Spaten Dunkel

Introduction: This is a Munich Dunkel lager. Other examples include: Penn Dark and Pious Monk Dunkel by Church Brew Works.

Brown with reddish hues in the appearance of this beer. Not opaque, but dark enough to keep you from really checking out what's going on in the glass (the most you'll see is a reddish brown wall with the shadow of your fingers holding the glass). A frothy nougat head sits quietly up top. Carbonation bubbles rising.  Appearance: 4/5

Caramel in the nose. Chocolate fudge, raisins, figs, crust of brown bread. An underlying herbal hops aroma rises up as it warms.  Aroma: 4/5

Dark and caramel malts send suggestions of cocoa nibs and caramel to the taste buds. Hops come through with a gentle and balancing bitterness. Cold coffee. Dark chocolate bar flavor drys and lingers on the tongue.  Taste: 3.5/5

A touch watery at times, but a quaffable dunkel, for certain. Medium to full bodied; I really can't decide.  Feel: 3.5/5

Overall I give this brew a 4 out of 5. The fragrance is really enjoyable and appealing as it is malty and robust. The taste is complex, rich, sweet and dry. Though I said it was a touch watery, that characteristic improves its drinkability. 5.2% ABV on the bottle, lower than what I've read elsewhere, and that's a good thing.

Notes: Penn Dark is perhaps (it's been more than a year since I've had one) darker and drier than this dunkel, but fairly comparable. Pious Monk Dunkel on the other hand is a slightly different beast. Pious Monk has a fruitier fragrance and taste (due to the yeast activity), and at just over 4% ABV, it is notably more watery and smaller in depth (not to mention it's more of a dark amber in appearance).

Anchor Brewing Co's Brekle's Brown

Notes from 7/12/12

On the front label: "All Malt Single Hop Brown Ale. Brewmaster Gottlieb Brekle 1871-1888." On the back: "6% ABV." Also, some coding "2MO" which means nothing to the average person (including myself), although I'm inclined to think it refers to the age of the beer.

The brew pours nicely with a big, fluffy beige head that sticks to the glass. Down below, the brew is dark brown with glowing red hues (cherry red in the light), nearly opaque.  Appearance: 4.5/5

Creamy in the nose. Buttery diacetyl, peaches (my wife picked that attribute out), citrus (lime), salt, and a body of caramel and brown malts. Suggestion of booze on the outer edges.  Aroma: 4/5

That suggestion of alcohol shows up in the taste; cuts in with the bittering hops. Butter, caramel, spicy hops flavor. Good and complex flavors in the taste.  Taste: 4/5

Feels medium bodied and well balanced.  Feel: 4/5 Nothing takes over as, thankfully, this isn't over-hopped (which tends to be the prevailing characteristic amongst American brown ales).  Overall: 4/5  

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

With my nose in the bottle I can smell a strong aroma of amber/caramel malts. Glory be to the beer gods! In a sizable mug with a confident handle, I poured an excited beer with an enormous head. Glory be to the beer gods!

Appearance is dark brown, almost black. Big head at first, but disappeared almost completely. That said, mahogany hints at the bottom help this beer look very inviting.  4/5

An aroma of burnt raisins, cold coffee, roasted grains, and very warm alcohol underneath all that goodness. This beer asks to be quaffed! Well, actually that we be a bad idea. Sip slowly...  4/5

Sweetness up front with a heavy dose of caramel malts. Bittering hops and alcohol hit the tongue on the back and the middle, respectively. Malty, malty, malty. Raisin bread, figs, caramel, hops for balance. Good stuff! 4.5/5

Feels slick in the mouth. Enough hops for the body which is frankly, heavy (anyone who says differently needs to take a break from beer). Alcohol lingers a bit, but solid. 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5 (very tasty!)

Notes: I finished reading Pete Slosberg's (Pete's Brewing Co, or from what I've read, formerly) book from the late 90s about his life and career revolved around beer, Beer for Pete's Sake, and in it he asserted that beer should be poured down the center of the glass. Now, I've heard about doing so when pouring a stout, but never before for all beer in general. According to Pete, it allows the carbon dioxide in the beer to escape into the atmosphere quicker, instead of first settling in your stomach (which of course leads to burps). Also, aromas are released from the brew that would not otherwise. That said, I don't know...I guess have to take issue with the idea. For example, a pilsner, a beer that typically puts forth a grassiness and dryness, would taste to creamy if given the chance to develop a humongous head by way of the down-the-center pour. While I agree with Pete in regards to the aroma intensification brought about by the technique, I just think every style of beer has, in general, a certain level of head or foam that is appropriate and that level plays an important role in showcasing a particular style and taste.

By the way, check Pete Slosberg's book out. I found it enlightening and I really enjoyed it.

Great Lakes Brewing Co's The Wright Pils

I split a case of this stuff with a co-worker. Bottles show it's good til the first week of August, which is a little disappointing since my store just got this in this week (notes from 7/4/12). That being said, nothing at all is wrong with the age of this brew.

A yellow-gold look with tawny shades. Egg white head slims down while still staying appealing.  4/5

Smells yeasty (like yeast being prepped for bread dough with warm water & sugar). Grassy and lemony in the nose. Salt, light malts.  4/5

Sharp hops cut through to the taste buds real quick with a peppery flavor. Yeast, peppermint spice, earthy hops, burnt brown sugar, bread crust, ginger. Clean malts with the right amount of fermented spiciness.  4.5/5

The Wright Pils is carried by hops, but washes away without heavy and unwelcoming lingering qualities thanks to the sweet and spicy tango.  4/5

Great Lakes pulled this one off with the hops flavor. Great stuff.

Overall: 4.5/5