Howl!: Magic Hat's Black as Night Winter Lager

I read about this beer through a review in Beer Advocate Magazine.  What struck my curiosity was the description that said it smelled like "old coins and fresh bloody steak."  I also have had very little experience with schwarzbier's (black beer) so I wanted to try my hand on this one; the last schwarzbier I tried was in the Saranac Winter Pack, 2009.



The look of this beer is definitely black as night.  A nice foam sits on top with pretty good head retention.  The lacing is healthy.  I smell toasted bread, possibly burnt.  It also smells like a smoked beer.  The taste is similar, with burnt coffee notes, raw meat, and smoky firewood.

The mouthfeel and finish is outstanding.  Who would have thought that a brewery could develop a beer with this kind of smell and taste and still pull off a lighter, less offensive finish?  And no I'm not that uneducated.  I'm very much aware that that is the point of schwarbier: to offer dark notes and tones while sticking to a lighter body and overall taste.

This beer is just another example of why I'm really starting to fall in love with winter offerings.  If you haven't tried this one, do yourself a favor and do so before it's gone.  Cheers!