Dunkel Lager - Sly Fox Brewing Company

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a mostly clear medium brown, moderate cap of slightly off white froth, little retention on lacing. Scent leads with plenty of sweetness, but lacking in malt character, light caramel, faint faint vegital note. Taste again is sweet, but not in a pleasant malty way, mostly residual sugar-like, light caramel. Lighter side of medium bodied, some creaminess but no crispness. Uninspiring, lacking character.

Serving type: can

04-27-2012 18:51:58 | More by rfgetz

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into straight fluted pint glass, color is transparent amber with a great tan head that is about 1/2 thick but lingers nicely, no lacing

Smell is light caramel, hint of mild roast/chocolate malts with soft hop note.

Taste is caramel malt that comes through very smooth into some chocolate, light toffee hints of breadiness and roast in there as well. Nice clean bitterness cleans it up, a few reviews mention this is a nice mix of brown ale and amber lager which I think is a good description as the bready/smoothness is very nice.

Mouthfeel is crisp front with a smooth sweeter finish with nice lingering caramel notes and light hop bitterness.

Overall, a very solid, crisp dunkel lager with a surprising smoothness. the more I have the more I think this is rivaling the pikeland pils for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 23:13:23 | More by mvanaskie13

magine

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pilsner glass.

Pours a clear, lively, bubbly carbonated caramel. Thin bubbly lace head settles to no head at all. Almost no lace remains. OK looking brew. Almost wonder if I picked up a dud.

Brew smells of light toasted malts, caramel being in the forefront. Has some lingering hops as well. Biscuit and grains as well. Decent nose.

Brew is peppery upfront, then smooth in the middle. Finishes light and slightly dry. Crisp refreshing drinking here. Some caramel malts, grainy yeast. Almost a citrus hop flavor. A tad bit thin here. Pretty good brew.

A good solid drinker, an understated dunkel from Sly Fox. A disappointment from an otherwise great brewery.

Serving type: can

02-18-2012 01:45:00 | More by magine

WhiteOak

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- A nice looking dark copper color, with a light tan head which dissipates quickly to a ring.

S- Alluring aroma of classic Dunkel characteristics: sweet, toasty, grainy malt and nuttiness.

T- Nice flavors of grainy caramel malt with just the right toast, nuts, carob, graham cracker.

M, D- Very drinkable, with perfect CO2-to-sweetness balance.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 14:51:37 | More by WhiteOak

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can courtesy of mgbickel, thanks Mike! Pours a fairly clear, light brown color with a surprisingly dense cap of beige head. Retention is decent and lacing fairly sparse.

Nose is pretty classic dunkel...light chocolate and roasty malt with a smattering of caramel and a bit of nuttiness. Hops are minimal and the yeast is clean. I think Im gonna like this...

Oh yea, nicely done Sly Fox. Creamy and has a nice sweet - roast interplay. I could drink a ton of this, I really enjoyed the O-fest from them and this one follows in the same vein. They certainly know their lagers. Only complaint I have is that I could use a bit less roasty astringency on the finish.

Serving type: can

09-23-2011 23:32:26 | More by twiggamortis420

Chaz

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant, dark amber-brown in color, topped with a one-fingered off-white head which dissipates at an average pace. Minimal lacing here, but about par for the style.

Nose is honey-sweet, dark malt with a bit of roast, really quite fruity and inviting. Some breadiness along with a light tang and an even lighter aspect of 'lagery' yeast, but altogether this is a clean and textbook example so far.

Sweet-ish and quite piquant on the first sip, with just the right amount of dark/roast malt character as well as a touch or breadiness coming through in the right places. Bitterness is representative of the style, really lingers nicely and acts to gently-balance the sweeter malt character. Hop character almost strikes me as 'citrusy', but I know there are no Cascades in use here. Still, this strikes me as the sort of bier that a Brown Ale lover might like if he could only bring himself to give "boring German / lager" styles a chance : )

Nice balance and a smooth character to the mouthfeel throughout the drink, and even at 5.3% this strikes me as a 'session' beer.

Judging by the scores it's received so far I run the risk of scoring this one too highly, but it is well above average with respect to what I routinely come across as far as the style is concerned -- I really wish that a canned Dunkel of this quality was regularly available to me! Instead I'll have to go for another excellent German-style lager in a can (Schell's Firebrick) which is alas, only a summer seasonal.

Big thanks to Dr. Woody Chandler for the chance to try this beer -- may his CANquest be fruitful and multiply!

Best-by date on can: 4/19/11

Serving type: can

08-15-2011 00:03:17 | More by Chaz

kenatbeerswap

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz can to a pint glass.

A: Nice reddish brown color, head was two fingers high and slowly dropped down to a thin layer on top.

S: Nice aroma of caramel that gave it a sweet smell.

T: Good caramel taste with a hint of nuttiness, very low bitterness.

M: Medium body with moderate carbonation.

O: The munich comes through in this beer and makes it a nice session beer.

Serving type: can

08-09-2011 03:57:09 | More by kenatbeerswap

bennetj17

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +21%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Coffee amber color, very clear, with a few lazy bubbles rising to the top. The head starts out near a half-inch, and settles over a couple minutes leaving a ring and a touch of frothy coating. There's a pleasant maltiness in the nose, like fresh baked bread, with notes of caramel and fruit.

The taste has more grainy bread character, perhaps sourdough, and finishes with a solid bitterness to round it out. Clean and semi-dry. Light to medium thickness, well carbonated.

I'm very amazed at the quality of this lager. Everytime I drink one of these gems I keep wondering why I spend so much of time on IPA's and heavy stouts etc. If this beer is available where you live, don't overlook it...

Serving type: can

08-06-2011 06:08:27 | More by bennetj17

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at ?

Poured a clear, copper brown with a thin white head that receded to a patchy layer. Mainly caramel in the aroma, with some musk going on. Slightly toasted malts in the taste, caramel, nuts, slightly earthy, with a little hoppiness coming in afterward. Medium mouthfeel, and fairly drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 15:07:16 | More by Rifugium

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another from the bounty sent by CANquistador woodychandler, a 12 oz'er poured to a pint glass.

Label:
"A traditional Bavarian style Dark Lager, made with Munich, Pils and German Roast malts and a variety of Bavarian hops.
OG 13° Plato, 21 IBUs, Alc. 5.3% by Vol."

A: Deep amber that glows with a reddish fire at its core, a mild haze. Fairly simple carbonation, a few loners that vary in vigor. Barely a head: it starts as fizzing cream, maybe a 1/2 finger, but diminishes to a thin ring and centered blotch in a minute or so. Dots of lace, but nothing sticks.

S: Abundant fragrance: a honeyed cracker, light toast. Flowery, too, a light orange blossom or honeysuckle, apples. Just enough bittering hops tossed in to prevent rampant sweetness.

T: At first sip, the grains are predominant with caramel and bread crust at the forefront. Given another sip or two, a gradual spicing that hints at nutmeg with some apple skins begins to catch up. Good balance, deeper and more interesting as it warms. Finishes with a little tinny/metallic dryness.

M: Bright and crisp, but rather light-bodied and ending very gassy [burp]. Some mild malt stickiness rings the mouth. I do like the growing spice that tingles on the tongue for periods (think 'pop rocks'). Overall, pretty clean and very refreshing.

O: A solid, if not overly remarkable lager that showcases positively the Germanic/Bavarian heritage of the style. Likable enough and quite easy to drink. Nice to be able to try a good, malt-forward lager like this, especially from a CAN. No arm-twisting required for me to have another. If only I had another...

Serving type: can

04-25-2011 05:37:19 | More by msubulldog25

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a can at D's for 2 bucks (with takeout discount)

A - Pours a dark amber brown with a nice inch and a half of head. Carbonation a plenty!

S - Smells of a typical dunkel with caramel and toasted malts and a bit of roast and grain.

T - Nothing really stands out. The grain is kind of harsh and with bread malts and caramel rounding it out making it kind of lackluster. Roast is very moderate if any.

M - Light to medium. Pretty easy drinker

Overall I enjoyed the beer as a single but it still hasn't made me want more (6 pack or case) If I really want a tasty dunkel I would just pick up a Spaten.

Serving type: can

03-27-2011 23:56:41 | More by DrDemento456

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber brown with a good amount of head. Looks fairly pretty. Smells very malty and dunkly. Sme nice lagery yeastiness on the nose as well. Tastes sweet and malt heavy. A hint of yeastiness and some nice light roast. Thick solid mouthfeel and very drinkable

Serving type: can

03-12-2011 02:36:00 | More by Urbancaver

metter98

New York

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is dark amber in color and poured with a finger high creamy beige head that dissipated rather quickly and left some lacing in the center of the glass. A light amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are light aromas of caramel malts in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the nose and has flavors of bready and caramel malts. The initial taste has a slight amount of sweetness while a hint of bitterness is noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, creamy and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer goes down very easily and is very sessionable.

Serving type: can

02-16-2011 00:32:47 | More by metter98

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an interesting medium brown color with a thick tan white head and a fair amount of lacing. Smells of caramel and sweet malts and some toasted bread. Tastes of sweet malts and a little caramel and a mild flavor of hops. Mouthfeel is medium with a mild carbonation. Drinkability is medium and nice.

Serving type: can

02-15-2011 23:00:44 | More by TheKingofWichita

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Can thanks to ChrisPro as part of Blind BIF Round 4. Served in a tulip.

Pours a moderate brown color with a single-finger white head that doesn't stick around very long and does not leave behind much other than a few spots of lacing. The nose is comprised mostly of sweet malt along with a bit of caramel. Some hops in the background. Something quite odd about it. This continues into the taste, which is a bit too sweet without much of anything other than mild hops to carry it through. Body is light with moderate carbonation. Butter starts to come through as it warms. Probably not something I'd drink again, but who doesn't love a good canned beer?

Serving type: can

02-14-2011 21:12:41 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

2.6/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Shared by Mike last night. Thanks! I'm always up for a beer in a can and / or a German lager, both? Sign me up.

Beer served in a snifter. It's brown and slightly hazy with a wispy white head of small bubbles, a few medium to large bubbles, low carbonation and no lacing. Looks OK.

Aroma is where it all goes wrong. The aroma is so sickingly sweet that it is not possible to identify this beer as a lager let alone a dunkel lager. It's caramel and butter. GROSS! I jokingly suggest that it might be a Kvas.

Beer is thin and watery with a sweetness that goes with the aroma. It's not good....I do not enjoy this beer. The taste is slightly better than the aroma which tempted me to just pour it out but my curiosity always wins out. Sly Fox is not winning me over with this thin overly sweet disaster of the a lager. Also there is a strong diacetyl character. I won't have this again.

Serving type: can

02-11-2011 18:09:05 | More by drabmuh

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Clear ruby with a mostly white head that has lasting retention and a good bit of lacing down the glass.

S/T - Hearty, toasted whole grain bread immediately comes to mind. A little caramel sweetness to back it up, with a nice punch of earthy, grassy hops making the finish a bit more bitter than expected.

M - Solid medium body, medium carbonation, super smooth and creamy going down with a clean finish.

D - Perhaps a little on the hoppy side for the style, but it suits my taste well. I'd definitely get this again.

Serving type: can

02-02-2011 23:36:50 | More by garuda

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

While it may not ever be confused for a real good authentic example of this style, Sly Fox's take on the dunkel lager is pretty solid - one of their more straight-ahead, surprisingly un-sugary-smacky-hoppy beers I've tasted.

Poured this into a pils glass and it settled with a slightly hazy orange/pale black tea color and a nice, tall, compact head that laced in thick bands. Smells like dark bread - bold with its grainy, moderately dense malt, and almost nutty somewhere in there, too. The taste is, naturally, malty-malty, with the sweetness taking a light edge over the mellow bitterness - the sweetness having a vague molasses tone to it. It has an almost floral flare toward the back and a yeasty zip to the finish. Nothing harsh or bitey with the feel - in fact, I found it pleasingly somewhat chewy in a (baguette) bread crust fashion. The body be medium-full (3.5/5 on the thick stick) and medium creamy...

This is actually good! So nice, I'd do it twice (and probably will just to double-check some points) and, I feel, arguably representative of the style - just approaching having some characteristic depth...

Serving type: can

01-08-2011 03:19:13 | More by Bouleboubier

dasenebler

Maine

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz. can, best by April 2011.

Pours a nice and clear caramel-amber, though the head and retention leave much to be desired.

Aroma is tangy, nutty and lightly fruity.

Malty, but not heavy. Toasty and nutty malts dominate, lending an almondy flavor. Bit of grassy hops, though the finish is mainly nondescript hop bitterness. Pretty clean, with a touch of minerals; quasi-metallic. Mouthfeel is typical force-carbonation: no rough edges, just uninspiring and a tad watery. Quite the easy drinker though.

Alas, Sly Fox can't brew all the German styles perfectly. The Pils and Weizen were spot on, but this Dunkel falls a bit flat. Decent beer here.

Serving type: can

12-30-2010 03:21:39 | More by dasenebler

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"A traditional Bavarian style Dark Lager, made with Munich, Pils, and German Roast malts, and a variety of Bavarian hops. OG 13 Plato, 21 IBUs, 5.3% by Vol."

In an Einbecker Dunkel glass, because why not, that's why.

And I love the dunkels, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Clear, caramel brown body, slim beige head, gets tight, but stays strong.

Aroma: clean and malty, caramel and toffee, light hops, sweet, rich and getting richer.

Taste: very tidy, minimal hops, good blend of cocoa, caramel and toffee in the malty flavor. Even-tempered, well-balanced, medium-bodied, expertly drinkable. A little mineral, metallic feel, flinty, maybe, but overall a nice, if unimpressive dunkel.
And what's wrong with that, I'd like to know.

Serving type: can

12-25-2010 02:20:13 | More by feloniousmonk

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a deep clear copper, with 1 ½ fingers of foamy off-white head. This retains with a rich ½ finger that leaves back a rich cascade that quickly slides down the sides of the glass and leaves some spotty lacing behind. The aroma is floral and earthy smelling with hops that sit on top of notes of caramel and roast. I'm unfortunately also getting a little bit of a phenolic band-aid off-note here. Nothing overly distracting but it's there.

The taste starts with a splash of caramel and crackers up front, along with a tingle of green hop bitterness. Roast pulls up the back of the profile while hops linger in the finish with an earthy dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a crisp creaminess to it up front. This gets a little more watery and flat feeling though as you near the swallow.

Besides the nose, this was pretty decent but I've had this on draft at the brewpubs and enjoyed it much more then. Maybe this can was a little beyond it's sell by date.

Serving type: can

08-31-2010 16:42:26 | More by Kegatron

bamadog

Kentucky

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to beerman207 for bringing this one back from PA for me to sample. Review is from notes taken on 7/11/10 and poured from the can to a pint glass.

Appearance: Takes a few tries to finish the pour on this one due to the insane head that continues to form; pour is a deep coppery/toffee color; the head (when I finally manage to finish the pour) is just over 3 fingers deep and is light tan and fluffy; the head becomes a little rocky and pockmarked as it slowly fades to a thick, frothy and uneven cap and leaves a web of lacing; body is pretty clear and shows strong and quick carbonation.

Smell: Dry, dusty and grainy; a bit of a sweet maltiness behind the grains; not too bad, but not very potent or rubust.

Taste: The dry dusty grains are right up front, and in the lingering aftertaste there is a toasted sensibility about them; there is a minimal bite of bittering hops hiding out in there along with the slight bit of sweet malts; not bad overall, but the taste is a little "thin" for lack of a better word.

Mouthfeel: Really about what I would expect -- body is fairly light in weight with strong, but not sharp, carbonation to keep it plenty lively; a moist stickiness is left all over the mouth.

Drinkability: Not bad -- a good beer that is flavorful enough to keep you interested, but not overwhelming; the ABV is moderate and that helps as well; I do wish the flavors were a little more fulfilling and robust though.

Serving type: can

07-12-2010 02:59:14 | More by bamadog

GbVDave

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz CAN into a 20oz imperial pint. Special thanks to woodychandler for this from our recent trade!

BY 03/21/10

A: Pours a lovely, dark copper color with one full finger of light tan head on top. Retention was good with some specky lace left behind.

S: Hard to get a big nose out of this but what I did notice was some roasty malt, bread crust, and lemon-y perfumed hops.

T: Much like above but everything was more apparent and less transparent!

M: Dry, roasty, and prickly. Excellent peppery layer coated the tongue.

D: A great BMC gateway brew. Another CAN past its' labeled prime, but tasting very fresh.

Serving type: can

06-26-2010 17:23:58 | More by GbVDave

fropones

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Pours a nice dark caramel brown with a huge 3 finger khaki head with some nice lace.

S - Some nice earthy tones here with some noble hops.

T - Toasted malt character in here as well as well as a nice nutty flavor mixed in with some hop flavor as well.

M - Medium carbonation, medium body, a bit of creaminess to it.

D - Very drinkable and refreshing. Surprising for a dunkel lager how nice it is. This may have restored my faith in lagers.

Serving type: can

04-08-2010 01:05:10 | More by fropones

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Medium amber liquid topped with a thin off white head. Head fades quickly and leaves no lace on the glass.

S- Malt and caramel sweetness, faint notes of grassy hops.

T- Malty and sweet at first. Some candied fruit in the middle and a mild note of hops at the end. Finish is clean and dry, very refreshing.

M- Medium in body and decent carbonation, somewhat fizzy in the mouth.

D- Easy drinker and at 5.3% ABV it could be a decent candidate for a session beer, it's a little too sweet for it to be one of mine though.

One of the first beer I've had of this style, going to have to check out a few more.

Serving type: can

03-30-2010 04:43:23 | More by ToddT