Häffner-Bräu Schwarzberger Gold
Brewery: Häffner-Bräu
Town: Bad Rapenau
Style: Export Dunkel 5.1%
Color: chestnut
Head: off-white, creamy
Nose: malty, some roast, Hallertau hops
Body: medium, very soft
Palate: balanced, malty, some roast, Hallertau hops
Finish: lingering, semi-dry, bittersweet
Served: on tap at the brewery
Impression: I was going to save this for dinner but the light was good and the lunch small enough to warrant a piece of chocolate cake. This paired well with it. It’s a good looking chestnut brew with a balanced malty palate with some roast and and fair underlying Hallertau hops. It’s quite soft on the tongue and while not a wow dark beer, it’s quite sessionable. This is all after a fairly hoppy Pils and I must say it’s probably my first or second favorite of their traditional beers. I found a bottle in another town and not sure it’s the same beer as it’s listed at 5.6% At any rate, it’s a got the same roasty taste but maybe a notch drier. It’s definitely not in any Bavarian style and would fit best in the Altfränkisch mold. Just had Herbsthäuser Dunkel yesterday in a bottle and this is far superior.
