Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier

Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier

The full extent of my knowledge on Gordon Biersch other than this beer relates to the fact that their ownership group (a faceless corporation calling itself Centerbridge Partners) is a bunch of dicks - for lack of a better word. Prior to trying this beer - in the Cleveland Airport location of Gordon Biersch - I had never heard of them at all.

On with the show:

The beer looks like a standard schwarzbier, with a nearly-black body, and a caramel-colored head. As you can see from the image at right, it was a thick, fluffy head that lattices on its way down the glass. The aroma was roasted malts with a little bit of hop bitterness.

The flavor was almost exactly what you’d come up with if somebody said “what is the schwarzbier style?” That is to say, within the style, it was not distinctive at all. The flavor was mostly dark roasted malts, with a little bit of hop bitterness. The body was heavy-ish for a lager, but light among beers overall.

For a brewery owned by a corporation whose clear intention is to make a lot of money, not make a lot of great beer, I’m not at all surprised by this offering. That said, there was certainly nothing wrong with it, and although it was nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary, I’d drink it again.