London-based Orbit Beers has released a new Schwarzbier (4.8% ABV) this week as part of its White Label series of brews.
Orbit Beers’ White Label series is a collection of one-off, limited-edition releases that explore the experimental side of their brewing. As ever, the beers aim to champion the unsung heroes of European brewing culture.
Schwarzbier translates to ‘black beer’ in German and is a style renowned for its dark, almost black colour and complex flavour profile. Originating in the regions of Thuringia and Saxony in Germany, it dates as far back as the Middle Ages.
Despite its dark appearance, the Schwarzbier is clean, crisp, remarkably smooth, and approachable, making it a favourite among both beer enthusiasts and newcomers.
There are smooth roasted malts alongside a moderate herbal hop bitterness and flavours of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and a residual dark caramel sweetness. Dark in colour and light in body, the beer has rich, warming characteristics, very drinkable, with a refreshing lightness that sets it apart from heavier stouts and porters.
The Orbit brewers started with a base of high-quality malts: lager malt, best Munich, and Carafa Special type III, which undergoes a roasting process to develop its characteristic dark colour and rich flavour profile.
Tettnang hops are added to provide a subtle bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt. The beer is then top-fermented with Orbit’s house Kölsch yeast at cool temperatures, resulting in a clean, crisp finish that epitomises the style.
These days, schwarzbiers tend to be fermented with lager yeast, but that wasn’t always the case, so Orbit Beers has travelled further back in history to take its inspiration for this recipe.
