Spaten Munchen Dunkel
Review Date 6/10/2009
Try?
Re-buy?
So I'm out beer shopping a few weeks ago, which can, as my
Beloved Barbara will be more than happy to tell you, take a bit of time.
Beer shopping is a process that must be done carefully, patiently, and with
attention to detail. if it's not, one runs the risk of missing out on a new
or special beer. And who needs that?
So, I was leisurely walking the aisles at a package store in Roswell, Georgia, taking in the many different craft beer offerings they had for sale. When I got to the German section, I was not prepared to find anything new-it seems to be rare that I do, at least compared to the veritable plethora of new domestic microbrews that hit the shelves almost weekly.
But this time, I was in for a surprise (two actually if you count the half liter bottle of Bischoff Doppelbock I scored). The main treat, though, was a six-pack of Spaten Munchen Dunkel. In fact, I was downright ecstatic to see it. You may ask why, of course, but the somewhat beer savvy among you will probably already know. However, for the sake of clarity, I'll elaborate below.
Spaten, you see, is one of the world's oldest breweries, and one of the few original Munich brewers who can participate in the Oktoberfest celebrations. Spaten traces it's history all the way back to 1397, almost 100 years before Christopher Columbus set sail for his historic voyage that set the stage for the foundation of America as we know it today.
Spaten has almost been exporting beer to America since 1909, and although I wasn't around to see that, I have been drinking their fine brews since 1982. In all the years since, I've sampled only a handful of beers from Spaten, however. So, you can now understand why seeing a new one was such a big event.
Not that Spaten Munchen Dunkel is a new beer, far from it. This is a Munich Dunkels by style, a soft dark lager that accents malt over hops, a classic German style of lager beer. Spaten has been brewing beers like this for centuries, it's just that this one hasn't been exported to America, or at least I have not seen it before.
Spaten Munchen Dunkel pours to a beautifully brilliant mahogany color with a light but creamy head formation and a light toasty malt nose. A sip reveals a real treat: a smooth, clean and drinkable dark lager with a solid malt body and dark cookie-like malt notes of chocolate and toasted nuts. The finish is slightly dry, balanced well and if you try you'll detect a hint of grassy hops.
A Munich Dunkels is supposed to be a soft malty beer, and this one certainly is that. I've read a few gripes in the beer geek community that it doesn't have enough toasty melanoidin flavors. I for one disagree; this isn't supposed to be a bock, it's a Munich dark, and it should be clean, soft and drinkable with light dark malt flavors.
I get that here, and I think it makes this a wonderful session beer. I enjoyed two bottles poured into a stoneware Spaten stein along with some locally made grilled bratwurst, spatzel egg noodles and red cabbage.
So, I was leisurely walking the aisles at a package store in Roswell, Georgia, taking in the many different craft beer offerings they had for sale. When I got to the German section, I was not prepared to find anything new-it seems to be rare that I do, at least compared to the veritable plethora of new domestic microbrews that hit the shelves almost weekly.
But this time, I was in for a surprise (two actually if you count the half liter bottle of Bischoff Doppelbock I scored). The main treat, though, was a six-pack of Spaten Munchen Dunkel. In fact, I was downright ecstatic to see it. You may ask why, of course, but the somewhat beer savvy among you will probably already know. However, for the sake of clarity, I'll elaborate below.
Spaten, you see, is one of the world's oldest breweries, and one of the few original Munich brewers who can participate in the Oktoberfest celebrations. Spaten traces it's history all the way back to 1397, almost 100 years before Christopher Columbus set sail for his historic voyage that set the stage for the foundation of America as we know it today.
Spaten has almost been exporting beer to America since 1909, and although I wasn't around to see that, I have been drinking their fine brews since 1982. In all the years since, I've sampled only a handful of beers from Spaten, however. So, you can now understand why seeing a new one was such a big event.
Not that Spaten Munchen Dunkel is a new beer, far from it. This is a Munich Dunkels by style, a soft dark lager that accents malt over hops, a classic German style of lager beer. Spaten has been brewing beers like this for centuries, it's just that this one hasn't been exported to America, or at least I have not seen it before.
Spaten Munchen Dunkel pours to a beautifully brilliant mahogany color with a light but creamy head formation and a light toasty malt nose. A sip reveals a real treat: a smooth, clean and drinkable dark lager with a solid malt body and dark cookie-like malt notes of chocolate and toasted nuts. The finish is slightly dry, balanced well and if you try you'll detect a hint of grassy hops.
A Munich Dunkels is supposed to be a soft malty beer, and this one certainly is that. I've read a few gripes in the beer geek community that it doesn't have enough toasty melanoidin flavors. I for one disagree; this isn't supposed to be a bock, it's a Munich dark, and it should be clean, soft and drinkable with light dark malt flavors.
I get that here, and I think it makes this a wonderful session beer. I enjoyed two bottles poured into a stoneware Spaten stein along with some locally made grilled bratwurst, spatzel egg noodles and red cabbage.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
