König Ludwig Dunkel - Kaltenberg International / König Ludwig International GmbH & Co.KG

rtepiak

Poland

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

an extremely well place leanness to this dunkel which makes it, in this case, susceptible to aging conflicts. this beer was a bit metalic but not overpoweringly so. malt is toasty perfect with a subtle sour apple. a one dimensional toasty. not sweet. and somewhat appetite inducing.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 23:57:08 | More by rtepiak

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

0.5 l bottle encounter with a dark German lager.

Dark ruby colour, soapy head that hangs in, not much carbonation.

Smell is a bit like a lager, but with roasty notes. It has hops and yeast.
Taste is equal: roasty character is a bit faint. Hops and yeast have to work hard to get through. There's a balanced aftertaste of bitterness and sweet malts.

Mouthfeel is light. I could do with a bit more bubbles.
All in all an ok experience. A dark beer is often good with some food.
Have some bread with cheese or sausage with this.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 14:32:17 | More by RuudJH

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear, cola brown appearance, big, booming, beige head.

Aroma: caramel and toffee, sweet malt, but well tempered.

Taste: Smooth and malty, caramel and toffee all over the palate, minimal hops, great texture, tons of tastiness going on.
Medium bodied...supremely drinkable dunkel, not lacking in any way, good texture, great play on the palate. Leaves you asking for more and more.

This will go down in history, not as the best beer I've had, or even the best dunkel, but the beer my friend/customer David brought back for me from Deutschland....after having a stroke!!! Who does that? What, A, man!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 09:09:06 | More by feloniousmonk

Brabander

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought this beer last week in Germany with many other beers. I didn't know this beer so i tried it. Poured in a dutch beerglas the head is very nice and big with almost no lacing.

The beer itself is darkamber, not brown. I could smell some caramel and coffee. Very little carbonation.

For a dunkel beer the beer is not that dark,nice to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 21:10:56 | More by Brabander

soju6

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer is a nice mahogany brown with a good head and light carbonation. The smell is like roasted caramel, sort of sweet. The taste is a bit sweet with a bitterness. It has a balanced flavor with a medium body that is smooth and easy to drink. This is a drinkable brew which seems to go best with food.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 12:08:57 | More by soju6

sunrisesolara

Austria

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

.5L emptied into a Pokal.

A: Pours a deep mahogany with a fluffy 2-finger tan head which receeds to a thick ring. Good lacing throughout.

S: Roasted barley malt, bread, dark chocolate, faint hint of almonds.

M: Light-to-medium bodied with decent carbonation.

T: Very malty, caramel. Earthy hops are quite reserved, with just enough spice to make their presence known. Lemon zest at the end, finishes clean with a lingering nutty aftertaste.

D: Certainly goes down quickly and without any fuss. Not the best Dunkel out there, but this would certainly make a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 14:53:37 | More by sunrisesolara

mwagner1018

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from a recent trip to Germany.

A- Deep dark brown, light creamy head, thin very minimal lacing.

S- Caramel, mild cocoa bitterness, malt, bourbon vanilla, raisin or dates.

T- Sweet up front, nice malt, clean progression to deep dark fruits, raisin-plum, mild bitterness from the noble hops. Nice deep complexity.

M- Light to Mild Medium body, carbonation delivers, fits style, smooth creaminess, nice light balanced bitterness.

D- Good Bavarian style dunkel, nice balance, clean, fits nicely with the style, rich and nicely aromatic, but lacks in the full flavor, have had better more complex examples.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 01:23:30 | More by mwagner1018

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.2/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500ml bottle bought online from Beersofeurope.co.uk

Poured a deep dark burgundy red... Creamy tan head poured quite thick then faded fairly quickly to very thin layer... A fair amount of carbonation drifts to the surface... no real lacing...

Aroma - Roasted biscuity malts, toffee / brown sugar sweetness, dark fruits (plums, blackcurrents, some figs), faint smokiness, nutty, peppery hops, some bready / malt loaf notes...

Taste - Nice toasted bready notes, biscuity maltiness, quite tart dark fruits (definite plums and blackcurrents, some apples and strawberries), definite nutty sweetness, molasses / treacle notes, spicy / peppery hops just coming through the maltiness...

Feel - Quite smooth then some sharpness comes through... medium bodied... very drinkable - could have a few of these in one sitting...

Overall - An excellent example of a Dunkel and supremely quaffable... recommended...

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 13:34:51 | More by mdagnew

engisch

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours weird. It has a carmel brown color, but it pours with a thick head and has bubbles that coat the inside of the glass. The smell and aroma is nothing special and is of sweet malts.

The taste is that of a typical dunkel style. It's a good balanced beer. It has nice lacing all the way down to the last sip.

Overall, if you are looking for a decent beer, this is a safe tastey dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 18:03:23 | More by engisch

jbro434

Switzerland

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice deep brown with a decent off white head that faded quickly with decent lacing. Malty and slightly sweet, nothing in the upfront taste to offend. Mouthfeel was pretty much the same with hints of chocolate, a bit thin. Finish was bitersweet chocolate nothing overpowering, nothing to make it very memorable either. All in all, a decent beer for the type and nothing I would turn down or try again if given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 08:23:26 | More by jbro434

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown 0.5 litre bottle best before 15 Jan 2009, drank 30 Aug 2008.

Clear and bright body, a treacle brown colour with an off white head which became a collar and wisp in a very short space of time.

A malty, sweet treacle aroma came from the beer.

The taste was of burnt or toasted coffee beans, toffee and caramel, but not as sweet as the aroma suggested.

A sickly sweetness did arrive in the aftertaste and I also thought it a bit thin/watery. There was some metalic hint towards the end of the drink also, hence the average scores for a beer I had high hopes for.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2008 18:28:42 | More by BlackHaddock

WJVII

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Last of the beers I brought back from Germany, this brew poured into a pint glass has a deep brown color, with an odd similarity to a cola. The carbonation stuck to the sides of the glass and there was a thin tan cap with minimal lacing. The smell is doughy and there is a hint of nuts. The taste is extremely thin and carbonated. There is a hint of roasted malt and a slight bitter after taste. I have to say for being the last beer I have from Germany I am a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 23:54:38 | More by WJVII

TheSarge

Illinois

3/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The dude that gave me this beer to try told me it tasted like bluet. A little strange, I guess.

Anyhow, this makes about a finger and a half light tan head, with the body being a blackish amber color.

The aroma is slightly smoky, but with a bitter cocoa like finish.

The taste is a bit of chocolate with a hint of smoke.

This is very light in all of its characteristics, with a light to medium body. It's a decent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 16:22:21 | More by TheSarge

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Solid aroma of cocoa, dough, and raisins. Dense tan head leaves a few strands of lace as it slowly fades. Dark cola colored beer with an amber hue around the edges. Flavors of cocoa and dark roasted malt. Fairly clean mouthfeel with a slight dark malt astringency. A really good dunkel and an all-around solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2008 19:35:37 | More by HappyHourHero

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.08/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

50cl bottle poured into an Erdinger Weizen glass

A- 3 finger creamy head with good retention, nice brussels lacing. Dark mahogany brown body.

S- Slight chocolateyness, nutty, a bit of fresh, a subtle hint of roasted malt? that cant be right.

T- A light chocolate creaminess. There is definitely a light roasted maltiness to it. Otherwise, its pretty clean, , not much finish.

M- Light mouthfeel, touch watery, medium to high carbonation

D- a bit of a sub-par/average Dunkel for me, not enough chocolately notes and a bit thin on the ground. Erdinger dunkel beats this easy!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 23:30:57 | More by seanyfo

Absumaster

Netherlands

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A clear, dark brown beer with a thin white head.

Smell is very malty and sweet with light roasted caramel notes. Some raisins and wood smells. Pretty complex.

Taste is malty and has some husky notes that smell a bit like cooked vegetables. On top of the malt is sweet caramel with some smokiness and some malt bitterness. Bitterness is quite high, higher than expected. A nice spicy but clean German bitterness. Body is medium to big and mouthfeel is medium sweet.
A beer that is in between a Munich and a Doppelbock, more towards the latter. Good beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 08:33:07 | More by Absumaster

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found this at the Tap Room in Lawrence, KS. Pours a translucent black/brown. Looks a bit glossy. Head is a bit small for this style. yet it does look nice; slightly off brown and soapy.
Aroma of roasted bread (?) and some dried apricot, but not real fruity. slightly carbonated.
Taste is clean. Roasted malt and bread, with touches of lemon zest and corriander. Starts to taste like a Wit, but shuts down at a nice pilsner feel.
Good brew. nice for a hot/hummid night. Wish I drank it colder.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2007 19:51:07 | More by Mebuzzard

petemoss14

Germany

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pleasantly warm mahogany with a fluffy head of tan foam.

Roasty malt aroma. Some dark bread. Faint cocoa and toffee.

A touch thin on the palate. Lots of dark malt with some roastiness. Slight bitterness leads to a medium dry finish. Uncomplicated and quaffable.

Straightforward beer that I wish had a bit more body, but, that said, what it lacks in depth and robustness it makes up for in drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2007 18:26:58 | More by petemoss14

ischer

Germany

4.47/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The beer has a surprising white head for a Dunkles and a red-brown cola-like color with bordeaux-red reflections.
The mouthfeel is exact the right balance between creamy and sparkling.
The smell isn't too obvious, but if you search for it you recognize the smell of chocolate and a very hidden banana-like flavour.
The taste is of solid malt with a medium note of caramel and a slight note of eucalyptus.
Once poured it takes relatively long to get moldy. ( but it is a steady, almost linear progress - so drinking it fresh is always the best option)
It is absolutely drinkable in relative masses, but it has the slight over-average noticeable aftermath which is typical for Dunkel.

All in all, I like it very much - it's my standard afterwork-beer after all!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 19:46:49 | More by ischer

Daredevil

Switzerland

4.05/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

lovely malty dark lager from the brewery of the ancient bavarian kings ... classy dark brown colour, the head is not too foamy nor firm, the malty smell is matched by the palate which ends in a dark coffee like aftertaste ... the brew is remarkably dry (for a dark lager) and has a light to medium body, which makes is very accesible

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2005 19:13:47 | More by Daredevil

mobyfann

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Paid .70EUR + .08EUR glass deposit for a 500mL bottle.

*Reviewed on 24.04.2005

The beer pours a classic chocolatey base with a medium white head, solid retention and some nice lacing to follow. One-dimensional smell of toasted malts…

The taste has a bit roasted malt depth than the smell, maybe a light touch of caramel but nothing more. The aftertaste is a bit weird of this one, but other than that it feels great in the mouth and delivery. It’s a nice session dunkel, but I'd prefer Hofbrauhaus brand…

Final Thought: This is a solid dunkel with a little more depth than a Warsteiner's version…

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2005 15:41:01 | More by mobyfann

elmocoso

Nebraska

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A transparent mahogony - soft cola color. Head comes up - head falls down leaving not much behing. Slight collar and decent beading. Nose is caramel - unsweet cola. Not much hops. Very appatising smell.
Taste is all present. Very malty with a roasted caramel aftertaste. Very drinkable with an OK mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2004 20:31:51 | More by elmocoso

StevieW

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Medium dark clear brown color. Foamy cream colored head. Stays around nicely. Mostly carmel smell matched with some hoppy bitterness. Taste is mild, mostly carmel malt. Sourness, very beerlike. After carmel malt taste, super shot of bitterness on the finish. Bitter finish is almost painful. Coffe undertones. Unexepected thin feel for a dark beer. Almost watery. Still very good, sweet start and bitter finish, not bad for the style. Cheers to my friend Heinz from Munich for bringing it all the way across the pond.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2002 19:23:18 | More by StevieW