Penn Dark - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.16/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type -Bottle

Appearance - Dark ruby tan/brown, 1/8 inch head with some lacing.

Smell - Dark fruits, malts, sugars, a little cocoa/chocolate note along with some pale lager malts and yeasts.

Taste - Dark fruits mixed with lager malts, yeasts and chococlate at first sip. Nice combo of roasty, sweet and bitter. Hops add a nice bitter/piney flavor, not at all overpowering though. Pale malts really shine at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Malts and chocolate really coat tounge first, with yeasts and hops coming in on the palate. The aftertaste is malty, chocolate and yeasty sweet.

Overall - Great beer, balanced well, low alcohol and easy to drink. Combine that with a very affordible price , and year round avaiblity, this is a local winner for sure. One of the better dunkels out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 23:06:27 | More by wvsabbath

Sweepz189

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Small back story: I've lived near Pittsburgh for almost 20 years now. A friend of mine recently said she was moving and it is near the Penn Brewery. I laughed, thinking they probably made Stoney's Beer or something horrible or cheap. I was horribly wrong, and I apologize. So today I figured I'd try my first ever Penn Brewing Co. beer. The distributor had a few variants, all priced differently (not sure why). I asked the guy working if he ever had anything they made and he said the Weizen is good, but I was in the mood for something darker. So I shelled out 30 bucks for some Penn Dark. They had the Porter, which I almost got, but it was a few dollars more and let's just say money is tight right now.

A: I will say this almost every time I write a review, but I prefer to drink from bottles and I almost exclusively buy/drink beer in 24-bottle (12oz. bottle) cases from the distributor. No more bars for me. So my point is, I'm judging appearance by looking through a brown bottle. You know what I think? It's dark. Hence the name. Not a lot of foam, though.

S: I do smell new beers before tasting, so I can judge without bias from my taste buds. First impression was a little unsure; it's very strong-smelling, lot of chocolate, and a bit of alcohol. I was afraid I had got something that was good, but not easily drinkable. One of those "once in a while" beers.

T: Fortunately, I was wrong. It has a light, crispy chocolate and bitter flavor. Very easily drinkable. Not an overpowering alcoholic taste, it's hidden quite well behind the mild burnt-cherry flavor. The after taste is very bitter, like after eating a bar of dark chocolate.

M: The carbonation is about medium; not too heavy that you're feeling full after a sip, but not too light that it feels like bubbly water in your mouth. It also has a nice sting on the tip of the tongue as it washes over the rest of your mouth, coating it with the numbing sensation of alcohol!

O: I would certainly buy this beer again, and it indeed breaks my heart that it barely exceeds what I prefer to spend on a case of beer. Otherwise, I'd have a new regular to replace my standard Yeungling Black and Tan or Porter. This would be on the lines of Black and Tan, but it's just a way better craft in every facet. It's easy to drink, ABV is reasonable for a session beer (a bit high, but where's the fun in 3%?), and of course it tastes amazing. Not a new favorite, but very close. I know now what I'm getting in a week or so when I go to buy more beer: Penn Porter.

EDIT: Re-worded the part about how I buy beer by the case. I previously said "24.oz cases" which doesn't make sense. Proofread your reviews before submitting lol.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:07:29 | More by Sweepz189

daliandragon

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Anything with a valkerie is usually a good bet anyway, plus its a good time of year for German style lager in general. Pours darker brown than I expected, nearly black, with a creamy cap but not much else visible. Nose surprises as well with heaps of roasted malts and caramel, chocolate, and bread tones.

Smooth in texture and medium in body, with a silky finish. Not swimming in flavor, but enough flavor to justify the style. I get mostly dry, dark chocolate and
a satisfying nuttiness. Noble malts make a late appearance as this beer warms that adds solid balance and complexity. A lot to like here if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 00:30:51 | More by daliandragon

wattoclone

Pennsylvania

3.11/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

My son who lives in Pittsburgh and knows my love for dark beer bought me a case of this for Christmas last year at the Penn Brewery. I used to be able to find it in my local distributors near Philly but since 2008 it has disappeared. The Penn Dark I used to purchase locally prior to 2009 was somewhat richer in flavor and aroma, but the 2012 version was definitely fresher which is important for this style.

This review is based on the newer 2012 batch. It pours a medium brown with light tan head that persists during the session. Aroma is sweet malt with aromatic notes of vanilla. The taste is a quick burst of roasted malt and hints of vanilla with a rather polite short lived bitter after note. I still like it slightly better than the locally available dunkel from Sly Fox but not enough to drive for 5 hours.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 14:48:25 | More by wattoclone

grittybrews

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark, nutty brown with a ruby tinge and a finger of light khaki head. Aroma of caramel and light toast.

Moderate carbonation and a crispy, light mouthfeel. Roasty chocolate, toast, and toffee up front followed by a hint of dark fruit and just a little roasty bitterness on the tail end.

Clean and easy-drinking. Nice malty flavor without being too heavy.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 03:23:08 | More by grittybrews

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark chocolatey brown in color with amber hues and a deep chill haze to start. Poured with a rich off-white foam that reduced to a thick cap that left sheets of sticky lacings on the glass. A mellow, pleasant combination of roasted, chocolate and toasted malt. Thick, but delicate malty feel. Roasted and chocolate malt flavors up front and into the middle. Moderate bitter hop flavors are introduced in the middle and intensify toward the end only to taper out at the finish. Finishes with a delicate roasted malt aftertaste. A fabulous dunkel!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 16:31:47 | More by IronLover

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a very thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains light roasted malts, lager yeast and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with flavors of lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy roasted malt character. Then a very mild sweetness from flavors of chocolate and caramel come in. The hops presence is also mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 01:14:49 | More by TheManiacalOne

mountdew1

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner. Color was a nice medium dark brown that was partially transparent. Had a nice 2 finger cream head that faded to 1/4 inch after a few minutes. Aroma was interesting. Had hints of fruity sweet, as well as sweet grainy bread. Kinda like orange flavored oatmeal bread. Flavor carried over the slightly sweet fruity flavorbefore shifting to a malty note, and then finishing with just a tad of bitterness. Was a bit thin and watery. Carbonated well, but just seemed too thin. Overall a good beer. Nice subtlety throughout.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 22:22:34 | More by mountdew1

claytri

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured a rich brown with a tan head. The aroma was of dark malt and a hint of cherries. The taste was toasted malt with a coffee middle and a cherry finish,and all with a wonderful smokey undertone. The feel is medium and dry. I really like this beer. Sort of like throwing my best pitch and they caught it in the wheelhouse.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:29:50 | More by claytri

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into tulip. no bottled on date.

A: dark brown, but by no means opaque. off-white brown-ish tight bubbled head looks good. good retention and lacing.

S: banana split. chocolate sauce on top. sweet, a little fruity, and definitely chocolatey.

T: tobacco leaves. chocolate. dry cocoa powder into the finish. a certain chocolate/banana flavor as well. chalky.

M: average/moderate mouthfeel on a light/medium body.

D: another solid lager offering from penn brewing co. out of pittsburgh, pa. good flavor on a really drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 10:26:42 | More by Jimmys

schoolboy

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Well, it is dark and well crafted, with no glaring flaws. No funkiness of any kind, but also not a ton of character.
slight.

The head is pretty thin. The aroma has a slight hint of roasted flavor - very slight. It gets better with warmth as you would expect for the style.

Although this brew is very drinkable, I don't think I will seek it out and I would recommend getting actual German versions of this (they often are just as low priced if not even lower).

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 23:18:57 | More by schoolboy

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Drop Off Service in New York, NY

A: Pours a very dark reddish brown with light hints of dark amber when held up to the light. The beer has a thin beige head that reduces to a ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant lacing is observed.

S: Overall a pretty light smelling beer with hints of roasted malts, smoke, and a little caramel sweetness.

T: A malty sweetness that is not unlike flavored pancake syrups (not real maple) with lots of caramel notes and some hints of nuts. There are also some roasted malts and a very light bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Really easy to drink and very refreshing on a beautiful spring day here in NYC. Definitely an easy drinking session beer and one I would certainly get again. Very true to the style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2012 14:06:11 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Drop Off Service, New York, NY

A: The beer is extremely dark brownish amber in color. It poured with a thin creamy off white head that died down but left a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of dark malts in the nose along with some syrupy sweetness.
T: The overall taste is quite malty and has flavors of dark malts along with hints of malty sweetness, nuts, roasted malts and syrup. There is a very slight amount of sweetness but the underlying hops prevent this from being cloying.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very drinkable and sessionable, especially given all of the malty flavors. I could easily drink this beer all night long.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2012 01:42:32 | More by metter98

ONUMello

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Dark brown with a 1.5 finger head that lingers
S: Toasted nuts and roasted malts. Caramel. Smooth and pleasant.
T: The flavors are light but nice, with toasted nuts/roasted malts come through here as well.
M: Somewhat thinner than I expected; light and smooth
O: A bit lighter than I personally enjoy, but it seems that's typical of the style. I can't say I've had a lot of experience with Munich Dunkels; I will have to search out more to do a comparison.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 20:11:22 | More by ONUMello

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.55/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an A-B flute on 2/3/12

Pretty dark beer; it's a medium shade of ruby and brown with some rusty highlights. One and a half finger head drops quickly to a much thinner but even layer. Some lace, but not much.

Aromas of ground dark grains, bitter cocoa with a hint of roast and dried bread. Overtones of raisin sweetness and reduced dark fruit sugars. A fine layer of yeast lingers underneath. The raisin and fruit translate to the palate but whereas it was sweet in the nose it takes more of a tangy bent, clashing with nippy roasted grain notes. The finish has a musty earthiness and a wash of stale, bitter coffee. Thin body with over-reaching carbonation. The finish also has an unpleasant coating feel.

Penn Dark just isn't doing it for me. Maybe a sub-par bottle? Old bottle? I dunno, but I have a hard time believing this is as the beer was intended. I'll pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:22:24 | More by Ryan011235

hunkler

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pint draught.

Appearance - Light tan head that last for the first 5 minutes. Lacing throughout every taste. Dark mahogany, almost black with dark purplish-red hues.

Smell - Clean. no off scent. Slight nutty and toasty smells.

Taste - Delicious.

Mouthfeel - Light like a lager. Not over carbed but well-balanced carbinated.

overall - Superb for a dunkle. Sweet nose with some nutty/chocolaty tones. Malty with some hop bitterness for balance. Very drinkable and not heavy.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 00:47:30 | More by hunkler

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark, dark brown beer with a thin, foamy head. Aromas of toasted chocolate and coffee. Malted chocolate and mild coffee flavor with hints of caramel. The caramel becomes more pronounced as the lager warms. This is a really enjoyable example of a dark lager; it's almost a dessert.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 22:30:21 | More by keeganfrank

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark brown with amber hues. A finger of head slowly recedes wo a thin ring.

S: Lots of dark fruits with a hint of caramel. Slight vinegar smell that I am used to getting with sweeter lagers.

T: The slight vinegar aroma I got is much stronger in the flavor. There is also a metallic flavor that I find distracting. Behind all of this, I get prunes and breadiness that is quite pleasant.

M: Medium to thin bodied with good carbonation.

O: There are some off flavors that I find distracting. Behind all of this, there is a good balance between dark fruits and breadiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:41:44 | More by coreyfmcdonald

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Penn Brewery restaurant.

A - Pours a very dark brown almost black with a half inch of mocha colored head. Very similar to the black IPA.

S - Light roasted malts, touch of bread, maybe a bit of raisin, and a good bit of almonds.

T - Transitions pretty well maybe not as much nut or fruit flavors but a good bit of roast and bread with a touch of buttery flavor which leans more toward lager.

M - Light to medium I found it very easy to drink.

Overall the best beer I had of the night. It was light, good flavor, and went well with my meal. If ever there again I could see myself ordering a couple.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 02:29:04 | More by DrDemento456

mdfb79

New York

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From 12/18/11 notes. Shared by namnn08; thanks Nate. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my Bell's tulip.

a - Pours a dark mahogany brown color with one inch of off white and moderate carbonation evident. No real head retention or lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of nuts, bready malts, toasted malts, burnt malts, and roasted malts.

t - Tastes of bready malts, rye, toasted malts, burnt malts, light roasted malts, light spice, and nuts. A tiny bit spicey, a step down from the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. A touch undercarbonated.

o - Overall a pretty decent Dunkel. Nothing mind belowing but a nice malty nose and pretty easy to drink. A little spice in the taste. Would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 20:29:23 | More by mdfb79

claytong

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

appearance - good small head with great retention, sticking well as well. black that thins into a deep red pretty easily with light.

smell - not my favorite but for the style its nice. simple roasted malts, bubblegum and soda (not intense like a farmhouse but more subtle. roast

taste - very light but follows the nose. highly drinkable.

mouthfeel - thin, well carbonated but not overly so. very drinkable.

overall - good for the style but isnt something id search out

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 08:46:13 | More by claytong

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of mgbickel, thanks Mike! Pours a dark brown color with a creamy tan head. Decent retention and lacing.

Smells very nice, chocolate and mildly roasted malt with a smattering of brown bread and hazelnuts.

Taste is simple, chocolate drizzled roasted nuts. Straight-forward and never gets overly roasty-astringent or sweet. Perfectly balanced lager and really is nice. This is probably the best domestic dunkel I have ever had, right up there with Franconia. Man...I would kill to have this available locally, I could drink it all day. Love me a good dunkel!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 19:43:33 | More by twiggamortis420

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- very nice superdark brown w mahogany and blaze orange highlights. Tan colored head is sticky and German looking and I can tell this is gonna be good.

S- deeply roasted malts, coffee and cocoa with a touch of smoke. Somewhat herbal hop aroma lingers in the back. Leather, wood, soil, rock and mineral. Chocolate cake.

T- tastes just like it smells along with mineral water crispness. Beefy and toasty roasty on the palate, malt sweetness is held in check making this a nice savory brew. Hints of date and fig fruity tartness are tied in with the malt but are gone by time I reach the earthy woodsy finish.

MF- Soft and well carbonated, and just about medium bodied. Roasted feel on the cheeks and tongue.

D- was this made in Germany? Penn brewing nails the style this time with a great flavored, easy drinking dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 03:30:02 | More by hustlesworth

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: 3/4 inch head, dark-reddish brown in color, clear, high carbonation

Smell: dark wheat and toasted malt

Taste: big dark wheat, pumpernickel, some toasted malt, and light hops at the end.

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, light bodied, moderately sweet with a slightly bitter end

Overall: A nice bready beer. I do not find this one boundary pushing, but rather in the very solid category. I could have several of these, but this is also not the first beer I would reach for.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 13:17:15 | More by tigg924

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a big head that is tight and creamy. Settles slightly. Dark body that is mahogany in color.
S) Roasted grain. Subtle hints of chocolate and coffee.
T) Sweet roasted notes. Milky. Rich with a full flavor. Hints of dark tree fruit.
M) Medium body. Fairly smooth. Clean finish.
O) A pleasant brew. I would definitely have another.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 00:13:59 | More by u2carew