Australia’s 2019 AIBA Champion Beer, 4 Pines Brewing Company’s Schwarzbier, will be released nationally as a Keller Door Small Batch Limited Release this month.

Awarded the honour at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards (AIBAs), the Schwarzbier was originally brewed as part of the Keller Door Black Box release in 2016 but has never been available as an individual release, prior to now.

The brewers have respected this traditional German style with careful attention to ingredient selection.

The malts are a balanced combination of German-produced speciality malts – Munich Type 2 and Carafa Special – and high-quality Australian Pale base malt.

The key hops, Hallertau Hersbrucker, are a famous “noble” variety grown in Central Germany and the famous W-34/70 lager yeast strain originated from the Weihenstephan brewery in Bavaria.

The original 2016 recipe has been refined annually, resulting in the 2019 version which the AIBA judges described as ‘an excellent iteration of the style, looks sensational, great foam and retention, drinks well, lovely roast aroma’.

According to the brew team, the lack of harsh roast characters normally associated with dark beers and the distinctive presence of noble lager qualities provide the Schwarzbier with a flavour profile that drinks lighter than its black hue suggests.

Expect a smooth lager, matured slow and cold for crispness, yet full of flavour.

The Schwarzbier is a great traditional German style. Prost!