Dark Lager - Durango Brewing

ZenAgnostic

Texas

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

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. No stamped date.

Appearance - One finger offwhite/tan head with good stick and decent retention. Dark ruby brown body.

Smell - Coffee and chocolate. Somewhat lactic. Very smooth.

Taste - Very smooth. Light coffee and some balancing roasted maltiness. A bit acidic.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and somewhat creamy. Light to medium bodied with a lighter finish. Faint astringency.

Overall Drinkability - No off characters. Somewhat refreshing. Decent as an entry level tasting brew, and good for a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 20:43:41 | More by ZenAgnostic

beergoot

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a nice dark brown color complete with a rich, creamy head. Caramel sweetness in the nose with hints of roasted grain, vanilla, and molasses. The taste follows along with the aroma with the addition of light cocoa. Mouthfeel is smooth, sweet, and rich.

A very smooth and delightful dark lager, packed with rich flavors and creamy mouthfeel. Nicely complex and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:18:07 | More by beergoot

firstlighthiker

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-17-2013 05:42:03 | More by firstlighthiker

MichaelBuck

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%

12-13-2012 04:41:09 | More by MichaelBuck

scruffwhor

Illinois

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer took forever to pour from a 12 oz. bottle. Holy head foam! Once the khaki colored head subsided, it leaves a nice foamy head for the remainder of the twelve ounces. Color is cola brown with hints of garnet.

Roasty malt aroma with a hint of cocoa powder. Smells inviting and tasty.

A little chocolate and plenty of roasted and toasted malt flavors. There's a bloody, metallic finish though. Luckily it's quick. The palate is a little tinny as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 18:01:33 | More by scruffwhor

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Here's a no-context quote for ya: "I love you, Ian Holm." Yup. So, this stuff pours a clear garnet topped by a finger of glowing off-cream foam. The nose comprises watered-down coffee, light maple syrup, and the lightest possible touch of toast. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a bit of hard water that somehow seriously detracts from everything else. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly fluid feel. Overall, an alright little dark lager, but nothing I would ever really reach for with any enthusiasm.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 08:45:55 | More by TMoney2591

kylemckinnis

Oregon

2.75/5  rDev -24%

11-15-2012 04:27:16 | More by kylemckinnis

ruckus232

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%

10-31-2012 00:51:13 | More by ruckus232

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.23/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: This beer is mostly dark cola black with a tint of brown coming
through the edges when held up to the light.A chunky, frothy cream sea-foam head
hangs around for a few minutes, then recedes to a wisp of teeny bubbles, but
leaving bigger bubbles on the edges. And let’s not forget it leaves a world map
of lacing -- I’m seeing whole continents of foam on my glass. Score.

Aroma: The aroma is solid with some faint chocolate and cocoa-esque notes
hitting my nose first, but a little deeper in I’m getting more pine and hops.
It’s allergy season, and my city is the Second worst place to live at this time,
so the fact that I’m picking up aroma at all is a blessed sign.

Taste: The taste follows the aroma pretty well here. But it’s even better than
the aroma. Dark roasted malts, subtle, bitter chocolate, and some faint
sweetness hit my taste buds first. On the back end, I’m getting a drier, bitter
hop presence. The roasted, chocolate beginning combines with the hoppy bite
finish to perfection. This is what “well balanced” means in the beer world.

The mouthfeel is light to medium in body, very smooth.

Overall, an excellent dunkel-style beer in my opinion. Delicious and complex.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 02:31:39 | More by JuicesFlowing

Kubrickx

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.5%

09-30-2012 02:30:58 | More by Kubrickx

MaximalC

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky, muddy brown color with what is quite possibly the most mammoth mocha head I've ever seen. Honestly, the craggy foam on this thing morphed and swelled with preternatural vitality, and I didn't even pour it that hard...

The aroma is of molasses and dark fruit, with some alcohol and perhaps the faintest hint of chocolate. The smell is fairly mild, but pleasant and suitable for the style. The flavor has an indefinable roasted malt character, sweet and slightly acrid, but not possessed of any especially distinguishing elements, at least not at initially cooler temperatures. Traces of milk chocolate can be found if you look for them, though they're not prominent, and some hops begin to creep into the finish as the beer warms. I suspect the excessive carbonation may be skewing my perception of the component flavors some. With that said, this dark lager is highly drinkable, with a palatable malt backbone that is never cloying. The carbonation may be over the top, especially for the style, but that is the only glaring detractor I can find. Then again, I'm fairly easily pleased by dark lagers, so take that for what it's worth.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:24:37 | More by MaximalC

binx

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

05-15-2012 16:08:29 | More by binx

crobinso

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-25-2012 15:08:10 | More by crobinso

LJWalker

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

02-06-2012 21:28:05 | More by LJWalker

poppyjohn

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

01-21-2012 22:46:21 | More by poppyjohn

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Excellent color. Very, very dark, even for this style. Could pass as a porter. Decent layer of foam and nice lacing.

Smell: Chocolate/coffee. Pretty standard. But pretty good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Extremely creamy mouthfeel to match the caramel nuttiness that prevails here. Coffee and chocolate provide a nice background.

Overall Drinkability: Excellent beer. A real surprise.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2012 05:08:39 | More by tjsdomer2

Tone

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark brown color. 1/2 inch head of an off-tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of pale malt, slight wheat, hint of sweet malt, hint of hops, and a hint of roasted malt. Fits the style of a Munich Dunkel Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of hint of roasted malt, sweet malt, hint of pale malt, hint of hop, and slight wheat. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 23:24:08 | More by Tone

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.5%

01-03-2012 02:18:56 | More by Jason

mactrail

California

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

Kind of a dark soup, more like a brown ale. Taste like bread with a little bitterness at the end. Somewhat tangy, and quite carbonated on the tongue. Touch of caramel with some roast malt in the nose. Some hint of chocolate as it warms.

Rather grainy and plain, whatever the style. Starts with some tartness and fizz, leaves just a hint of sweet malt, and ends with dark roast flavors and a kiss of hops. Plenty drinkable if uninspired.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:37:15 | More by mactrail

rab53

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%

12-01-2011 05:37:45 | More by rab53

TheSquire23

Colorado

4/5  rDev +10.5%

11-28-2011 01:49:12 | More by TheSquire23

ubermick

California

2.58/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle poured into a goblet.

A: Deep brown, almost black, with a nice head which dissipated after a short while.

S: Somewhat roasty, very sweet smelling

T: Significant burnt taste, mild hop bitterness, not pleasing at all.

M: Somewhat thin and watery.

O: On the overall, doesn't taste like a dark lager at all, more like a (not that great) English pale ale with a chunk of roasted barley in there for colour. Disappointing beer, with many better examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 23:48:41 | More by ubermick

LittleDon

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Probably left this one waiting around too long. Very similar to what I remembered on draft, with the exceptions that the feel is a bit softer and head retention is poor. Wonderful cocoa aroma and taste. Could stand to use a bit more hopping. Medium to medium light body.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 22:54:20 | More by LittleDon

emmasdad

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up as part of a mixed six pack. Poured from the bottle a clear dark brown with a lingering ring of tan foam. Aromas of dark chocolate, caramel and a little coffee/vanilla. On the palate, light bodied and crisp, with a light roastiness, dark chocolate and caramel.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 05:22:37 | More by emmasdad

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle into a pint glass. This brew appears a hazed dark amber to ruby color with a bit of sediment that looks like coffee grounds hanging out in the bottom of the glass and lighter colored particles stuck floating in suspension. Careless on my part but I thought this was a filtered brew. The head appears with less than a finger of khaki color foam that quickly dissolves. A few swirls revive the head but it receeds just as quickly leaving a bit of patchy lace on the glass.

The aroma of this brew is dark caramelized sugar with some roasted indications of chocolate and maybe a touch of coffee. The hops are a bit floral smelling which compliments the overall fruity sweet nose to this brew.

The taste is roasted malt tasting of a lightly bitter chocolate flavor meets coffee and a touch of alcohol. The bitterness of this brew is a combination of roastiness from the grain and hops which is pleasant in the way it offsets how sweet tasting I expected this to be based off of the nose. This brew leaves a lingering taste of roasted malt that is borderline nutty flavored coupled with coffee. The alcohol presence is noticeable for less than 6% with a bit of warmth to the back of the throat.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a moderately low level of carbonation. It is fairly crisp and overall isn't bad. It isn't something I would order if it was on a menu but it was worth giving a try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 22:37:38 | More by stakem