Indifferent dark lager brings phenol schwarzbier mustiness and reedy porter acridity to muted stout-like mocha chalking. Baker’s chocolate, dried cocoa and coffee-stained walnut receive musky peat-smoked grain roast, thwarting molasses-sapped gingerbread spicing. An uninterestingly lower-rung hybridized style.
On tap, delectable Bavarian lager (a specialty beer made exclusively for Barcade’s three locations) brings beguiling chocolate, cocoa and toffee flavors to caramel-toasted Munich malting. Soft-hopped earthen peat dewiness and recessive dried-fruited sherry-port conflux affect amiable mocha finish.
On tap at Little Falls’ 381 Main, fine one-off prune-hued ‘dark common lager’ augments resinous Warrior hop bittering with dried fruited abundance. Ripe prune-raisin conflux and chocolate-spiced Belgian yeast funk saddle burnt toast bottom. A rich sessionable beer for more adventurous lager heads.
Slick molasses-malted caramel toasting, disruptive metallic astringency, and acetous iodine driblet thankfully outdone by streamlined chocolate-cocoa spicing. Subsidiary tobacco-roasted gingerbread, pecan pie, dehydrated fig, raisin, almond, butternut and hazelnut illusions penetrate dry rye breading. As bottle drains, ample mocha prominence dissuades blunt alkaline acridity of wildly variable, thickheaded, coppery bronzed, medium-bodied dark lager.
Effective Munich dunkel lager (given noir-like dark ale labeling) contrasts cocoa-seeded black chocolate chalking, peat-smoked molasses malting and buttery toffee sweetness against coarse hop roast. Mild nut-roasted rye-pumpernickel breading overcomes fizzy phenol fizzing and slick schwarzbier-styled mocha plasticity. 2012 version boasted richer dark chocolate malting and deeper peanut-shelled hazelnut-walnut conflux.
Easygoing organically barley-malted Bavarian dark lager retains soft-watered flow, dewy earthen funk, and banana-browned fruit-dried nature to timid caraway-seeded rye-breaded spine. Amiable fig-date-prune sedation, reticent chocolate-covered raisin paucity, and meager chocolate nibs influence find space between. Likable light-bodied German beer may not have enough stylistic honeyed wheat efficacy but milder tastes will be appreciative.
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Jazz-fusion masterpiece, Bitches Brew, uncommon ebony-hued honey-brewed Imperial Stout-affiliated dark lager better defined as complex schwarzbier. On tap, shiny-leafed berry-like gesho influence affixes sarsaparilla flow to grain-seared cocoa-malted Baker’s chocolate frontage, tar-like hop-charred walnut-singed bitterness, and mildewed cellar-dwelled black grape dankness. Filmy black chocolate midst picks up espresso-milked Anisette reminder, spicy cardamom lilt, and gooey anise ascension. Rich port-bourbon wining fills out clean mocha finish. In bottle, kiln-smoked maple malting picks up chocolate-covered raisin sway and peppery-hopped Belgian chocolate spicing. Worthy salutation’s nearly as interesting as legendary artist Miles Davis.
Interesting dunkel weiss devoid of expectant wheat prominence borders on mild barleywine after chewy chocolate malt creaminess settles down. Hints of raisin and cocoa re-enforce strong alcohol thickness.
Dry auburn-hued German dark lager brings barley-toasted honeyed wheat and caramelized nuttiness to less salient soured chocolate finish. Minor tobacco roast knocks back slight astringency.
Closer to a nut brown ale than Munich dunkel, sacrificing bittersweet brown sugared black chocolate expectancy for earthen walnut and sweet hazelnut refuge. Metallic hop fizz hides sour prune-raisin-fig meander and burnt coffee retreat, shuffling off to faded cherry syrup pleasantry. Butter pecan finish loses effectiveness to oily encumbrance.
Frothy beige-headed dry body retains barley-wheat insistence and extreme hop-fueled carbonation settling to dank citric finish. Artisan well water fortifies fine, if unfulfilling, German rep.
Supposed ‘full-bodied’ dark lager has a lot goin’ on. Burnt hop bittering recalls musty red ale; earthen grain insinuation provokes uncomplicated pilsner; and berry-tinged finish glides like dreary summer ale. But murky mix is problematic.
