+1. I haven’t had that in a quite a while. I remember it being really tasty.
I picked up a sixer of the Xingu based on the recommendations here…WOW I thought it was terrible!
Had a tart cidery/champange? taste to it. Maybe I got a really old sample? Nasty.
The remainders are going to be hanging out in the fridge for a while until some unsuspecting swill drinker comes over.
goshman, did you happen to try Squatters Black Forest Schwarzbier? You should be able to source it over there…curious what you think of it. Has won some medals.
Tart and cidery is not how it should taste.
Sounds like something is very wrong it.
My recollection is malty, smooth, hops are light but present. My wife loves it, and she doesn’t like tart and cidery.
I haven’t seen this yet however I haven’t looked hard. I think I have seen some Squatters at the same place where I found the Kostriker…maybe a double IPA? I will look for it. I picked up a sixer of Wynkoop B3K (another schwarzbier) last week which used to be a favorite of mine and I think won some medals years ago. It had been some time since I had it and it was not very good. I definitely preferred mine over that.
My wife really likes a dunkel brewed here locally so I have tried a couple of examples lately. I will give it a go. Thanks! I have found myself moving away from hoppy, American craft beer which I never thought would happen. The German in me must be coming out as I get older 
I assume you are referring to Prost’s? I had only a small taste and thought it was very good.
wish there were more good dark lager out there. I’m about to send majorvices a PM/offer some shipping $$.
Actually she didn’t care for Prost’s as much as Grimm Brothers but I don’t take too much stock in that. I thought both were great. I have really been enjoying Grimm Brothers lately. I believe their Alt won gold at GABF last year?
The biggest thing I’ve been moving away from is high alcohol beers. I have an English Mild on tap now that is very tasty and only 3.5% abv. Win win.
I’m not abandoning high alcohol by any means, just cutting way back.
I like Little Red Cap too; very good beer. It’s won 2-3 GABF medals. FWIW, the Dunkel in question, Fearless Youth, is also very tasty and has won at least one that I know of.
Yeah little red cap is the alt and fearless youth is the dunkel. Those are the only two I have been able to find in liquor stores. I emailed them to see if they distribute any others…
There are not many American made commercial classic examples. Best of Craft judged only 6 submissions last month. It was the only category that I know of that they did not award silver or bronze. Pils-Noir by Susquehanna in Pennsylvania won the Gold. I was not judging that style by the way, but im certain its good.
I view Schwartz as simply a hoppier Dunkel. This winter I had an opportunity to try a solid Dunkel and Schwartz brewed by an NHC medal winner, and to me thats just the best way to describe it. It was a case in point that sometimes the best around is not brewed at a commercial brewery.
To me a Schwarz is more like a Black Pilsner, where a Dunkel has way more of that dark bread crust Dark Munich character.
Yes I have heard schwarzbier referred to as black pilsner which is kind of what I thought of when drinking the Kostriker last night. It was very smooth but noticeably crisp and clean. The dunkels that I have had are much maltier and sweeter.
I agree. But a nicely balanced BoPils that’s black, and not a dry German type (at least the ones I’ve had).
Right, that would be what I’m saying but from a different angle. So with your view point, Dunkel is dark helles, Schwartz is dark pilsner, or my point of view Schwartz is Hoppy dunkle.