I am not really a lager guy but a friend of mine won a 12 pack of SA and didn’t want to waste his alcohol consumption on beer. Since he is a wine snob I gladly accommodated his request to take a brew off his hands. I opened the bottle on a gray fall day where it was nice to have a fire going while sipping and reviewing. Now that the weather is cooling down a bit it seems appropriate to bring out the heavier beers.
When SA brewed this beer they did it under the umbrella of a schwarzbier which translates “Black Beer”. Coffee brown would be a better description of the color. But black is close. From there you get a foamy cream colored head that died quickly and a pop like aroma that doesn’t draw you in. Light and watery to mouth with some carbonation gives you the sense that is a sessionable beer and the ABV confirms that. Molasses is the dominate first impression. My wife took a taste and grimaced at the overwhelming molasses. But if you like molasses this is a beer for you. The molasses kept me from experiencing any hops or malt which was disappointing. It finished easy and left no after taste. Not the beer I’d order up on a gray day with the fire roaring but it did get me in the mood for a good stout that will meet my expectations.