Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier

Although literally meaning "black beer" in German, Schwarzbier has a light body with a dry, roasted finish, Gold Medal winner at the 2006 World Beer Cup and the 2007 Great American Beer Festival.

OG: 11.2 P

3.2

271 reviews

San Jose, United States

Community reviews

2.6 Not so bad really, just, well, not so good. Pours dark maroon with some vague notion of head and lacing. Aroma has an IOU roast with a hint of coffee even. Light bitter finish. Average carbonation, as can be expected. Tap at brewpub.

3.2 Black with a big creamy tan head. Malty aroma. Roast, caramel, and toffee flavors. Full bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Finish is somewhat dry with a slight roast aftertaste.

3.4 Pours hazy brown with white head. Aroma is caramel, chocolate, light coffee, and nut. Taste is chocolate, nutty, very slight coffee,caramel, and wheat. Sweet finish with a medium body.

3.3 Draft. Mild aroma of roasted malts. Pours black thin head. Light body, medium sweet taste. Good representation of the style.

3.2 Draft. Hazy brown with a thin tan head. Aroma of toasted malt, caramel, and a light sweetness. Medium body with malt sweetness upfront and notes of chocolate and fruit esters.

2.9 On tap 4 oz. taster at Gordon Biersch in Rockville, MD. Clear, rusty dark brown with no head and with wine-like legs, but no lacing. Aroma of roasted malt and a hint of chocolate. Taste of roasted malt, caramel and chocolate. Medium body and medium/low carbonization.

3.6 On tap at Gordon Biersch McLean, VA. Pours a black dark color with a tan lasting head. Aroma is coffee and some toasted malt. Palate is creamy, medium-full. Taste is similar to aroma. Long coffee finish. On the whole, it is nice Schwarzbier. .

3.8 Pours a dark brown with an off white head. Roasted malt, coffee and toffee aroma. Roasted malt, coffee, toffee and slight chocolate flavors. Light body and average carbonation. Slightly sweet with a roasted finish.

3.1 Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aromas of roasted malt and coffee. Flavor of coffee.

3.3 Draft sampler pours black with a off white head. Aroma of roasted malts, toffee and coffee. Taste is malts and toffee.

3.2 Draft to taster at the Atlanta brewpub. Looks solid; a transparent brown with foamy off-white head. Smells malty with notes of dough and lager yeast. Tastes like it smells, only better, with a solid mouthfeel. A decent example of the style.

2.6 Sampled on draft at the Virginia Beach brewpub this beer poured a very dark brown color with orange highlights and a small tan head that left minimal lacing. The aroma was faint but dryish with a hint of roasty malts. The flavor was dry, malty, roasty and woody. Medium length dry, roasty and woody finish. Medium body. Meh.

3.5 On tap. Poured an opaque black with a nice light brown head and great lacing. Aroma was burnt malts. Taste was also burnt malts with a hint of coffee. Very tasty.

2.7 Brown malty color. Little to no white head retention. Roasty coffee aroma. Light watery body finishing with some caramel.

2.9 Tap at GB in Broomfield, a pretty average Schwartz, dark brown with a fine head, touches of coffee on the nose, a little more coffee plus red fruit on the palate, and maybe just a touch of liquorice.

3.5 Sweet and roasted grains at the same time. Nice aroma and ashy texsture. I liked it and was fine to drink.

2.7 Draft. Pours clear dark ruby brown with a thin white head and decent lacing. Tastes like watery coffee with light bitterness. Light body and medium carbonation. Not much aroma- faint and bitter coffee, possibly chocolate.

3.2 Tap at brewery.. clear dark brown pour w off white head..nutty aroma..taste is caramel mslts.. not bad

3.5 Serving type: on-tap Appearance- Dark Brown with a nice tan head Aroma- Malt, Chocolate and Coffee T/P - Very strong coffee flavor almost like drinking an iced cappuccino. Very nice mouths feel no strong after taste. Overall- Very drinkable, not the best dark beer they have, that would have to go to the winter bock, but defiantly worth a try and would not pass one up if it was offered to me. It is one of the better beers that the brew, just not the best one

1.8 No aroma. Dark brown with a thin tan head, no lacing. Tasted stale and metallic. Body is thin and watery. This was a poor sample, barely drinkable.

2.4 Nice appearance! Plenty of tan head atop the black body, solid retention. Coffee, wtf? Malty nose, hints of coffee. Roasty and crisp on the palate, and severely lacking in body. Too carbed. Decent overall, poor example of style.

3.5 Draft sample @Syracuse location. Dark brown with thick head even in the sample glass. Nose is roast, hint of coffee and chocolate. Really nice roasted malts with the afore mentioned chocolate and coffee hints, finally a really nice brew at this place.

3.7 From tap. Pours a brown in color with small head. Aroma is all roasted malt. Taste follows but is light. Deep brown pour with all that roasted malt but mouthfeel is light to medium. Crisp finish.

2.8 On tap during Ohio Brew Week 2013, taster from Red Brick. Clear darker amber / red color. Minimal slightly off-white head. Smooth, lighter, kind of crisp carbonation. More dry finish. Some chocolatey flavor. Light roast, light bready malts. Lightly spicy. Hint of tropical fruity hop. More bitter taste, light sweet. Decent schwarzbier, nothing really special, for me

3.6 Enjoyed at the Syracuse, NY brewpub. Poured a dark brown colour with a beige creamy head and wavy lacing. Aromas of light roasted malts with hints of coffee. Medium-bodied. The taste also has the roasted malts, mild again, with dark fruit notes and molasses. This is an easy drinking dark lager.

3.5 Not bad. Pours cola no head or lacing. Medium coffee notes with some metallic hints. Some cola. Med bitter and light sweet. Light body with lively carbonation.

3.0 Draught. This is a decent Schwartz with a good balance and a nice dry finish. It is the best GB beer i have tried.

3.0 Pours a thin black with a beige head. Aroma is lightly roasted malts. Taste is toasted malts and thin body. Disappointed.

3.0 Serving: Draft at the Navy Yard brewpub. It pours black with a slight tan head. The nose has a nice bit of roasted malt and a touch of earth. The flavor isn’t as vibrant as I hoped with light earth, medium roasted malt, slight burnt notes, and a touch of coffee. Light to medium body with a short finish. Certainly drinkable but not inspiring.

3.5 On draft in Atlanta. Black pour with red highlights. Nice lacing. Sweet roasted malt with no hint of bitterness. Flavor is lightly toasted dark malt. Decent stuff.