Schwarzbier

ABV 4.4-5.4% · IBU 20-35 · SRM 19-30 · Serve 45-50F · Glass Willibecher

Identify

Black, or close enough that you cannot see through it in a bar. Hold it against a strong light and a thin ruby or garnet line appears at the very edge. The head is tan and it lasts. The smell is faint, with a little bitter chocolate and coffee, and nothing burnt. Far lighter than it looks. Light to medium in body, crisp, with a gentle roast that arrives late and leaves quickly. The finish is dry and short. Nothing coats your teeth and nothing grips the back of your tongue.

Place

Thuringia, Saxony and Franconia. Kostritzer in Thuringia has records going back to 1543

Cause

Roasted malt gets its colour from being cooked hard at the surface of the grain. Most of the harsh, ashy, drying compounds sit in the husk, which is the papery outer skin. Maltsters can strip that husk off before roasting, and the result is sold as dehusked or debittered dark malt.

Confused with

Munich Dunkel, which is browner and carries no roast at all. Czech Dark Lager, which is richer and sweeter. Irish Stout, which is an ale and far more roasted.

Numbers

Schwarzbier is German for black beer, and the name is the whole of the description. It is the darkest beer in this module and one of the lightest. That gap between what your eye expects and what your mouth reports is the point of the style. Lift the glass to a strong light and look at the extreme edge.

Will you like it, Order and Try

The last mouthful of a black coffee that has gone cool. There is a trace of that here and no more. Plain dark chocolate, for the cocoa rather than the sugar. This beer gives you the cocoa without the sweetness. Rye crispbread, pumpernickel, or anything dry and dark. The finish is dry in exactly that way. Cold, clean, refreshing drinks.

Pair, Judge, Myth and Remember

What does not work: very sweet puddings and rich chocolate desserts. The beer has no sugar to meet them with, so it ends up tasting thin and sour next to the plate. Very dark brown and clear, with a tan head that holds. A faint smell of cocoa and coffee, and nothing burnt. Light and crisp in the mouth, then a short dry finish.