Beer: Long Jawns
Brewery: Yards Brewing Co. (Philadelphia, PA)
Style: Lager – Winter
6% ABV / 15 IBU

This seasonal offering from the Metal & Beer Fest stalwarts Yards calls itself a “winter lager,” but it’s basically a Schwarzbier—malt-forward, not too bitter, and very, very black. Without getting too far down a rabbit hole, this is an excellent intro into the surprisingly diverse world of dark lagers. It’s also a slightly more toothsome—even at 6% ABV!—offering from brewery dedicated to lower gravity and highly quaffable offerings like the Brawler mild ale. Yards Brewing Co. always crushes it on “utility” beers, i.e. brews that can adapt to any setting and won’t get you wrecked.

The onyx color is the standout feature here; Long Jawns almost resembles a Baltic porter in color and form, with little to no lacing or head. Its nose is fairly deceptive, too, since it doesn’t really offer any hints to the lager’s flavor profile. But there’s a good measure of carbonation with the first swig and, also, some of the spiciness you’d typically associate with a winter warmer style beer. But just enough spiciness to tickle the tip of the tongue. Overall, Long Jawns strikes a fine balance between spiciness, bitterness, and malt (in this case, a blend of Dark Munich and Carafa II).

As this winter lager warms to room temperature, the bitterness comes forward a bit more. But Long Jawns is a lager, so it is meant to be consumed cold and best experienced that way—that’s where the clean finish really comes through. Given the overall trend over the last few years of reclaiming lagers as an alternative to higher-octane IPAs, the black lager has been largely left out on the curb. This is a style (er, a small range of styles) that prefers a simple, stark, unfettered presentation, making Long Jawns a brilliant beacon in a sea of very unimaginative, very light, and ultra-basic Mexican style lagers.

For more info on Yards please head here.