Christian Moerlein Barbarossa Double Dark Lager

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours barely translucent chocolate brown with a nice light tan head. Aroma is largely roast malt with a hint of molasses. Flavor starts with toasty malt and adds hay, molasses and subtle caramel notes to the mix. Mouthfeel has OK body and strong fizz. Double dark dare ya!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours a translucent dark amber brown with a big tan colored head, which takes a good amount of time to dissipate down to only a slight outer ring and leaves absolutely zero lacing. The aroma smells crips with some caramel malts and notes of sweet bread. The taste is flavorful than the aroma implies with a very malt forward, again with a caramel malt sweetness, some earthy notes, a very subtle hint of hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is crisp from the moderately heavy carbonation, medium bodied but gets somewhat syrupy as it warms.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

An American attempt at a dunkel, and a huge miss. It pours a nice clear brown with red hues, and a tan coloured cap. The aroma is nuts, coffee, and caramel. The flavour is more of the same with the nuttiness really coming through.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

A clear maroon/dark brown color. Slight off white head that was small and had minimal retention and lacing. Some burnt orange highlights around the bottom of the glass. Did leave a slight film on top. Picking up a creamy, buttery, earthy malt driven type of nose. A touch of sourness. Maybe even detecting some bittersweet chocolate. A rich, slightly sweet taste. Still mostly earthy malts, but I also got a small taste of some smoke or toastiness. Again, slight touches of bittersweet chocolate. Maybe even the faintest bit of a "grassy" hop. Medium mouthfeel that was sort of watery. It was smooth and it did an ok job covering the palate. This beer was just ok in my opinion. I could probably drink it if it was offered, but I just don't think this is my favorite style of beer. After 1 or 2 I would probably want to move on to something else.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Poured into a shaker pint, red-amber color, short-lived tan head with little lacing. Nose is roasted malt and a slight hint of coffee. Flavor is classic dark lager, roasted malt sweetness, just a little tang for balance. Mouthfeel is appropriate to style, double-dark or not, it's still a lager. Clean, dry finish; mild aftertaste of toasty malt. Overall, another fine brew from Christian Moerlein, very true to style.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

My second try from this Ohio brewery. The name and advertising a ‘double dark lager’ were drawing cards A brownish red colored beer. With crystal clarity in the glass. The tannish-white head is average with little hang time. The lacing is soapy and impressive enough. The aroma makes me think of raisin bread. The body is smooth. The taste is singularly malt, which in that noncomplexity is a little disappointing. But it is a drinkable brew. Not Great...NOT Bad

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours a clear mahogany hue with an effervescent tan head. Bottle and music thanks to bluesandbarbq. Aromas of deep dark fruit and sweet toffee. Tangy, rich palate that smooths with the finish. Sweet malt; caramel and nuts with balanced hop bitterness. MUSIC: 'Darkness' by Tab Benoit; "Lord turn on the love light, before I go blind"

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Pours a deep clear reddish-amber with a nice creamy tannish head leaving nice lacing. Good carbonation. Aromas of rich toasted malts, a slight coffee-ness, sweet malts and slight hops. Taste is sweet roasted malts with some toffee, very slight coffee and a slightly dry hops finish. Very slightly creamy and very refreshing for the price - a real bargain.