Still working through the beer my friend brought back from Europe. She did a great job of identifying some excellent, hard-to-find beer for me.

The latest sampling is Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier, a mouthful of a name that actually represents a quality example of the rare style of schwarzbier – a German dark lager. From Kulmbach, this beer is very unlikely to ever be available on the prairies, so I am very happy to have a bottle to try.

It is a deep dark brown beer, quite opaque that offers a thick, tight off-white head that finds a way to hang around. The aroma gives off dark chocolate, light coffee, soft malt sweetness and a touch of tobacco. The flavour starts with chocolate and bready malt. As it finishes it becomes sharper and drier. I get some roastiness but not much; it is mostly a dry counterpoint to the malt beginnings. Cocoa is the dominant feature of the linger. This is a very clean beer that presents almost like a lagered porter.

I quite appreciate the interplay of sweet and dry in this beer. It doesn’t offer complexity but finds a way to have multiple dimensions to its flavour. It is a deceptive beer. It initially presents as a complex, sweet beer but then quickly shifts gears to become drier and more refreshing. Which, at least as I understand it, is exactly how a schwarzbier should be.

This was a really enjoyable glass of beer. Not overly complex – it didn’t take too much thinking – but a clean, smooth experience. I can imagine that fresh near the brewery is quite remarkable. For even after a couple of months it still  holds it own.