Beck's Dark - Brauerei Beck & Co.

gatornation

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

from 12 oz bottle
had this at the in -laws..drank it straight from the bottle,,smell was malt and dark toffee with some hop and chocolate ,taste was much the same roasted malts and hops ,grain and bread;good carbonation with a medium mouthfeel,,was really not that bad as i was not expecting much..

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:09:11 | More by gatornation

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Brown in color with an a smell that is to much like the becks lager. Taste, well, slight hint of roasted flavor. After that it is lacking. Feel on the mouth is clean finish. If you never had a dark beer this would be a good start. Not a dark beer we are use to drinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:14:51 | More by barleyroad

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a brown colour with a large fizzy beige/light brown coloured head. I can't see much carbonation due the darkness of the beer and there is some good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - malts, grains, faint chocolate and dark fruits, skunk

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts mixed with grains/bread and some very light notes of chocolate and raisins. It finishes with a malty slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall – I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. It doesn't really taste all that much like a dark beer.. but the taste is well balanced and it was very drinkable. It's better than the beck's regular for sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 13:32:46 | More by spinrsx

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought a 6-pack from Woodman's in Janesville, WI in Summer 2011.

Pours a darker brown color that is rather flat with not much carbonation or head to it. The scent is slightly heavier than a cheap adjuct lager but not by much. The taste is rather light for being a dark colored beer. It's basically a light colored German pilsner with a dark brown color added. Drinks rather smooth and easily as it has almost the same texture as water. Some grassy, cheap wheat taste stand out. Not too taste to emplore here but at least it's drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 04:20:26 | More by Lemke10

nofalltoofar

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a glass

A: A dark beer just a shade lighter than stout. Likewise, it has a beautiful tan-colored head of two-fingers thickness. This beer is a looker.

S: Dark, rich, and definite caramel presence

T: The same with a healthy representation of bitterness to balance out the caramel

M: A little oily, but not too bad. Has a bit of thickness to it

I was pleasantly surprised by my feelings about this beer. I was told I was going to hate it. I have had quite a few since then. I enjoyed them straight from the bottle. Then an incredible thing happened when I was drinking them at my place where glasses were available (yes, people I was drinking with were Philistines). There was a huge explosion of caramel flavor and a hint of fruit base underneath the bitter front of the beer.

This beer is extremely tasty, even during the summer when most sensible people are drinking pale ale or lighter colored lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:01:39 | More by nofalltoofar

doughanson78

Washington

3.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Dark, Coca Cola like. Can still see through. 1 finger off white head, little tan. Hardly any lacing. Disappeared quickly. Big bubbles in head. Little carbonation from bottom.

S: Sweet roasted caramel. Roasted malts. Very good smell.

T: Roasted sweet caramel & malts. Just like smell. Not much bitterness. Little molasses. Kind of a tinny taste, almost if it was from a can. Fairly good for a dark lager.

M: Very light. A bit to fizzy, almost like a soda pop. With a dark beer I'm almost expecting a thicker feel. Will have to try more darks though.

O: Very easy going beer. Not a lot going on. Easy way for someone to venture into the Dark Side. Almost like drinking Coca-Cola.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 23:16:50 | More by doughanson78

DCon

Missouri

2.88/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed a 12oz bottle of this for $3.50 (special!) @ Cicero's in The Loop (St. Louis), MO. Poured into a Half (Cut-off) Hefeweizen Glass and had a B.O.D. of 11.2011 on the back.

Appearance- Poured very deep brown color with a 1 finger of white head head. Head died quickly, didn't leave any lace, but had nice carbonation.

Smell- Has a huge roasted malt/nut brown ale aroma and then a sweetness. Tough to catch many attributes though.

Taste- Very malty, roasted, but fell short. It takes VERY similar to the traditional Beck's Lager. Was hoping for a DARK beer.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Good Carbonation, Crisp, but didn't do much to the palate.

Overall- Good beer overall but was looking for a Dark Lager. I was hoping it was going to have more body to it. Very enjoyable, good drinkability, but fell short as an average beer to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 15:10:31 | More by DCon

depechemode1983

Texas

2.65/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Dark brown in color. Tan foamy head withe moderate retention. No lacing.

S - Toasted grains in the nose with a bit of skunkiness. Also picking up some burnt coffee.

T - Burnt grains and coffee, a little bitterness, some sourness, and some skunk like flavors. Pretty bad.

M - Light bodied, high carbonation. Doesn't work well.

O - I didn't like this one. The nose was a little deceiving seeing is that the rest of the beer was sub-par. Don't waste your time and money on this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 01:03:06 | More by depechemode1983

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Ordered a bottle of this during a lunch break from class at Nick's Pizza in Bethlehem Pa. The color is a nice dark brown, the aroma has the same skunk as the Pilsner, the flavor is bitter, a little burnt and some caramel. Mouthfeel is a little on the light side, not thick at all. It's a decent beer, better than the Pilsner in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 04:11:55 | More by Knapp85

Snow81

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Very dark amber glow

Smell: heavy malty sweetness with a hint of a skunk note

Head: Nice thick rich light tan head

Taste: Carmel sweet with a little grain or grass note

Weight: Low to medium body with a high carbonation

Finish: Grassiness with the skunk note that lingers

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 03:49:44 | More by Snow81

Jishguy

Indiana

2.9/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

A- Poured a black but minimally translucent body with a slightly off white/mocha head. Lacing was average.

S- Smelled of skunk with a bit of caramel. Very faint roasted malts.

T- Gave off an immediate "skunk" taste. Quickly followed by a mixture of roasted and burnt malts with a slight hint of brown sugar? Molasses? Not overly complex yet not extremely basic. Definitely rides the cut.

M- Slightly creamy. Medium carbonation. A bit dry for my taste. Very subtle alcohol sting.

D- Sits somewhat heavy. Leaves you relatively full.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 05:50:20 | More by Jishguy

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From notes at Old Chicago (2002: Pours cola-esque into the glass. Mine had almost no head nor lacing. Aromas are somewhat sour and hops. The body of this beer grows/builds through the finish, as initial flavors are a bit dry. I pick up lightly roasted notes, with increasing bitterness. Hops continue in the finish even after the pull has concluded. Honestly, since the brew doesn't come to fruition until much later, the body initially feel thin, due to a (possible) overcarbonated, watery contingency. Thus, this leaves a highly mediocre impression. Not terrible, but overall, just middle of the road.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 14:58:00 | More by CuriousMonk

therica

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm a big fan of Kostritzer's but I recently I had a Beck's Dark and was very surprised how much I liked it. I've gotten some more and am now enjoying it, probably more than Kostritzer's.

A= black, light head and lacing.

S= beautiful aroma of florals especially for a Dunkel.

T= although it's called a Dunkel it's almost identical to a Schwarz but better because of the beautiful hops nose, hops flavor and some nice dryness. There's some molasses in there but very well balanced by the bitters and dryness. Rather multi-dimensional for a Dunkel or a Schwarz.

M= dry, with some hops florals to savor.

D= very drinkable in session or single.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 02:48:45 | More by therica

secondtooth

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark (but not black) for certain, with solid lacing.

Smell is a familiar semi-skunkiness, similar to Beck's lager or Heineken (or St. Pauli Girl lager).

Flavor is slightly bitter and skunky, but certainly not bad. Decent and quite drinkable, but not one I'd repurchase.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 20:52:59 | More by secondtooth

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beck's Dark has a medium, frothy, beige head and a clear, dark brown appearance, with moderate carbonation. A little bit of scattered lacing is left down the glass. The aroma is of roasted barley and water, but it is essentially very faint. Taste is of barley and coffee, but there is a subtle hop note on the back end. Mouth-feel is light and watery, and Beck's Dark finishes easy drinking and semi-dry. Overall, I really enjoyed this and highly recommend giving it a try.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 16:41:11 | More by RonaldTheriot

BeerMeInMS

Mississippi

3.75/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Drinking Date: 12/23/10
Expiration Date:

Glassware: Large Mug

Appearance: Dark...almost black, but light shines through sides of mug where drink is thin and reveals a clear brown color. Head dissipates pretty quickly, but there was a little that stuck around.

Smell: smelled like malt and in some way also smelled clean and crisp. pretty good smell but nothing special.

Taste: I was expecting to be dissappointed by this beer, but I enjoyed it, especially the first few sips. The roasted malt taste hit me immediately and had a burnt flavor to it that I have not encountered before. This was surprising but not unpleasant. The malt flavor continues its presence in varying degrees as it passed through. Not a complex brew but reasonably full-flavored.

Mouthfeel: Good bit of tingly carbonation. light-bodied.

Drinkability: I could drink a couple in a sitting but no more. The flavor is good but since it was mostly a one dimensional roasted malt flavor my taste buds got used to it after half the beer or so and began tuning out.

Notes: I enjoyed this beer. Seems like a decent, reliable brew good. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 04:40:51 | More by BeerMeInMS

JayS2629

Alabama

2.17/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A- Dark copper tones with medium fluffy head and nice lace.

S- Sweet malts, caramels, fruity tones, and a good dose of skunk.

T- Skunk over-rides it all, but there are undertones of toffee and caramel, toasted malts.

M- Medium bodied, slightly creamy, but overall watery

D- Watery, boring beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 05:16:11 | More by JayS2629

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a fluffy, off- white head, a lot of lacing. Regular grassy aroma of European macro with some hints of toasted malt. Light-medium body. Taste is of burnt malt and some unpleasant bitterness (I'm curious what are they using instead of hops). Long, bitter finish. At least I did not buy it.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 00:29:45 | More by mikeg67

anakar

Israel

2.95/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

It's just like any cheap germandutch (like Hineken).
Looks: just black, no depth and not clean like a stout, coke-like head

Smell: It's only good feature, lures into thinking its pretty good

Taste: Hineken, and it cost me more and I don't like Hineken

Goes Down: It's OK, but yet again, it doesn't feel dark, it feels like a pale regular beer. And if you really care - fairly low alc (5%)

I didn't like it

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 17:52:21 | More by anakar

dogfishandi

New York

3.48/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. green bottle pulled from the fridge poured into a standard pint glass. best before 08.2011.

pours out a clear brownish color, ruby red in the light. fizzy light tan head that faded to a thin ring pretty quick. no lace.

aromas of toasted grains, mineral water, a bit of fruits, lager yeast, and floral herbal tea hops.

sweet toasty grains, a touch nutty. lager yeast funk. mineral water. herbal tea hops, with a bit of bitterness. decent balance.

smooth mouthfeel, light to medium body. a bit over carbed, a little fizzy at first.

drinkable for sure, easy to session, but i would pick so many more beers over this for the price. i prolly wont buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 01:32:52 | More by dogfishandi

bigrzman

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this from a 12 oz bottle into a Mass Krug. Clear freshness date of JUL 2011 is given on the back. It poured out with a deep brown color and a 3/8 inch head that sticks around. Carbonation is present but minimal. It smells like toasted malt and grassy hops, overall balanced between the two. Sweet grainy malt, with toasted caramel malts, and a grassy hop back. More malty than hoppy by a 60/40 margin. Not bad but simple. Mouthfeel is thin carbonation is there but does not obstruct the easy swilling of this beer creating remarkable drinkability. This beer hits all the notes of what a Dunkel should be, easy gulping sociable beer that can be drunk by the liter. Solid beer correct to style.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 18:02:01 | More by bigrzman

weeare138

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appears a dense dark brown with a transparent outer edge. A small off white head quickly fades into a mild collar. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of toasted nuts, cracked grain, a toch of toffee, and mild skunk.
Taste is of the aromas with a gentle fruitiness up front followed by a yeasty bread and dark grain.
Mouthfeel medium bodied, spritzy, and mildly bitey.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 00:01:32 | More by weeare138

mnrider

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12. oz green bottle. Has freshness date.

A: Pours a shinny dark brown with a thin white head, which does not last very long. Leaves little lacing.

S: Not much going on here. Malty and clean.

T/M: Medium carbonation with a mild crispness. malts are strongest with grains and hops floating around. Not the best aftertaste and leaves the mouth a little dry.

D: It's okay. Not something I'd really see myself drinking again. The brew doesn't really do it for me, regarding the style.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 03:21:47 | More by mnrider

marcobrau

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I've had an odd craving for a dark lager lately so I couldn't resist an $11 12-pack of Beck's Dark. Poured at first in a glass stein to observe color and head formation and then a ceramic stein for drinking. (There's something about a ceramic stein that enhances the mouthfeel of the German lagers.) Pours brown with oodles of foam that forms a somewhat rocky head that sadly drops to nothing eventually. Smells a bit like burnt caramel and roasted grain. The aroma is by no means overpowering, but it is also not weak. Tastes of wet malt, touch burnt grains, a hint of toffee with some acceptable hop bitterness for the style. Mouthfeel falls short of creamy and ends up coming across a bit watery, but this is beer meant to quaff or chug, not to sip.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 02:28:14 | More by marcobrau

divineaudio

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle with best before date on back. poured into a pokal glass.

pours a medium, mahogany brown with some amber highlights. got a finger of foamy tan head that calmed quick. no lace.

smell is a little floral and a little roasty with a slight medicinal quality.

taste wise i get a light roast first that fades into a sweeter, cola like flavor. has some light coffee notes and a clean sort of bitterness that comes in at the end to help balance things out.

body is the lighter side of medium with a coarse co2 profile.

an easy drinker for sure and fits the style. not a great beer by any means, but good enough to drink if it's around.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 03:23:48 | More by divineaudio