Oct 17, 2013

Wild Wolf Brewing Strawberry Schwarzcake

And the award for best beer name of the year so far today goes to… Wild Wolf Brewing’s Strawberry Schwarzcake. Regardless of how unconventional this 5% ABV lager may be, you’ve just got to love the name.

The Nelson County brewery has taken your prototypical schwarzbier and added strawberries during both primary and secondary fermentation. The result is not a beer that remind you of strawberry shortcake however. With a good bit of roastiness to it and just a touch of fruit, the beer is a unique and fresh take on a tried and true style of beer.

Appearance

Pouring a near opaque black, the beer sits with a cap of tan foam that fell gently to a full collar.

Aroma

Roast malt arrives first with tobacco, chocolate and distant strawberries. There’s a soft char in the mix as well, but it comes and goes as it pleases.

Taste

This is a solid schwarzbier with a strong dark malt character (roasty and rich) that is accompanied by a mild strawberry presence mingling with cocoa notes. The beer tastes as though you’ve been enjoying chocolate covered strawberries and a nice maduro cigar. There’s a light sweetness late and the beer’s relatively lighter body and crisp mouthfeel make for an easy drinking experience.

Overall

I really liked Strawberry Schwarzcake. It’s not only a beer with a clever name, but one that has great flavors, as well. The combination of the two elements (beer style and strawberry) make for one of the more uniquely crafted beers I’ve had this year. Wild Wolf was also smart enough not to overdo the strawberry — for me personally any more of the fruit would have thrown this beer off.

Rating: 4/5

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