Date: January 12,2009
Name: Einbecker Schwartzbier (Dunkel)
Found At: Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown, PA
Draft/Bottle: Bottle
Category # 4 Subcategory (a-f): c
Category: Dark Lager
Subcategory: Schwarzbier
Special Ingredients: None noted
Aroma (as appropriate for style) 10/12
Comment on malt, hops, esters, and other aromatics
Initial impressions are of molasses and ground coffee a hint of sulpher but with no indication of burnt or scorched malt. There is also a very small hint of honey as well as DMS. Little or no hop aroma and no off style esters noted
Appearance (as appropriate for style) 3/3
Comment on color, clarity, and head (retention, color, and texture)
It pours very dark brown with a sparkle of red or ruby highlights in bright light very clear. Pours a good firm white head that persists around the glass surface during drinking as a ring of different sized bubbles.
Flavor (as appropriate for style) 15/20
Comment on malt, hops, fermentation characteristics, balance, finish/aftertaste, and other flavor characteristics
The malt sweetness is very prevalent on the initial sip, this is followed by a balanced bitterness that comes both from the bitter chocolate/coffee of the malt and the hops used to balance the beer. The beer finishes quite clean for such a malty/bitter bear.
Mouthfeel (as appropriate for style) 4/5
Comment on body, carbonation, warmth, creaminess, astringency, and other palate sensations
This beer has a medium body with excellent carbonation for the style, it creates a somewhat creamy mouth feel presumably from the underlying water chemistry of that region.
Overall Impression 8/10
Comment on overall drinking pleasure associated with entry, give suggestions for improvement
A beautiful beer in presentation, the bouquet of malt aromas as well as the complex flavors brought about by the grain bill, hops and underlying water chemistry. Bitter but not harsh, roasted or toasty but not scorched. The body overall closely matches the flavor and aroma so no expectations are lost although the body could be a little beefier and not hurt this beer. The DMS and honey (minor) that was picked up on tasting this beer could easily be from storage of this one year old beer. An excellent example of the style and well worth seeking out.
Total 40/50
Outstanding (45 - 50): World-class example of style
Excellent (38 - 44): Exemplifies style well, requires minor fine-tuning
Very Good (30 - 37): Generally within style parameters, some minor flaws
Good (21 - 29): Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws
Fair (14 - 20): Off flavors, aromas or major style deficiencies
Problematic (0 - 13): Major off flavors and aromas dominate
Based on the BJCP judging criteria www.bjcp.org
This beer was tasted at BJCP training class.
