It’s dark lager season! December and January have seemingly become the seasonal time to release European-style dark lagers that have just a little bit more mouthfeel than a pilsner with more chocolate and roast to remind you it’s still winter. Hood River and Portland, Oregon’s Double Mountain Brewery is the latest to come in with their take of German-style Schwarzbier called “Never Too Loud!”

More from a press release:

The Schwarzbier is one of the oldest German styles of Lager. It’s dark in color, but light and crisp on the tongue. For Never Too Loud, we used a yeast strain of German and Australian decent, fermenting it low, slow, and clean, accentuating the malt and yeast profiles. We experimented with a new malt: Black Prinz and Midnight Wheat from Briess. It sheds the husk, giving us color without the astringency, and lending some lovely head retention. 

The hops play second fiddle, balancing and adding subtle nuances to complement the yeast and malts. It’s low in ABV (per style) and drinks light for a darker beer. Hold it up to the light. It’s fecking gorgeous. The darkness gives way to a rich ruby hue. There’s some toffee and baked bread, a Midas touch of dry baker’s chocolate, and an easy, crispy boi finish. A dark beer that drinks like a lager. Beertender, I think I’ll have another.  

Never Too Loud Schwarzbier

4.6% ABV 25 BU

Well, we followed the rules until the knob broke. This dark German lager carries aromas of espresso bean and rustic bread that riff hard over a clean biscuit and baker’s chocolate chord progression. This one looks like a porter and drinks like a lager. In the immortal words of Danko Jones, it’s never too loud!

Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery was established in 2007 in the heart of downtown Hood River, OR. Founder, Matt Swihart, opened the brewery with a clear mission: make great beer for craft beer fans. The unique location of Double Mountain provides the use of pure and clean glacial water for beers and ciders, while also taking advantage of regionally grown hops. Reusable bottles allow customers to partake in a softer environmental footprint, affirming they are part of a sustainable future. Double Mountain may be found on tap and in bottles throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.

Learn more at www.doublemountainbrewery.com