Beer of the Weekend #220: Xingu Black Beer

I’m back and will write about New Orleans later. Right now I have unfinished, liquid bread business to tend to.

Though there is no proper BotW this weekend, I have two remaining beers to sample for my LV recommendation. The first is a beer I have seen and been curious about for a long time: Xingu Black Beer, brewed by the Cervejaria Sul Brasileira of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.


According to the beer’s website, it is pronounced “shin-goo.”

After being on the fritz for most of the week, I think my taste buds have recovered. Every beer I drank in NOLA tasted like cough syrup, but tonight I was able to enjoy a Milk Stout at The Hideaway for dinner tonight. Here goes nothing.

Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black, but light was able to pass through when I held it to my lamp. Two fingers of tan head developed and dissipated to leave a spotted lacing, trails long the glass, and a ring around the edge.

Smell: Mostly caramel and cocoa. It has a roasted coffee hint, but it is very subtle. Maybe I am imagining it.

Taste: The mouthfeel is watered down and feels very carbonated; it is like a combination soda-beer. There is a nice roasted characteristic, but it is too watered down to thoroughly enjoy. However, it is a schwarzbier. Along with the roasted coffee (?), there are also flavors of caramel and cocoa.

Drinkability: I am disappointed. I was expecting something much more substantial, but it really truly does taste much more like soda to me.

Fun facts about Xingu:

-Style: Schwarzbier.

-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: BA only recommends German cuisine.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C.

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