Genesee Schwarzbier, 2019 return!

I don't know what I love more about this can illustration. Is it the closed eyes, signaling relaxed enjoyment? The full face beard and red flannel of the mountain man? The jaunty pipe -- a PIPE, on a beer label, oh my God! -- with the little design on the bowl?

No, it's gotta be the BIG GLASS OF BEER! The dude is loving that beer. Happy to be here, folks, having a big old schwarzbier.

And so am I, now, and I'm a happy fella. I've been waiting for months for the reappearance of Genesee's Schwarzbier. Yeah, really, a canned seasonal from a lumpy old regional brewery in upstate New York, and it is a happy day that it has returned. My wife brought some home from a visit to her mother outside of Rochester, and I can only hope that it trickles down to Pennsylvania soon.

Schwarzbier has always been a favorite of mine. Dark, flavorful, mild, and utterly drinkable in large quantities. I recall the first time I brought a case of Kostritzer's classic home. I opened one, and started making dinner...and 40 minutes later Cathy came through the door, and somehow 5 bottles were empty.

But it's fairly temperate, so it's all good. Take a big lager-brewed swallow: smooth, creamy mouthfeel, a roasty and chewy flavor, a just slightly tangy finish of black malt, and hurra! We're ready for another!

I'm taking a sixer along to dinner -- Figs, a BYO Mediterranean place in Philly -- and it's going to be welcome. I still recall being at a busy German-tapped bar one night, when a woman came up and asked for "your lightest beer." Give her a Kostritzer, I called, and they did. She looked at me as if to say, 'you're blind,' and I urged her to try it. It WAS the lightest beer they had: the black beer.

Thanks for the winter gift, Genesee!

Grab Bag o' Tasting Notes, Part 2

Moving right along...

Genesee sent me a box full of Dundee samples (not related to the Genesee beers in the previous post -- that was bought and paid for...by Sam, for me), and one was a new one: Dundee Irish Red Lager. Reminds me of the Killian's, but with a sharper edge up front, and a sweeter, smoother finish. Again, this is a good non-hoppy beer, and there are people out there who like craft beer that isn't hopped to the nines. I'm betting this would be good with aged, firm cheeses, or beef stews. It's pretty good on its own.

Sigh...I was going to taste two new "white IPAs" from Saranac and Deschutes...but I've run out of time. Leaving for Chicago for WhiskyFest tomorrow, and I suspect I may have some fun stuff to write about. Talk to you later.