Shadowplay by Ghost Hawk Brewing Co. is being evaluated as a Schwarzbier (Category 8) from the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines. 

This beer’s aroma opens with an earthy, woodsy hop character along with roasted malt that has a very faint ash-like quality. There’s a little bit of milk-like creaminess (not lactic) that ends very clean, although some esters develop with subsequent pours from the can to the glass.

It is very dark brown in color, nearly opaque, with red/orange/garnet highlights when brought to the light. A thick tan foam with tight bubbles floats on top of the beer.

The flavors of roasted malt abound, and there’s also dark bitter chocolate present with a medium-light creaminess. Earthy hop flavors follow ending with a strong dark malt bitterness. After the bitterness subsides, the finish becomes lightly creamy with a long, dry aftertaste. This beer is balanced toward the roasted malt flavor, which seems a little high for the style.  

The mouthfeel is grainy and slightly prickly with a moderate level of astringency in the back and sides of the mouth. Medium bodied and high carbonation pushes the dryness even higher.

Here’s a very good beer with similarities to an American stout in the big roasted malt character. The slight ashy aroma and bitter finish comes across as too high for a Schwarzbier, and may be better represented if the roasted malt character were softer.