“The Black Diamond is brewed in the style of a Schwarzebier otherwise known as a Black Pilsner. Full of flavour yet clean and smooth making it easy drinking.”

Glassware: Stein.

Appearance: Cola pour with three fingers of tan foam perched on top. Good retention and very healthy lace being strewn down the glass.

Aroma: The lightly roasted malts do most of the talking – mildly rich yet sweet and roasty chocolate, caramel/toffee, peat, woody notes and dark jammy fruits. As it warms it starts to reveal more of an espresso coffee quality but it still retains a strong sense of jammy blackberry or dark cherry sweetness. We keep getting this subtle briney umami-like scent which is intriguing!

Flavour: It has a rich stout roasty-ness yet it’s still so light and sessional. Embracing it is that dark jammy sweetness which has been carried through from the aroma. Delicate coffee, coca and ashy accents through the middle shifting into a nicely roasted finish with further coffee notes and a flutter of burnt caramel and peat drawing out.

Mouthfeel: Soft, smooth and well rounded. Medium body, finely carbonated. The 5.2% ABV is spot on for the style.

Overall: We’re going to call it…JB are the best brewers of European styles in the country. Schwarzbier is one of our least favoured styles but we actually enjoyed this. It’s roasty, full flavoured yet light and sessional. Kudos fellas keep em coming!