“Dark beer existed in Bavaria long before light beer. This was the first type of beer to be brewed at Hofbräuhaus when it was founded. Today, when beer-lovers all over the world talk about dark beer, they usually mean a Munich style beer. Today, Hofbräu Dunkel – the archetypal Bavarian beer – is still as popular as ever. With its alcoholic content of around 5.5% volume and its spicy taste, it’s a refreshing beer that suits all kinds of occasion. A beer in the traditional Munich style!”
Served in a dimpled mug. This deceiving little Bavarian offers a deep mahogany upon first glance but reveals a bright ruby red hue when held to the light. A healthy two finger head forms and is actually retained quite well as it settles to a thick overlay with scores of lace clinging to the walls of the glass. Looks fantastic! Smells very malty. It has that distinct spent grain aroma we get when we first walk in to a brewery. There’s a plethora of roasted malt qualities backing up here. We get toffee and caramel coming off firmly as well as dried fig, carob, honeysuckle and cocoa. A touch of yeasty spice pushes through too. Very nice. A decent weight is held in the mouth. Good carbonation level too. We’re loving how the smooth malty texture is counteracted by a slightly dry hop character. Great overall balance on the palate. We’d have to say it’s quite complex upfront. The sweet and grainy lager characters blend beautifully with the dark, almost caramelized malt features on entry. Hints of a nutty malt come forward as earthy, roasted notes carry across the mid delivering a slightly dry and toasty finish. Length is pretty good too, a lingering roasty dryness begs for another sip. We’re quite skeptical when it comes to German beer. It’s a common occurrence for us to find some fault in their style of brewing but this is literally faultless. It was highly enjoyable. Just imagine a love child between a bock and a kolsch. This is what it would taste like. Delicious.