Gösser Dark - Brau Union Österreich AG

AmberMan22

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this on tap as well (Black Forest Inn), and I can say it's even better.

I initially made the mistake of thinking this was a Euro Dark lager, which made me drop a couple scores a notch, because I hold Germany to a higher standard than the rest of Europe -- but that doesn't take away from this being a delicious dark beer that really isn't too heavy.

A: A solidly dark earthen color with crimson highlights. A creme colored head actually manages some decent retention and a few scraps of lace.

S/T: toasty, bready, sweet. Roasted and caramel malts blend perfectly together with enough of a hop undertone to provide a bit of balance.

M/D: Gösser is substantial enough to give a nice mouthfeel to it, but doesn't come off as thick or especially heavy. Makes for an easily sessionable beer, especially with the 4.5% ABV.

Definitely a winner in my book, I'll continue to look for it.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 20:30:23 | More by AmberMan22

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light tan, one finger-head that goes slowly leaving a good lace. Deep amber color. Light carbonation. Medium bodied. Nose is malty. Starts sweet, has a plum flavor finishes smooth and mellow. Nice dark beer. $1.75 for a green 12oz bottle from Liquor Barn Lexington, KY.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 22:10:03 | More by jdhilt

pin

Australia

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

05-22-2013 01:07:16 | More by pin

Matak3

Serbia

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

05-17-2013 00:00:57 | More by Matak3

harpus

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

03-20-2013 18:44:44 | More by harpus

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Brown pour, some red edges to it, not dense at all, thin flimsy cola looking head with large bubbles that became tiny and didn't really create "head" as we typically see with beer. It looks cooler when you hold it up to light than it does when you actually pour it into a glass. Mild grain and cocao powder aroma, some skunkiness, but not as much as I was hoping for (I like my lager's skunky).

Taste had a mildew like coffee and mild roasting to it. Still some of that cocao powder. Everything that was good about the beer was very mild, but the less than positive flavors seemed a little more dominant. Other than the roasty bitterness, there wasn't much to it, which can be a good thing depending on your perspective. Its a fairly simple and clean beer that offers a little more than an adjunct lager, that's for sure.

Ultimately for me, it can't be a repeat purchase as it was a little watery, and the bitterness combined with the lager yeast flavor profile just didn't have enough malt to carry it to a happy place.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 18:07:43 | More by Beerandraiderfan

KJabo

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

02-05-2013 17:32:21 | More by KJabo

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

11-12-2012 01:43:46 | More by t0rin0

gshoes3

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.6%

11-10-2012 02:51:02 | More by gshoes3

Kopfmeister60

Florida

4/5  rDev +9.6%

09-21-2012 16:31:47 | More by Kopfmeister60

smi

New York

2/5  rDev -45.2%

04-06-2012 22:51:30 | More by smi

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of a mixed 6 pack I bought...3 of these are in it.

It pours a dark brown with a small off white head of foam and leaves some nice lacing.

There's loads of caramel malt and some roast and grain in the nose. Being Austrian born, I know it smells very...Austrian.

There are nice caramel malt notes in the taste as well. Grain and hints of chocolate follow with an ever so slight bitterness. Nice sweetish finish. All around, a very good Dark Lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 18:35:31 | More by Bitterbill

Giantspace

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

01-13-2012 06:06:20 | More by Giantspace

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +9.6%

12-08-2011 19:49:11 | More by Rochefort10nh

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Chocolatey brown with red highlights. Head is eggshell in color and lasts pretty well. A couple wisps of lacing.
S- Smell is lacking for me. Pretty clean with just a faint cocoa element.
T- The taste is a big improvement. It's initially clean, with some light sweetness. Finish is cocoa and a bit earthy.
M- Medium-full body. Carbonation is initially prickly, but smoothes out. Approaches creamy even. Finishes dry.
O- A case of a beer being better than the sum of it's parts. I would drink these over the course of the night. Tasty and simple.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 23:56:56 | More by jsprain1

Berecki

Croatia (Hrvatska)

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From 0.5 L bottle into a stein.
Pours dark browh with rich foam head.
Smells of malt and caramel, not too strong.
Tastes fruity and maltysweet with a refreshing hint of sourness.
Fine aftertaste, smooth feeling, low carbonation.
Overall a very fine dark beer to be searched for again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 14:33:21 | More by Berecki

scoobybrew

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - clear dark ruby color with a nice head and decent retention, leaves a nice lacing

S - sweet malt aroma with a touch of toast, hops absent

T - much like aroma, rich sweet malt with a slightly toasted flavor; clean lager character - no esters or phenols

M - medium-light body, moderately high carbonation

O - Overall this is a decent session beer, but more of a dark American lager than a Munich Dunkel. It lacks some richness and malt complexity of the Munich style, while seems to fit perfectly within the Dark American.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 23:11:06 | More by scoobybrew

PeprSprYoFace

California

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaker pint. Pours a deep deep garnet red. When held up to the light. Slight black tones to it. Thin light tan head. Slight lacing.

Aroma is lagerish with a bit of caramel and slight roast. Bit of chocolate.

Taste is similar. Mostly caramel malt with a lager pils taste and slight bit of that porter type chocolate flavor.

Mouthfeel is very smooth with lighter carb.

Overall a tasty dunkel. Would have again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 01:23:20 | More by PeprSprYoFace

CHickman

New York

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours chestnut brown with a foamy/frothy 2 finger light tan head that faded slowly, leaving good spotty foamy lacing. The head had a ton of tiny bubbles in it.

Smells of roasted malt, toasted grains, cocoa powder, coffee, toffee, roasted nuts, caramel or syrup, wet bread, and earthy notes like grass, hay and possibly some light floral hops. There might even be some yeast in the mix, but the roasted aroma dominates and doesn’t allow much else through.

Tastes of roasted malt, coffee, toffee, toasted grains, cocoa powder, roasted nuts, caramel, syrup like Coke, wet bread, brown sugar, yeast, grass, hay and some light floral hops that help this trail off bitter, like a Starbuck’s coffee. The roasted flavor is sweet and still almost burnt, and this is a very malt heavy beer that lacks balance but still tastes good and fits the Munich Dunkel Lager description.

Mouthfeel is creamy, slick and bordering on watery, with light carbonation, a light body and an overall lightness that’s just a tad bit too bitter to consider crisp. This is a gem for any malty beer fans out there, and even though it went down easy it would not be a session beer for me. A good beer overall, and true to its style, just not the type of beer I would have all night.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 03:20:03 | More by CHickman

metter98

New York

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear dark amber in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a two finger high beige head.
S: The smell is quite nutty and has aromas of caramel and toasted malts.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has a mild amount of sweetness, which isn't cloying because it is balanced by the underlying hops.
M: It feels light-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer goes down very easily and its low alcohol content makes it quite sessionable. I could drink these all night long.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 02:04:20 | More by metter98

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. German front label ("Good, better, Gosser" - ha!), and an Italian back label, shipped to western Canada. Those wacky Europeans!

This beer pours a clear, very dark reddish brown colour, with two fingers of dense foamy pale beige head, which leaves a broken wall of lace around the glass upon its demise. It smells of light roasted malt, and earthy, weedy hops. The taste is toasty caramel malt, a bit of crisp biscuit, some mild oily nuttiness, and floral, earthy hops. The carbonation is moderate, the body medium in weight, and fairly smooth. It finishes off-dry, the soft roasted grain and mild floral hops lingering.

A decent dark Euro lager, well balanced and an easy way to sip away the remainder of Christmas Day 2010...

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 07:22:55 | More by biboergosum

bark

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The smell is malty and roasted, almost dry: Coffee with cream, some nuts and a distinct note of dark rye bread. Some light bitter hints in the background.

The colour is dark warm brown, the liquid is clear. The finger thick head is beige and compact. Very little lacing occurs.

The taste is dry and refreshing with a lot of rye bread and sweet notes of nuts and toffee. The aftertaste is a bit dry with clean bitter flavours, a hint of cookie dough and some dark-malt-sourness.

The carbonation is medium strong; the small bubbles are very fresh. The liquid is light.

I found this Dunkel drier and more refreshing than many others. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 19:43:44 | More by bark

shambeano

Australia

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark cola colour, with about an inch of head that subsides kinda quick.

S- a bit yeasty with some roastiness.. not too much going on though.

T- Upfront some sweet malts, little bit of dark fruit, plum and perhaps sultana. finish has some subtle roast bitterness, not too bad at all.

M- on the thinner side, but with nice prickly carbonation as well the bitterness slightly prickling the back of the mouth. finish is quite dry, it really drys out the tongue this one.

D- i could stay on this one all night. flavours are pleasant but not overpowering, and the dry finish makes you want to take another sip. pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 11:13:17 | More by shambeano

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pour is burgundy with a massive off-white compact creamy head, which dissipates into nice lacings.

S: Rich roasted sweet malt. Dark dried fruits, cherries and plums. Some chocolate. Faint bitter hops. Faint coffee.

T: Roasted sweet malt, a bit unbalanced. Dark dried fruits - cherries. Bitter hops. Chocolate and coffee.

M: Aftertaste lingers with a roasted bitterness. Body is medium full and carbonation is medium.

D: A little bit of everything that you could expect from a Munich Dunkel Lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 14:10:26 | More by Sunnanek

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark red mahoghany in colour, nice tan head. So so retention. Attempts to lace the sides of my glass, but fails most of the time.

Roasted munich malts, slight grassiness. Quite understated until it warms. Then a slight cola aroma is present.

Smooth, albeit slightly watery @ first. Some toasted malt, that cola taste noted by others and slightly grassy, slightly herbal tastes. Finishes with a combination of toasted malts and an herbal dry/slight bitterness.

A smooth, easy to drink example of the style. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 02:44:54 | More by Shadman