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129 Ratings
Watts Brewing Company Blackjacket
Blackjacket presents a refined take on the Schwarzbier, where the use of Kölsch yeast lends a crisp, almost champagne-like effervescence to a dark canvas. The grain bill features debittered dark malts, providing a smooth, roasted character that avoids harshness, instead offering nostalgic hints of coffee and dark cocoa reminiscent of Oreo cookies. Its appearance is striking, displaying a deep brown hue with garnet highlights and a persistent tan head. On the palate, the beer is remarkably light and sessionable, balancing bready malt richness with a clean finish and low bitterness, making it an exceptionally approachable dark lager.
Appearance. Very dark brown with deep ruby and garnet highlights; very clear. Features a large, persistent, tan-colored head with moderate lacing.
Aroma. Moderate intensity featuring clean, bready malt and low aromatic sweetness. Distinctive hints of coffee and dark chocolate from debittered malts are present. Low spicy hop aroma and a very clean fermentation profile with a faint, crisp vinous quality.
Taste. Initial impression of clean, bready malt followed by light roasted flavors of bitter chocolate and soft coffee. Medium-low bitterness provides balance without being harsh or burnt. Finishes very dry and clean with a subtle, lingering roastiness and a hint of herbal hops in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel. Medium-light body with moderately high carbonation that creates a crisp, effervescent sensation. Smooth texture with no astringency or roasted harshness. Low alcohol warmth.
Sensory Profile.
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Bottleworks
Watts Blackjacket Schwarzbier Can
4.5% Some people think all wasps are yellow. And some people think all light beers are yellow. Neit ... of the yellowjacket (V. maculifrons) that happens to be all black, without the yellow stripes. It’s our take on a schwarzbier, a close relative of light German lagers, and just so happens ...
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Watts Blackjacket Schwarzbier Can - Bottleworks 
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4.5%
Some people think all wasps are yellow. And some people think all light beers are yellow. Neither is true.
Blackjacket is named after the blackjacket wasp (Vespula consobrina), a close relative of the yellowjacket (V. maculifrons) that happens to be all black, without the yellow stripes. It’s our take on a schwarzbier, a close relative of light German lagers, and just so happens to also be black instead of yellow. This beer is yet another reminder not to judge a bee by its cover.
These days, schwarzbiers are a black style of lager, light in body, with dehusked black malts to contribute the dark color without the harsher roasted flavors of a porter or stout. However, before Emil Christian Hansen isolated the first pure culture of lager yeast in 1883, the beer would have been fermented with whichever blend of ale (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and lager (S. pastorianus) yeasts resided at the brewery.
For our rendition, we take inspiration from this extended historical perspective, choosing our signature Kölsch yeast: a hybrid S. cerevisiae strain producing flavors halfway between what we expect from the cleaner lager and fruitier ale yeasts. We then build a light bodied base of authentic pilsner malt, with a hefty dose of the classic dehusked black malt, a dash of brown malt to layer in depth to the roast profile, and some Munich to round things out.
The Blackjacket that emerges from the fermenter is a fascinating bundle of contradictions. Dark in color, but bright in flavor; coffee in the aroma, with a champagne-like mouthfeel; vibrant flavor yet finely balanced; it’s a beer at once historically inspired and reinventing the style from which it sprang.
-Watts
Some people think all wasps are yellow. And some people think all light beers are yellow. Neither is true.
Blackjacket is named after the blackjacket wasp (Vespula consobrina), a close relative of the yellowjacket (V. maculifrons) that happens to be all black, without the yellow stripes. It’s our take on a schwarzbier, a close relative of light German lagers, and just so happens to also be black instead of yellow. This beer is yet another reminder not to judge a bee by its cover.
These days, schwarzbiers are a black style of lager, light in body, with dehusked black malts to contribute the dark color without the harsher roasted flavors of a porter or stout. However, before Emil Christian Hansen isolated the first pure culture of lager yeast in 1883, the beer would have been fermented with whichever blend of ale (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and lager (S. pastorianus) yeasts resided at the brewery.
For our rendition, we take inspiration from this extended historical perspective, choosing our signature Kölsch yeast: a hybrid S. cerevisiae strain producing flavors halfway between what we expect from the cleaner lager and fruitier ale yeasts. We then build a light bodied base of authentic pilsner malt, with a hefty dose of the classic dehusked black malt, a dash of brown malt to layer in depth to the roast profile, and some Munich to round things out.
The Blackjacket that emerges from the fermenter is a fascinating bundle of contradictions. Dark in color, but bright in flavor; coffee in the aroma, with a champagne-like mouthfeel; vibrant flavor yet finely balanced; it’s a beer at once historically inspired and reinventing the style from which it sprang.
-Watts
Buy Watts Brewing Company Blackjacket. Schwarzbier (Black Beer) - Watts Brewing Company - United States.
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