Ettaler Kloster Dunkel - Klosterbrauerei Ettal / Ettaler Klosterbetriebe GmbH

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Solid auburn with a dark umber glow. Medium and compact light tan foam. Lace sticks in skimpy strings but keeps a solid skim and collar the entire session.

Aroma is pretty solid with light roasty malting and nutty breads. A bit toasty and drizzled with caramel; always dry yet sweetly sided with the bread tone.

Taste is about the same as what the smell eludes to which stands among a good caramel, nutty bread tone with dustings of cocoa, wood, and drying nuttyness and pretzeled breadings.

Fluffy and firm carbonation thats clean and gripping to the point of good natured drinking. Medium body with a solid finish of nuts, toasty breadyness, and a light mineral spicey woodish hop thing.

A very solid beer. Munich malts make the bread tones evident and the extra darker toasty nuttyness gives it an almost porter-esk character. Quite a nice treat. Spendy though.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2005 01:30:47 | More by tavernjef

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bronze-like brown that becomes fiery red-orange when backlit with morning sun. The large cap of beige foam looks good immediately after the pour and as it deflates. It lasts longer than expected and deposits a surprising amount of bubble bath-like lace. A clean, refined look.

The nose is clean as well. In fact, it's too clean and could use a bit more personality. Dark caramel-toffee is central, with a wee whiff of earthy hops on the periphery.

Kloster Dunkel is a good, light, dark beer. It isn't explosive on the palate, but makes one work a little bit to appreciate its nuances. The malt load is acceptable for the style and contributes flavors such as cocoa powder, dark caramel and toasted walnuts. A mineral-like hard water character is noted as well.

The beer becomes more approachable with time and warming. I would suggest drinking it barely cool, drinking it prior to any bigger styles and avoiding food in order to appreciate it fully. The mouthfeel is light and airy, which is probably exactly where it should be for the style.

Ettaler Kolster Dunkel is good beer if given a chance. It's the antithesis of big beer, but calling it little beer is an undeserved slight. There can't be too many versions out there that are superior to this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2005 15:41:07 | More by BuckeyeNation

Frozensoul327

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured out to more of a amber red, than a dark brown. Short lived head resulted in a thin layer of foam after a few moments. Minor lacing around the glass. Medium carbonation. Aromas of, well, not much. Traces of sweet malt and light hops were noted. Woulda been a helluva lot better if i didn't have to struggle to get some type of smell. Flavor was a nice pick-up point area for this brew. Notes of un-sweet caramel, medium malt and some smoke-like spice was also noted toward the finish, albeit weak. Nice mouthfeel, very crisp and refreshing. This could be a nice place to start for those looking for a gateway into German Dark Beers. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2005 02:21:56 | More by Frozensoul327

RoyalT

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – This MDL is a dark brown in color with a light orangish hue. The head is unsurprisingly modest.

Smell – The malt aroma here is light but shows complexity. The toasted grain and caramel stand out proudly. I can also pick up some molasses and maybe some sort of dark refined sugar.

Taste – The malts really pick up the pace at the tongue. All of the characteristics from the nose come out 3X at the taste. There is a big toasted flavor here that struts some bitterness and a nice, bready character throughout.

Mouthfeel – This Dunkel Lager is almost light in the body with some light carbonation and a bittersweet finish.

Drinkability – This was an enjoyable and credible example of the MDL style.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2005 02:00:43 | More by RoyalT

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I actually had this on tap a few nights ago, and now I am enjoying the bottle version (I'll have to add the tap version at some point). Nice chocolate color, the 1/2 inch head left pretty quick. I am picking up some rich malt, actually almost a low vinous and pleasant note in there as well. Drinking this is like eating a hearty dark bread, although the mouthfeel is actually rather light. The carbonation is also rather modest. Nice hint of milk chocolate in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2005 23:07:16 | More by PatandDavid

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ettaler's Kloster Dunkel pours a clear mahogany body with a reddish cast that's topped by a creamy head of light-tan that holds well and leaves some nice lace about the glass.

The nose delivers some caramelish, toasty, chocolatey, and lightly roasty malts with just a background air of floral and grassy hops.

In the mouth it's delicately brisk, and then somewhat creamy as it warms.

The flavor offers a bready, lightly toffeeish malt that has an edge of mildly acidic, dark-kilned-malt character. It's laced with floral and spicy hops, and balanced by a solid bitterness.

It finishes dry, with a flash of toffee that's followed by a note of mild, bitter, dark chocolate; raspy, grassy hops; and a long-lingering, dull bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2005 02:14:44 | More by NeroFiddled

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The Ettaler Kloster Dunkel pours carefully into my Franz Joseph Jubelbier glass a deep brown cola color with hints of red and active carbonation. A small bubbly head emerges atop the brew and lingers. Nice. Aromas of toasted grains marinated in caramel along with an underlying cocoa powder. Touch of raisin as well.

First sip brings a toasted bread maltiness that's coated in caramel tones. Light cocoa flavors mix with some raisins and nuts. Slightly astringent herbal hops on the back of the palate. Burnt brown sugar sweetness. An enjoyable dunkel with good balance.

Mouthfeel features a creamy, medium body with a mellow carbonation that makes this an easy drinking beer. The bottle is almost empty and I could easily drink another. Not an incredible brew..but tasty, refreshing and drinkable. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2005 04:00:10 | More by orbitalr0x