Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel - Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying

acevenom

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass mug. Pours clear toffee brown with a tall, creamy tan head. Some tiny bubbles are visible in this beer. The head dissipates slowly. The aroma is dominated by bready malts and caramel malts. I can pick up faint chocolate notes. The flavor of this beer is bready and sweet. There is a nice mild caramel sweetness and faint chocolate notes. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is smooth, creamy, and crisp. The drinkability is high. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 00:24:51 | More by acevenom

mscudder

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Weihenstephaner weizen glass.

A - An amber brown, somewhat copper hue with a fluffy off-white head. Retention was average.

S - Lots of toasted malts, as well as some caramel as well. Some darker fruits are also present with some biscuit-like notes. All comes together a bit skunky to me though.

T - Starts with big, bold caramel malts following with those light toasted biscuit notes. There are a few other elements (following the nose) which attribute to the sweetness of the beer. For a lager this is very, very complex. Then again.... it is a lager.

M - A big medium body with a good amount of carbonation. Pretty drinkable for a beer of this size, yet the ABV is low (with no trace whatsoever). Relative to other lagers this is superb.

O - Another good beer from the folks at Ayinger. Nothing has yet to the top the notorious Celebrator, but if I am looking for a dark lager, I know where to find it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 04:56:16 | More by mscudder

superspak

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle into pilsener glass, no bottle dating. Pours fairly clear reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense cream colored head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing on the glass, with plenty of carbonation streaming up retaining the head. Aromas of big brown bread, caramel, toast, molasses, chocolate, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, and light herbal hops. Damn nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of big brown bread, caramel, toast, biscuit, molasses, chocolate, roast, toffee, nuttiness, and earthy herbal spiciness. Light earthy spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of toast, biscuit, caramel, molasses, nuttiness, chocolate, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a short bit. Fantastic amount of pretty robust flavors; with great balance and complexity. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding Dunkel Lager. I have never had this style before, but this is nicely robust and complex; and extremely easy to drink. Very clean for a lager as well. Such a delicious brew, if only it was more widely available.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:25:32 | More by superspak

bnes09

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Deep copper color, ruby when held to light. Finger and a half ivory colored head with good retention and moderate lace.

Malty aroma of wheat bread and grilled corn on the cob.

Smooth, satisfying malt tones form a solid backbone to the brew boasting wheat, raisin, prune and caramel flavors. Subtle herbal hop adds just enough bitterness to balance. Rich, delicious, and in perfect balance for the style.

Medium bodied with plenty of malty textures and a hint of chewiness on the teeth. Smooth from start to finish. Slick in the middle with lots of small bubbles which seem to bring the appropriate flavors to each individual taste bud.

Drinkability is unparalleled. Overall experience in exceptional. Great depth of flavors in perfect harmony. This is exactly what a dunkel should be.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 04:47:05 | More by bnes09

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

50cl bottle poured into Spaten seidel.

BBE Feb 2012

A- Mahogany brown with excellent clarity. 2 finger tight head that reduces quickly with little lacing.

S- Chocolate malts, dark wholemeal breads, hint of toffee sweetness.

T- Lots of chocolate and munich malts up front with a note of dark wholemeal breads again. Nice toasted malts give balance in the semi dry clean lager finish.

M - Medium body and carbonation, clean.

D- Excellent dunkel. Solid balanced flavour profile that sends me back to Munich. Could drink this all day.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 22:12:38 | More by seanyfo

RickS95

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's brown, but has some lighter shades of red and orange in it. Pretty clear for such a dark liquid, looks 'thin.' The head is nice and thick, slightly offwhite, and leaves nice lacing eventually, as it's got good retention.

Has a pleasant smell, full of malt, biscuity notes, and hops. Caramel malt, bread crust and flowers.

Taste follows the smell item for item. Caramel malt is obvious. Bread crust in mid-sip. Roasted flavors in the finish.

More complexity than I'm used to with a lager. It's a bit sweet initially. Fuller bodied than I'd have guessed. Stays sweet throughout, but there's some balance with the hoppy bitterness in the finish. Relatively smooth and creamy.

One of the better lagers I've had. Had good flavors and was easy to drink. Would like to have more than just one.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 04:18:23 | More by RickS95

PorterLambic

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep mahogany color with an espresso-colored head. Dissipation is fairly quick, under two minutes, and leaves behind a thickish film. Some lacing.
Smell is malty, of course, with notes of wood and dark fruits and some smokiness. Very well balanced.
Taste is, again, malty with the same dark fruit/fruitcake note and smokiness with a hint of hop. Extremely well balanced.
Medium-heavy body with an effervescence that is tangy almost on the tip of the tongue but much more subdued elsewhere. Aftertaste is peat/earth and light hops. Slightly drying with just a light coating of the upper palate. Very good brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 15:22:42 | More by PorterLambic

PhillyStyle

Georgia

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

500mL bottle:

The beer poured a reddish, cola color that produced a nice, dense head that was well retained and could be easily reproduced.

The beer gave off a nice, sweet malty aroma, sweeter than the more grainy Jahrhundert Dortmunder export.

The beer followed the nose; it was a slightly sweeter, maltyier version of the Jahrhundert.

Light feel, very good carbonation and very easy to drink. I prefer the Dortmunder export, but this is still a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 16:43:16 | More by PhillyStyle

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle - $3.29 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, dark amber-brown body underneath an inch or two of light beige suds.

Smell: Oven-toasted dark German bread and nuts backed by a light roastiness, strewn leafy hop notes, and a far-off hint of chocolate-covered raisins.

Taste: Toasted dark bread, coffee-laced roasty malts with added tastes of cracked nuts, cocoa powder, and even some dark caramel. Reasonably sweet. Child-sized handful of raisins, faint hint of apple skin. Leafy, herbal hops with enough bitterness to support the sweetness. All the various flavors roll in and around and amongst themselves, everything nicely integrated until the drying, nutty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slightly silky on the tongue.

Overall: That dismal dunkel from the 2012 Longshot six-pack was the impetus for this purchase and the difference is night and day.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 20:01:44 | More by ChainGangGuy

sureshot08

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Red brown with a 2 inch head that retains fairly well.

Smell: Sweet dark fruits, reminiscent of their Celebrator Doppelbock.

Taste: Dark breads, malty, slight caramel. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel: On the thin side, which seems appropriate in this beer. Moderately high carbonation.

Overall: Excellent. Almost like a light version of Celebrator. Very drinkable, shows that a high malt presence can be just as good as any IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 00:43:51 | More by sureshot08

sdj5

New York

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a Samuel Adams Alpine Spring glass.

A - Looks like slightly lighter, transpartent ruby Coke with thin white lacing.

S - Sweet, rich malt, a bit of caramel on the end

T - Delicious slightly roasted, caramel flavored malt with a hint of sweetness on the finish.

M - Thin and refreshing

O - A fine, malty, tasty and easily drinkable beer

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 01:30:32 | More by sdj5

ImperialBeergut

California

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: A deep burnt copper center with edges where light shines through. Like a beautiful tan girl in a see through summer dress... 1 finger of a tight bubbling head, mocha in color.

S: Toasted toffee buttered bread crust, a noticable sugar and chocolate nose, with a very, very slightly hoppy finish.

T: Absolutely delicious, truly quaffable dark lager. A chewy, sweet caramel bounciness to it that says I'm rich yet easygoing. I think when taste buds collide with one's ancestral heritage when drinking beer, it makes you feel...truly lucky to be alive, lol. I'm German n Irish. This is one of my personal top 3...nuff sed...

M: Nice and toasty rich. A slightly viscous and velvety mouth that wants you to taste it and then sluttily demands you then CHUG it, wow what a beer!...I taste it and I cant take it away from my lips, I feel like Frank The Tank...

O: Luxurious lightly chocolate n toffee flavored beer with a toasted aroma and finish. A amazing beer on an epic scale...

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 08:10:47 | More by ImperialBeergut

tzieser

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 500ml bottle into a .5L Lowenbrau dimple-mug.

a: crystal clear, very dark brown in color with a fluffy white head that sticks to the mug for a long time.

s: very malty aroma with notes of bread and biscuits. lots of malty sweetness to be had.

t: lots of malt flavor, with notes of toasted bread, caramel and a very subtle hint of coffee. there is also a grassy character from the hops. extremely well balanced and flavorful. finishes clean.

m: thin mouthfeel and nicely carbonated.

quite an excellent dark lager. picked this guy up on clearance for $1.50 a bottle! recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 00:08:26 | More by tzieser

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: deep amber copperish brown. Read around edges where light goes easiest. 2 finger tan head. Clear. Tight bubble head.

S: bread, toast, caramel, toffee, bread crust, sugar, chocolate and not really any hops.

T: delicious. Caramel to chocolate no bitterness, sweet amazing. Really luscious and good. Awesome beer.

M: nice and rich. Medium bodied and caramel-like.

O: This beer is amazing. Chocolate bready awesomeness. Gotta love German beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 19:32:15 | More by JerseyKirk

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep chestnut brown in color with a slight orange hue and perfect clarity. Poured with a rich light beige foam that slowly reduced to a wispy cap. Sweet caramel and toasted malt aromas are dominant with a hint of ripe fruit underneath. Smooth, delicate feel with lively but gentle carbonation. Huge malt flavor. Similar to aroma, the sweet caramel and toasted malt flavors are the showcase. Light coffee flavor with a very subtle hint of hops at the finish. Finishes clean and semi-dry. A very enjoyable german lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 23:12:27 | More by IronLover

bfields4

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark amber clear body. Small lacy head.

German yeast light malt dark toffee malts in the aroma. Sweet caramel almost vanilla.

Flavor follows in the same vein. Toffee and a bit of caramel not much hop, but a little more than what I would have expected providing a slight earthy herbal quality.

Nice light body easily could polish off a few of these guys at a nice German biergarten. Flavors are not complex but very nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:25:42 | More by bfields4

kkipple

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle from ole Mike Brawley, if memory serves.

A. Billy Crystal clear, lovely pecan brown with a distinct ruby hue. Quite pretty when held to the light, bubbly and with a short rustic head. Superb retention. No lace. This is medieval looking and inviting.

S. A metallic note at first - a stumble. Left alone for a few minutes, it blows off and better things come to the fore. Extremely worty smelling, this is straight up high-quality malt juice. Pumpernickel, toasted barley, sugar, a bit of a nutty smell, and yes I know that last is vague and annoying. Smells "quality", and believe it or not, has a Kvass sort of mildly sour rusticness to it. This is farmer-friendly and hearty.

T. Munich malt galore. Sweet and involving, toasty and full-flavored. Big flavor, in fact, for this style, but I'm not complaining. More than anything else, this reveals what good quality malts, well used, can do for a lager. Just a plethora of German malt goodness, and I don't even know what that word means.

M / O. Thin, almost watery beer, which is quite to style. Great carbonation lends an 'all in' feeling to this one, but at the same time is reserved enough for this to be drunk very quickly. The finish is toasty and the malt sweetness lolls about lazily on the palate. Bottom line: Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel is absolutely one of the best Dunkels I've had to date. This brewery knows what they are doing.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 04:49:18 | More by kkipple

NWer

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very nice clear brown into my fluted glass. Nice bronze head retains well.
Aroma nothing notable.
Taste on the other hand very nice. Smooth, light, sweet. Very sessionable.
A very nice change when I want to cleanse the palate with something totally drinkable after a hop bomb or two.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 19:55:07 | More by NWer

rangerred

Tennessee

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

.5 liter bottle.

Pours a clear reddish brown with a tiny half finger head that quickly fades. Not lacing at all.

Smells of sweet caramel along with some roasted grain.

Taste has a somewhat heavy sweetness pervading throughout. Caramel dominates with roasted malt being secondary. Light grassy hops are detectable at the beginning quickly giving way to a light to moderate bitterness. The finish is somewhat sticky.

I have to say I am not a huge fan of this beer. It is too sweet for my liking and not quite enough roast.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 00:07:27 | More by rangerred

uustal

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light brown with a slight lighter brown head. Nutty and malty aroma. Caramel and bread. Flavor follows the nose. Nice nutty notes, followed by caramel and bready sweetness. Toffee in there as well. A lesser, but pronounced hint of dark fruit sweetness finishes off this malty beast. Medium bodied, not a thick sweet blend, but more of a smoother maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 00:55:53 | More by uustal

hardy008

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Mahogany color with a two finger tan head with good retention. The smell has caramel malt, toasted bread, some nuttiness, and mild hops.

The taste is much like the aroma. Toasted bread, earthiness, some nut flavor, caramel malt, and light hops. Not sweet or hoppy, but a mixture of both. The earthiness really stands out, and reminds me of taking a tour in a cave.

Light to medium bodied with average carbonation. A bit of a toasted bread aftertaste. Not a bad beer, but I'm not sure if I will try this again. Ayinger has better offerings in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:46:44 | More by hardy008

bobhits

Kentucky

1.45/5  rDev -63.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

Mouth full of words.

Poured from the bottle this one takes on some light larger colors, but yet has a hint of darkness, once in the glass it turns darker red without enough density to cloud things out. Pours a decent head, very creamy.

Smells like caramel, honey, and has some earthy lager tones.

Candy, caramel, cotton candy…dark maple syrup, hints of raisins…what better way can I say this tastes like a kids candy instead of a beer. No hints of alcohol or spices that would give this some character and interest…instead it just sweet and sugary. The thing is this is watery sweet. It needs to up the game to be interesting. Instead it is in this world of candy without contrast or enough power to make me interested.

Candy is not good! I’m not just talking about beer, I’m talking everything. Sugary tasting things aren’t enjoyable for me. I get these things FAR less in beer though. At least candy has a market….5 year old kids. This is beer, why does it taste like they are making it for people who eat shit like cake? BTW for the idiots who think I’m joking in my reviews, that was funny because it is true. This beer sucks. Candy is sweet and uncomplex stuff, this beer is much the same. No depth or anything to grab on to.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 01:43:14 | More by bobhits

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a deep brown with a light cloudiness to it that settles more so at the bottom leaving a dirty white cap and transparent top

S Caramel malt, light cocoa and hits at light wheat/hay

T: Light roasted malt, bit of cocoa on the back end with some caramel, wehat feel mixed with some fresh bread. Earthy notes and clean.

M: Medium body

O: Pretty good representation of the style

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 12:21:54 | More by barleywinefiend

tony223366

California

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From my beer journal. Reviewed on July 21, 2011.

A: Really gorgeous copper and caramel color. Very clear. Beautiful tan head. This head had great retention. I give lots of props to how good this beer looks.

S: Great aroma. Rich malts and caramel. I also get a hint of nuttiness and finishes with some hops.

T: Very nice roasted malts flavor. Actually is quite refreshing. A hint of brown sugar and toffee. However I'm missing any sort of bitterness.

M: Light ot moderate body. Good carbonation but I was hoping for more.

O: Now this is a dunkel! This is a really great all around beer. Much more refreshing than I thought it would be. Perfect during fall and winter.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 06:46:02 | More by tony223366

smakawhat

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a pilsner style glass.

A simple off caramel head, a little foamy somewhat uneven not totally, with a dark brown chestnut body and crystal clear if not dark to see through. Some nice retention leaving a good cap as well.

Nose, is what... get out of here, cranberry fruit mixing with estery goodness and light toasted malts. Slight hints of coffee too, really nice here and a little bit of nutiness. A fantastic nose.

Sweet mild fruit mixed in with a roasting light bodied milky coffee roast. Palate lingers with a mild hop finish of fruit lime but taking over by the sweetness and malts.

Overall I am loving this fruity and nut, and milky, and coffee, and malty combination (is that a run out sentence or what?!). Tasty brew!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:28:18 | More by smakawhat