Flensburger Dunkel

 

Review Date 11/20/2015  By John Staradumsky

Well, I’ve been drinking a lot of German beer lately! I came home with some beauties from myAsheville vacation in July, the likes of Ritterguts Gose, Freigeist Geister Zug, and Flensburger Pilsener (just to name a few) and now I’m about to tell you about Flensburger Dunkel. I’ve been drinking lots of German Oktoberfest beer, the other night I enjoyed an AC/DC Premium Lager from Karlsberg Brauerei, and best of all, I have a Beer Advent Calendar with 24 different German beers from 24 different German breweries I’m waiting to start opening on December 1st.

But for now, Flensburger Dunkel. I picked up this tasty little treat at Brusin’ Ales last July, and boy am I glad I did. It’s everything the style should be, as you’ll soon see. First, though, I’ll let the brewery tell you a little about it:

Feinherb, frisch und vollmundig. Dank der ausgewogenen Note dunklen Karamellmalzes, die ihm die natürliche Färbung und den besonderen Geschmack verleiht. Ein bernsteinfarbenes Vollbier mit einer dezenten Röstmalznote und einem feinherben Charakter. 

Wait, what’s that? You don’t speak German? Let me translate for you then:

Tart, fresh and full-bodied. Thanks to the balanced touch of dark caramel malt which gives it the natural coloring and special taste. An amber full beer with a discreet note of roasted malt and a fine tart character.

Flensburger Dunkel has an alcohol content of 4.8% by volume and I paid $3 for my 11.2 ounce bottle. A bit high, that, but this is a special German import after all. My bottle has a best by date of 11/21/2015; I drank it on November 5th.

Flensburger Dunkel pours to a beautiful deep brown color with a thick head of creamy foam and a luscious nose of light chocolate and toasted nuts. Taking a sip the beer is smooth and creamy with more of the light chocolate and toasted nut flavors the nose promised plus more deep dark delicious melanoidin malt goodness,  very delicately done. Those are the key elements to a fine Munich dunkles for me, soft chocolate chip cookie matliness and toasty goodness all done delicately, then balanced out with a gentle, herbal grassy hop bitterness and aroma.

Folks, this really is dunkles perfection! If you love the Munich Dunkles style, then this beer is one you simply must try.

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

 

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