On tap at Little Falls’ 381 Main, fine one-off prune-hued ‘dark common lager’ augments resinous Warrior hop bittering with dried fruited abundance. Ripe prune-raisin conflux and chocolate-spiced Belgian yeast funk saddle burnt toast bottom. A rich sessionable beer for more adventurous lager heads. 

Slick molasses-malted caramel toasting, disruptive metallic astringency, and acetous iodine driblet thankfully outdone by streamlined chocolate-cocoa spicing. Subsidiary tobacco-roasted gingerbread, pecan pie, dehydrated fig, raisin, almond, butternut and hazelnut illusions penetrate dry rye breading. As bottle drains, ample mocha prominence dissuades blunt alkaline acridity of wildly variable, thickheaded, coppery bronzed, medium-bodied dark lager.

Effective Munich dunkel lager (given noir-like dark ale labeling) contrasts cocoa-seeded black chocolate chalking, peat-smoked molasses malting and buttery toffee sweetness against coarse hop roast. Mild nut-roasted rye-pumpernickel breading overcomes fizzy phenol fizzing and slick schwarzbier-styled mocha plasticity. 2012 version boasted richer dark chocolate malting and deeper peanut-shelled hazelnut-walnut conflux.

Easygoing organically barley-malted Bavarian dark lager retains soft-watered flow, dewy earthen funk, and banana-browned fruit-dried nature to timid caraway-seeded rye-breaded spine. Amiable fig-date-prune sedation, reticent chocolate-covered raisin paucity, and meager chocolate nibs influence find space between. Likable light-bodied German beer may not have enough stylistic honeyed wheat efficacy but milder tastes will be appreciative.

Celebrating the 40^th anniversary of Jazz-fusion masterpiece, Bitches Brew, uncommon ebony-hued honey-brewed Imperial Stout-affiliated dark lager better defined as complex schwarzbier. On tap, shiny-leafed berry-like gesho influence affixes sarsaparilla flow to grain-seared cocoa-malted Baker’s chocolate frontage, tar-like hop-charred walnut-singed bitterness, and mildewed cellar-dwelled black grape dankness. Filmy black chocolate midst picks up espresso-milked Anisette reminder, spicy cardamom lilt, and gooey anise ascension. Rich port-bourbon wining fills out clean mocha finish. In bottle, kiln-smoked maple malting picks up chocolate-covered raisin sway and peppery-hopped Belgian chocolate spicing. Worthy salutation’s nearly as interesting as legendary artist Miles Davis.

Tart and fruity like many exceptional Belgian brews, but oak-dried cherry-raspberry dominance overrides any typecast dry white wine-like essence. Sullen grape-vined grain-malted sweetness recedes to tamped-down hop docility.

Proud Indian reddish sienna hue bestows lactose-aided lager with virtuous burnt caramel signature, malt whiskey contour, and sugary butterscotch-vanilla-chocolate sweetness. Lilting almond nougat center reaffirms Tootsie Roll illusion. Minor chestnut-pecan notes imbue thorough finish of dessert-like session beer.

Festive brown-bodied tan-headed dark lager retains emphatic roasted chocolate sweetness as infectious butterscotch creaminess, powdered cocoa suggestion, and tobacco leaf illusion deepen Scotch malt proclivity. Smoked wood sedation intensifies thick brown-sugared black molasses resilience to sticky hard-candied finish for slow sipping dessert treat.

Red-tinted creamy-headed dark beer with 5.5% alcohol content, thin buttery malt texture, delicate hop bite, and sugared blandness. Unspecific golden ale fruiting or red ale toasting kicks in after few swallows, but lack of prolonged finish hurts resolve.

Receding toasted oats border casual creaminess and musty earthiness as recessive raisin fluctuation dissolves under red fruited malt souring. Lack of hop assertion further hurts hazy golden Euro-styled lager.

Sharp hop roast embitters sugary maple malt splurge, bruised orange endurance, and red fruited esters murmuring through fascinating Vienna-styled ruby-hued clear-bottled lager. Copper ale-like subtleties (faint nut, dusky mocha, tinny finish) absorb soft water crisping, mildewed earthiness, and dank charcoal-tobacco illusions.

Musty sour yeast aroma, moderate hop bitterness, and dank cloy finish mark this light watery Armenian. Less bread-like than Rolling Rock but with a bitter Heineken-like aftertaste (minus the much needed malt pungency).