Hofbräu - Dunkel Review
New styles are always popping up in American craft brewing, but with a little research they are often just waves sent over from the old-world as a gift to us neophytes. I know it doesn’t really happen that way, but it is great to see American craft brewing paying homage to its beer roots overseas. Why do many craft breweries keep going back to old styles? Well, that’s enough debate for a whole article, but I think we all really know why…
All controversy aside, one beer that has been jumping from brewery to brewery across America is the Dunkel—A dark, malty lager considered the first Munich style beer. And the first brewery to brew it? You guessed it, Hofbräu.
This is Hofbräu’s original brew from 1589(!), and it’s brewed with pale malt, Munich malt, caramel malt, and hops to give us a lager that’s dark and approachable at 5.5% ABV. We always expect a lot from our beer, but even more so from the beer’s origins. Let’s take a journey to discover where the Dunkel craze began.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Expecting something dark, we got it. It’s a deep copper color (almost opaque) from the use of Munich malt, and it’s topped with an off-white head that maintains quite well.
On the Nose--Bready and rich with a sweet caramel note. Much richer than your typical modern lager but still very German and very enticing.
On the Palate--Smooth and full-bodied, two traits the Germans have mastered, and two worth mentioning first. Hofbräu’s Dunkel is roasted and bready but very clean. There’s a nice stroke of caramel that balances the more robust bready flavors and it finishes with a lingering dark chocolate. A few sips in and the floral noble hops start lifting their heads to add that necessary balance.
Food Pairings: Hofbräu suggests pairing their Dunkel with cold and spiced roasts, stews, soft cheeses, cakes, and almond pastries.
Final Thoughts:
I constantly urge people who are interested in (or obsessing over) a ‘new’ style to see if there is a European original. This is because, more often than not, we’ve found the European version to be far superior. And why not? They’ve had hundreds of years to perfect recipes when most craft breweries haven’t been around for more than ten.
This is the case with Hofbräu’s Dunkel. It is very rich, very malty, and very clean, all things the Germans excel at. There’s nothing wrong with the American alternative (it’s often cheaper) but the Dunkel is a simple and traditional recipe, so the final results come down to ingredients, yeast, and maturation time. These together create malty and clean beers that, although dark and rich, are also very approachable.
Another reason to try old-world beers is to set a foundation for judging local beers more accurately. There’s a reason the Dunkel is so imitated in America, and it’s likely Hofbräu’s fantastic beer. If you're curious about the myriad Dunkel beers popping up on the shelves of your local beer shop, try this original first.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew