The other beer I got from the Roslyn Brewing Company was Roslyn Beer, a dark lager that complements the pale lager I reviewed previously. The Roslyn website indicates that they use "four types of malted barley and three hop varieties" in this beer. I’m not sure I totally buy into that (sounds a bit hype-ish), but it’s possible…

I didn’t care for this one as much as the previous beer, their pale lager. I think that’s more because I don’t care as much for dark lagers generally unless they are Bocks… But, the beer itself is technically well-done. On to it.

Appearance: Bottle has sediment (like the last beer). It poured ruby brown—dark with red highlights. The head was light tan and dissipated quickly.

Smell: It has that distinctive (to me, anyway) aroma of darker, roasted malts. A bit of molasses. Earthy.

Taste: Roasty, earthy, metallic? or steely? which comes from the hops, usually. There’s an astringency that comes from the dark (burnt) grains. It’s very clean, though. The hops coat the palate, you can taste them for a bit afterwards.

Mouthfeel: Thinner in body that the pale lager… I’d prefer a bit thicker for a darker beer. Astringent and a slightly metallic bite.

On BeerAdvocate, seven reviews have given it a score of 84 out of 100, with 86% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.19 out of 5, in the 55th percentile overall.

It’s decent. Like I said, I’m less a fan of dark lagers, but I certainly recognize when one is well-brewed. And I always appreciate free beer. :)