of mine....to be honest I haven't even had a Shiner beer for a couple years now.  The Bohemian Black Lager is a schwarzbier that was developed as their 97th Anniversity brew, and it received enough rave reviews, they brought it back as a year-round offering.  It comes in at 4.9% alcohol, 18 IBUs, and features Czech and Styrian hops.

The label on the bottle states "Spread Cheer with Shiner Beer!".  The brew is nearly black with some light narrowly getting through, with a pastel white layer of head and good retention.  Aroma is muted, with bittersweet chocolate, nutty roastyness, and caramelized sugar.  The taste starts off with nutty nuttyness, dark chocolate, and some roasted grains.  These are carried on a fleeting wave of sweetness, which move out of the way for a clean and sort of bland finish.  Lingering afterwards is some light tobacco smokeyness.  The mouthfeel is watery and carbonation is on the low side.

Overall Rating:  I've had better schwarzbiers...this was too thin and too sweet, lacking any real balance in the flavor profile.  It was a letdown for me, unfortunate considering this is one of my favorite beer styles.  C-

Avery Anniversary Lager Seventeen

Tonight I'm drinking Avery Anniversary Seventeen, a dry-hopped black lager that I believe technically classifies as a Schwarzbier.  This is brewed by Avery Brewing, out of Boulder CO.  The label depicts a cool illustration showing hops growing on vines, and lists "A Dark Study in German Hops".  This is the first lager Avery has done in their Anniversary series.....looks like an interesting brew.  Bottled in May 2010. 

Pouring this into my snifter, this pours a dark brown (almost black), with light brown head that is quite fluffy.  Click that link, you won't regret it.  The aroma is hoppy with citrus and some apples and pears.  Also something in there that reminds me of cleaning supplies....almost like a rubbing alcohol kind of smell. 

The first sip brings a piney, earthy resin-flavor that quickly fades into a slightly bitter, burnt roasted malt background.  There is a bit of an alcohol burn that doesn't surprise me, considering this is listed at almost 9%ABV.  There is also some smokiness present in there.  The carbonation is fairly heavy, and the texture is actually strange....I would consider it full-bodied, but the carbonation breaks it up quickly and makes it feel lighter. 

Overall Rating:  (4.5 out of 6.0)  This was a nice break from the normal brewing styles that I'm typically drawn to.  I enjoyed the range of different flavors this beer brought to the table, and it got better as it warmed.  The melding of ingredients and styles really made it unique, and I would recommend it to most any beer-drinker out there, since it has something for everyone.  The roasted, malty characteristic of a dark lager/ale, along with the pleasant hoppiness of a dry-hopped ale.  This is a nice beer to sip during a Sunday sporting event.



Tough to read, but I wanted to include this little Anniversary story, also note that this is a "Malt Liquor"!