Acadian Skies

Acadian Skies by Batson River Brewing & Distilling was judged as a Schwarzbier, which is Category 8B per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.

Acadian Skies it’s a very good dark lager, indeed. The beer poursa a virtually opaque dark brown in the glass, bordering on the color of a porter or stout. The aroma is, unsurprisingly, on the roasty side with notes of coffee and chocolate. However, the roast grain notes are notably more subdued than your typical porter or stout. I detected little to no hops in the aroma, which is appropriate for a black lager. This is not a hop-forward beer style. Clarity was excellent, only verified with some difficulty as this beer is super dark.

The initial flavor is borderline roasty for the style, but it never oversteps that line, in my opinion. It’ll take you to the brink of a porter, but then pull back at the last minue. This is a malt-forward beer, but not sweet. Enough hops have been added to the boil to balance the maltiness. Overall, that balance is well done. The finish is lager-esque, clean and dry, with just a kiss of roastiness. I found the beer to be less austere than Köstritzer Schwarzbier, but not nearly as malty as, say, a Munich Dunkel.

In my opinion, this is a very much under-appreciated beer style, as are most dark lagers. When you say the word “lager,” most people conjure up images of golden, straw-hued beers with white heads that are crisp and smooth. Black lagers do indeed finish crisp and smooth, but even with your eyes closed, you’ll know you’re drinking something with a bit of roast in it. However, it’s much more “coffee americano” than “espresso,” and that’s okay!

Overall, this is one of the best examples of a schwarzbier this judge has ever had the privilege to sample. A nearly flawless execution. Cheers!