BRAND: Guinness

NAME: Black Lager

TYPE OF BEER: Euro Dark Lager

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 4.5%

IBUs (Bitterness units): Not available; would guess in the 10 – 20 range of 100

PRICE: $8.99 for a six pack of 11.2 oz bottles

DESCRIPTION: GUINNESS BLACK LAGER finally made it to America. I first came across this beer during a trip to Las Vegas – and I certainly didn't expect to find it there. Being a huge fan of Guinness brews, I had to buy a sixer and try it out.

Guinness doesn't have much info available on the internet on Black Lager. In fact, it's not even on the company's website. (I believe Black Lager is being test marketed here.) The only info I found on the beer is on the back label. “Guinness Black Lager is cold-brewed with roasted barley to deliver the refreshing taste of lager with the unique character of Guinness. Enjoy ice-cold straight from the bottle.

POUR/TASTE: I always put my beer in a glass so I can actually taste and smell the brew, so I skipped Guinness's instructions to drink it from the bottle. Aroma wise, there's really not much to Black Lager – there's a faint hint of the roasted barley, but that's it. My first sip surprised me: this is a dark beer, but doesn't really taste at all like it. Black Lager is honestly one of the most boring dark beers I've ever tried. In fact, it's borderline boring and bland. I do pick up some of the roasted barley, but it finishes with a slightly charred aftertaste.


BUY IT AGAIN? I'm afraid not. Black Lager is an okay beer if you want an easy to drink dark beer that's sippable even on a blistering hot day. If you like a bit more flavor in a black lager, this one isn't it. Some good beers to try in the Black Lager category include Session Black or even Sam Adams Black Lager.

Ever try a Guinness Black Lager? What did you think of it?

BOTTLE FRONT

BOTTLE POUR

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