Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel - Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying

PintOHops

California

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Glass - Mug

A - Amber/brown color with an off white, creamy looking head. Moderate-high C02 can be seen, and a few splotches where left on my glass.

S - Big biscuit/cracker like malts right up front. Moderately sweet smelling with a bit of an herbal hop twang. Pretty simple.

T - Biscuit, cracker, molasses, rye bread like malts throughout. It's got a hop twang mid to finish and then it gets pretty dry on the finish. Bitterness is low, and as it warmed I picked up the slightest bit of toffee.

M - Medium bodied with a chewy/smooth feel and moderate crispness.

O - Overall this has got to be the cleanest tasting Dunkel Iv ever had. I liked it's smooth flavors of moderate sweetness, tartness, low bitterness and clean dry finish. Pretty darn good, I would definitely buy this one again. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:44:17 | More by PintOHops

Flux

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First evening I've had off in a while so I cracked open an Oktoberfest (being close to October and all). Drank it down too quickly to review so I grabbed another beer that is great for fall...this time drinking it slowly.

Poured this jem into a pint glass.

Brown to amber, clear, with an off white head that doesn't last long but lacing persists.

Smell is sweet and roasty. Small accents of cocoa. Not a lot of hops on the nose but still present.

Taste is malty and roasty with bittering upfront, then mellowing out into a more burnt brown sugar taste.

Mouthfeel is slick, full bodied, pours syrupy but the carbonation cuts through it.

Overall a really good beer for the season but not something I'd drink all the time.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 02:13:17 | More by Flux

gford217

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle.

Pours a deep, clear amber with some reddish hints underneath a small cream-colored head.

The aroma is toasted malts with a hint of chocolate and some other grainy aromas, barley and earthy hops.

Taste is heavier on the hops and has a quick bitter kick up front before the toasted chocolate malts take over.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp though not nearly as creamy as the marzen.

Overall, it's a decent beer, but having just had the Oktoberfest Marzen, I had higher expectations. This one doesn't measure up to that beer in my estimation. Still really good for a dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 03:31:33 | More by gford217

losdizzel

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This Dunkel from Ayinger is top notch .

poured in a Sam Adams glass ,looking very nice .
Good looking head that stayed for some time .
Smells of sweetness caramel little cocoa, barley malt
Taste awsome all the smells are in the taste also ,taste thick syrup
like, clingy, differs from other Dunkels .

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel is a well made beer all around . one of the best of this style .

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 02:58:33 | More by losdizzel

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a clear brown with a thick head and a bit of lacing. The aroma is of molasses, toast, and dark chocolate. The flavor has molasses, roasted malt, and root beer notes with a hint of anise. It's got a light-medium mouthfeel with mild, Coke-like carbonation. Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel is a good beer, typical of the style, and very drinkable. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 23:35:38 | More by B967ierhunter177

JCellars

California

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500mL btl into Duvel tulip at 40-42 degrees. Nice dark amber color with a decent one finger cream head. Little retention though.

Aromas of toasted grain, caramel, almonds, hazelnuts, and an undertone of dried fruit (apricots?).

The caramel and toast comes through first with the light acidity and slight hoppiness kinda killing the other flavors. The beer blooms in the mouth almost too much, disrupting the structure of the beer.

The finish saves the beer somewhat, with its big caramel and hazelnut flavors, but the hop profile is a little watery.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 19:29:05 | More by JCellars

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Translucent tawny color with a frothy tan colored head, about 1 finger thick to start with a relatively light pour.

Aroma features toasted grain and a semi-sweet toffee/caramel character. Some nuttiness can also be picked up. Light hint of floral hop character.

Slightly sweet maltiness but mainly a nice nutty and biscuity character. Lack of hop flavor leaves this as a nice malt forward beer without being the sweet syrupy mess you get with some malt bombs.

Mouthfeel is clean and crisp with a light bodied feel. Overall, I've always enjoyed the Ayinger Dunkel, especially at $3 a bottle. That being said, the long journey has not done this beer any favors and it leaves me longing for the fresh dunkels on tap found all over Germany and Austria.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 23:20:09 | More by Kinsman

scubazook

California

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a The Bruery tulip glass

Appearance: clear medium dark brown in color with red tint, thin light tan colored head no head retention.

Smell: rich Munich malt aroma dominates, bread crust-like, nutty, caramely, sweet toffee aromas present. No hop aromas, diacetyl and fruity esters.

Taste: Complex flavors of Munich malt. Bread crust-like, yeasty flavors with mild nutty, toffee caramely flavors. Clean lager character. No hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium high carbonation, medium full body.

Overall: Very complex Munich malt flavors with nice hint of sweet toffee yeasty bread crust-like characters. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 03:10:45 | More by scubazook

Sipchue

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured dark red with a nice brown head that stayed relatively well. The aroma was weak, but became attractive and malty as the temperature went up. Taste was clean and crisp with an evident but not overpowering darkness. Flavor and bitter hops were very well balanced with the malt.

Long on flavor, lasting on my palate for more than 30 minutes after the final taste, which was nearly room temperature. This lifted the curtain and confirmed my overall impression - worth seeking out again - a very fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 12:07:12 | More by Sipchue

dragonWhale

New York

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh, hello, who are you? I must find out. I take it to the out of doors and pop the top, glass at hand. What a beautiful pour. Burnt umber with ruby highlights, a wispy, creamy head. Delightful. The beer quenches my thirst beautifully with its toasty Munich malts and floral hop balance. Starts like it's going to be sweet but actually finishes only ever so slightly sweet. I finish the bottle easily and with great relish. A quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 22:32:48 | More by dragonWhale

KrautAficionado

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours to a beautiful, bright, deep chestnut color with a nice white head, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose on this beer is excellent with lots of good aromas of sweet malt, light toast and nuts. The palate is round and clean with lots of good sweet malt, toast and nutty malt flavor. This beer finishes with more good malt character then ends with enough herbal hop bittereness to round this one out to perfection. A great match to hearty German fare, and BBQ dishes.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 04:27:31 | More by KrautAficionado

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Pours a clear dark orange with a 2 inch light tan head that fades to a thin cap. Random strings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smells of malt and caramel notes. Perhaps a bit of an earthy aroma. Taste is of biscuit-like malt, caramel, and some earthy/woody tastes. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good lager from Ayinger and my first of the style. I would get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 02:18:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

wcintula

New York

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

Poured into an Ayinger weizen glass at schaeffer's Tavern, Staten Island. Fits perfectly in the glass pouring a clear toffee brown body with a booming light coffee colored, well-retained head. Smells wonderfully malty, with caramel, toffee notes. A sweet and refreshing lager there's a small hop bite right in the front as the beer arrives on the tongue. Properly carbonated, the moderate bodied beer has a crispness that goes well in a breezy bar on an 80 degree summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 15:17:03 | More by wcintula

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

0.5l bottle served in pilsner glass. Pours a clear amber color with about two fingers of fizzy and quickly diminishing, light brown head. Aroma is caramel, bread, a hint of toffee, nutty, and a hint of roast. Flavor is caramel, nutty, bread, roasted malt, some dark fruits, a hint of spiciness, a little bit of smoke, and some light noble and grassy hops. Mouthfeel is medium, dry, and slightly bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 02:17:32 | More by mtstatebeer

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: 3/8" tan coloured head that had some large soapy bubbles to it which dissipated over 2 minutes over chocolate brown liquid.

S: Malt and caramel.

T: Malt, caramel, almost reminds me of a candy apple...

M: Thin with a medium to low level of fine carbonation.

O: A very nice beer. I would definitely enjoy one of these again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 22:58:26 | More by DaftCaskBC

vandemonian

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel is a mild, but very tasty dunkel.

A: Reddish brown color and a 1 cm head that fades to decent lacing. 4

S: Woody malt smell. 4

T: The taste is malty with a woody tang. There is a little bit of burnt flavour in the aftertaste. I kinda like it. 4

M: Big and foamy. 4.5

O: A very enjoyable beer. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:57:10 | More by vandemonian

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a pint glass. Pours a ruddy brown, almost mahogany, with an off-white head that reduces to a lid of foam.

Has a full roasted toffee malt aroma, with grassy notes and a nutty undertone. There's a definite earthy quality to the way this smells.

The toffee malt taste is prominent, with hazelnut, caramel, and vanilla, with a grassy and ever-so-slight bitter/dry finish.

Medium bodied and easy drinking, I finished half the glass simply strolling around the yard!

As always Ayinger makes a great brew. Tasty, roasted and nutty, this is an enjoyable Dunkel that you should try if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:18:51 | More by TheHoppiest

aasher

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a light bodied cherry brown in color with a one finger creamy off white head. It smells of slightly sweet caramel malts, toffee, and cream. It is very soft on the nose. It also has a light nuttiness. The flavor is of light candied almonds, perhaps pecans, and has a nice caramel, toffee finish. It's pretty flavorful for being so light in body. It is a very smooth drink and very easy to drink. Overall this beer was much better than I anticipated. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 03:14:25 | More by aasher

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this bottle up at Chevy Chase in DC. Served in a pilsner glass.

Pours a bright reddish-copper color when held up to the light. Out of the light, it's a chestnut brown. Thin tan head but no real lacing. Cap sticks around throughout. The nose brings some lightly-sweet malt along with some caramel and a hint of nuts. The flavor is a bit sweet, focusing mostly on malt sweetness and a touch of caramel and toffee. Mouthfeel is light to medium with moderate carbonation. Pretty decent, but nothing I'd go out of my way for.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 23:32:25 | More by Thorpe429

womencantsail

California

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: The pour is mahogany in color with a rather large off-white head.

S: Sweet malts with toffee and caramel. There is a strange aroma of red grapes and other red fruits. Toasted malt and bread are also present.

T: Quite heavy on the red fruit and grape qualities that were there on the nose. Sweet toasted malt with a hint of roast and a nice bready flavor overall. Not much in the way of hops.

M: Light to medium in body with a moderate level of carbonation.

O: Not sure where that fruit character was coming from. Perhaps an old bottle? I'll have to revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 18:13:17 | More by womencantsail

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep nutty brown body with amber hues. Thing, white patchy head.

S - Nose of sweet malt, honey and syrup. Sweet and grainy, evoking thoughts of lightly toasted dark grained bread with some dark honey ontop.

T - Big chewy mouth full of dark grains and molasses. Dark malt and crystallized honey. A faint touch of hops to balance the malt. A sweet and grainy party.

M - Very smooth and mellowed mouth here. So soft and balanced it feels great.

O - A very pleasant Dunkel. So smooth, soft and sweet. Its grainy and sweet and everything you want in a dunkel. This brew packs alot of flavor in a light body.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 01:07:01 | More by BeerForMuscle

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Split this bottle with a friend. Nice beer, it tastes like (and really is) a classic dunkel lager. It looks dark brown in my glass with a short tan head. It's dry and drinkable with a mildly bitter finish (hint of spicy hops) and crisp cocoa and toasty, bready malts. Clean, delicious and sessionable, heck of a lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 04:59:15 | More by tempest

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a ruby-brown color. The head is one inch of light tan foam that recedes slowly into a firm cap of lacing. The aroma is caramel, toffee, and a nice mineral quality. Very pleasing. The taste is similar to the aroma, but lighter. It is still nice, but a bit too light for the style. The mouthfeel is on the lighterside of medium bodied with lively carbonation, and a watery texture. Overall, this is a nice beer, but there are much better dunkels out there that are far richer in depth of character than this one. I would most likely pass on drinking this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 20:00:31 | More by KarlHungus

TheSicilian33

New Jersey

4.95/5  rDev +25%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My friend bought this from a local liquor store, and man he's a star at picking out awesome beer.

Serving type- a 500 ml pint can't get better

Appearance- A brown bottle with the words "Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel" on the bottle with other information including ABV and says it's from Aying, Germany.

Smell- Kind of smells like chest nuts or an ale.

Taste- It has an awesome taste for someone who really hates beer but drinks it anyway for social reasons. This is why Germany is #1 in the beer business by having these recipes for over 500 years or more!!

Mouthfeel- Not too wide, not too small, just right.

Overall- This beer is an absolute winner. If you can find it, pick it up. You'll impress your friends on how smart you are when it comes to beer. Like I said before, Germany is #1 when it comes to beer in the world. Awesome, I am a fan for life.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 05:11:33 | More by TheSicilian33

jyuhas

California

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a - crystal clear ruby red with deep brown hue, thin coarse head died pretty quickly

s - bready, toffee, sugar, hint of roasted malts and noble hops

t - malty sweet, bready, toffee, hint of chocolate, little bit syrupy cola-like sweetness

m - full body, bit of a heavy carbonic bite at first, but as it went along, it smoothed out

d - went down pretty quickly and easily, could drink another but it's not calling my name, the sweetness seemed to be a little reminiscent of a cola to me, but otherwise good

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 05:09:24 | More by jyuhas