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).