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Fresh off my happy experience with Sam Adams' Black Lager, I figured I'd try another beer in the style. The Einbecker actually turned out to be very different. My reaction was that this seemed more like a dark lager than a black one, and it turns out ratebeer.com has it listed as a dunkel. The same beer has been labeled both ways, 11.2 ounce bottle says Schwarzbier on the label.
It pours a clear burnt umber with an off-white head. There isn't a lot of aroma, but what 's present isn't very sweet. The body is on the thin side with a healthy dose of fine bubbles. Taste-wise, it's much less sweet than the Sam Adams, with no chocolate and less roastiness in general. It's still more malty than hoppy, and perhaps slightly nutty, but has a clean, dry finish the Sam Adams lacked.
I prefer the Sam Adams overall, although that may be influenced by the fact that I paid half as much per bottle (an on-sale six-pack versus a loose single exagerrates the price difference). Which one you prefer will depend on your tolerance for sweetness. Even then, the Einbecker strikes me as unexceptional.
