Sam's Black Lager is an enigma to me - I even just grabbed my copy of Michael Jackson's Beer Companion because you just don't drink a schwarzbier everyday. A style originating from the town of Bad Köstritz in Thuringia, Germany, Japanese brewers including Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory all brew black beers of note.
Sam Adam's is never one to shy away from a style, although I've never seen the Black Lager outside a holiday sampler (never a good sign). The color was a very dark, deep brown - not quite Guinness black but opaque with a tan head. The nose had heavy vanilla notes with a little caramel - without the black malt bitterness I was expecting. It started sweet on the tongue with a mild roastiness, chocolate and caramel notes. Surprisingly, it finished very quickly, almost evaporating from my tongue with little dryness or bitterness. This is a beer that could benefit from a distinctive punch from the roasted/chocolate malts - but not this one. I'll have to try one of the Japanese versions.
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