Cigar City Brewing / Max Lager’s Black Ash

Cigar City Brewing / Max Lager’s Black Ash is a German style Schwarzbier. An interesting collaboration in which a smokey black lager was created using no smoked anything. The beer was aged on an non-traditional Black Ash wood creating the smokey flavor. The nose is straight Rauchbier, amazingly smokey given the process. The taste follows suit, heavy burnt smokiness with a good amount of dry wood and sweet vanilla notes. Once your palate adjusts to the big wood and smoke you start to taste the really nice black lager underneath. Some chocolate, licorice, and malt roast come out blending quite well with the wood aging. I can see how many people might not like this, but I’m really digging it!