Judge’s Review: 82 Rating – Low Road Schwarzbier by Low Road Brewing

Schwarzbier | Limited Release | United States

By Rodney A. Tillinghast

Judges Rating: 82
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 32
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 17

Low Road Schwarzbier by Low Road Brewing poured quite black, almost black, but there were some highlights towards a brown ale in there. Very well poured with a head that persisted.   
When we went to aroma, I received some slight burnt chocolate and caramel. Getting to the tasting, there was a prevalent noble hop and chocolate flavor, with some roast background that, as the session progressed, became more distracting. The finish had some decent hop bitterness, but I ended up looking for the toasty character that is to style.
Overall, this is a beer that tries to recreate a very difficult style to brew. The malt used seems very one-dimensional (primarily caramel and chocolate), and the toast component seems not prevalent enough. Hops have taken a definite back seat here.