Heater Allen Schwarz Lager Beer

Posted: October 11th, 2008 | Author: Stacy | Filed under: Beer Reviews | No Comments »

I think I’ve found my new favorite Oregon brewery in Heater Allen. I got a bottle of their IsarWeizen in August on a hot day and just loved the hefeweizen meets Belgian Wit qualities – crisp, wheaty, cloves, banana. Yesterday, Kathy and I went on a little beer buying spree at Belmont Station and came home with some of their Schwarz Lager Beer.

If you’ve had New Belgium’s 1554 Black Ale, you’re on the right track. This is a very dark beer, but not nearly as heavy as a stout or a porter. It has a strong chocolate and malt aroma, but isn’t sweet, thick, heavy, or highly acoholic. There’s a significant dry chocolate flavor that balances the hops and any malty sweetness, and it lacks the “greasy” quality of Guinness. If you’re looking for a beer that’s heavier than an amber but lighter than a porter and not quite the same as a brown, this is your beer.

I also love the simplicity of their label design. Since I reuse my bottles, I get frustrated by labels that are huge, water resistant, and don’t come off easily. The Heater Allen labels are perfectly minimal yet appealing.

I can’t wait to try some of their other beers, and maybe take a jaunt to McMinnville to taste them on tap if I can!

---