Neumarkter Lammsbräu Dunkel (Lammsbräu Organic Dunkel) - Neumarkter Lammsbräu

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This organic dark lager from Neumarkt, Germany is a brilliant example of the dunkel style. It pours a crystal-clear dark chestnut body at around 22 SRM, and offers up a frothy head of tan foam. The head retention is good, and it leaves large spots of lace about the glass.

The aroma suggests toasty, almost roasted malts. It's sweetish, bready, and a bit caramelish. Floral and softly grassy hops round out the nose.

In the mouth it's medium-light bodied with a starting gravity of 12.5 P, and just delicately tingly on the tongue with a very-fine bubbled moderate carbonation that leaves it smooth and subtly creamy.

The dark malts give a quick hint of sweetness up front, caramelish and doughy, before it dries across the middle as the bitterness rises. It then becomes toasty, and it even has a suggestion of roasty smokiness. Floral, grassy, herbal, and even a bit spicy, the hop flavors appear just before the swallow and then fade in a short lived finish that leaves only a thin coating of bittered malt sticking to the tongue and teeth. Remarkably well-balanced and rounded.

Complex enough to keep it interesting beyond one serving, it's also quite easy to drink as it's not overdone with flavor, and its smooth carbonation and body don't fill you up. Certainly worth trying!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 14:51:46 | More by NeroFiddled

dedrinker

Kansas

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber/ nut brown appearance with a cream colored head. Delicious aroma of toffee, nuts, and lightly toasted pumpernickel. The flavor is a very dry, nutty toffee-like affair with a marked smoothness. The hops serve to balance the malts and go a little step further to dry it out on the finish, making this beer very drinkable. You get deep rich malt flavor in a medium bodied package that does not cloy. In an era of beers that cater to palettes that were raised on soft drinks, this dunkel is a glorious reminder of the heyday of Germany's beer reputation.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2008 04:36:39 | More by dedrinker

Brianmerrilyn

New York

4.55/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into mini-heffe glass at 08 Long Island Brew festival by same gents at the Schwelmer and Germania table. Menzel is the Master Brewer for all of them if I recollect correctly, and this was over 20 samples in mind you folks. Guy said nickname is "oaktree" or Eichbank for the brewer/beer not entirel sure but wrote it down nonetheless.

Appearance of opaque red and brown with respectable fading 1 finger head but consistent lacing.

Smell is sweet with impressive mature dashes of hops in the background.

Taste was a back and forth between the caramel and the earth hops, perhaps roasted a dash.

Mouthfeel was medium but not thick by any stretch.
Drinkability is a no brainer, this makes Munich proud and I'm glad to know about Menzel and his talents!!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2008 00:52:39 | More by Brianmerrilyn

plaid75

New York

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a soft brown hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a grainy malt with a touch of caramel sweetness and toasted grain.

The taste was complex with elements of burnt grain, caramel sweetness and hop earthiness. Good doughy finish. Very clean.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness for the style.

Overall a very tasty dunkel. Welcome to the United States.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2008 14:55:25 | More by plaid75

Todd

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

0.5l brown bottle that was flown in fresh from Bavaria for the German Beer Fest! Bio/organic beer.

Pours a rich, dark brown colored beer with copper hues and a two-finger thick beige head that retains very well. Very pleasing malty nose that suggests sweet malts, with toasty breads, chicory, biscuits and honey. Mouthfeel is smooth, even, with a well-rounded consistency. Medium-bodied. Creamy carbonation, with a slight tonic-like crispness on the back-end. More toasty characters, with brown breads, hints of caramel and chocolate, fermented out honey, and some dextrin. Granola-like. Very light semi-citric smacking of hops and herbal note beneath. Fairly wet in the finish with plenty of toasty malts in the linger, eventually getting a bit dry with some biscuity/grain and hay-like tannins.

Neumarkter Lammsbräu is aiming to come into the US market in 2008. I really hope they export this beer as not only is this a great Dunkel, but it's a fantastic organic beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2007 06:20:30 | More by Todd

fdrich29

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was lucky enough to pour this beer at the Beer Advocate German Beer Fest's speaker panel. This was just one of many beers that made the wait for the Bro's to feature German beer at one of their fests so very worth it. I was even luckier to be able to bring one of the extra bottles home after the fest.

I've been a lover of all things malt for the last few years and this beer was one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. Deep ruby color, rich malty smell and a fantastic malty/bready taste. Very easy to drink. If you have the chance to get a hold of this beer don't make sure you take advantage of it, you'll be glad you did.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2007 03:08:10 | More by fdrich29

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had the privilege of tasting this several times in 2 oz samples at the German Beer Fest last weekend. Reddish brown in color with an off white head. Some caramel and roasted oats. What really comes through is the grains. I can smell the mash in the nose and taste it as well. For any of you who homebrew, the smell that comes from your mash tun I can smell and taste in this beer. No doubt this beer is a decoction mashed.
This is a remarkable brew! I can't say that I've had anything quite like this before.

I got the impression that they may be trying to export this soon. I hope they do, because I'd love to taste this again.

Update 8/25/09
I had the opportunity to try this one again as I found it in a local store. I know the ones that I got to try at the German Beer Fest were super fresh, and I believe the ones that I found in the store were not.
Pours a dark brown with beautiful reddish hues and a bubbly off white head dissipates quickly. Smells of caramel, brown sugar, dark fruits, plums come to mind. Slight grain in the nose. Taste is sweet, caramel and dark fruits, slight bready grain, lingering burnt sugar in the finish, no hops at all. Creamy smooth mouth, medium level of carbonation, thick body. Not a bad beer, but I'm just not blown away like I was before.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 23:45:16 | More by johnnnniee

Jason

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The label dons the "Bio" symbol which means it is organic under German law. The sample size is a .5L bottle that is poured into a plain beer mug. Sudsy tan head drops quick but the retention of the lacing is just fine, reddish brown hue flaunts a perfect clarity. Bready maltiness to start, mild grape skin, kiss of caramel and toasted malt in the aroma which come pleasant to the nose. The smoothness of this beer is out of this world, the medium body and moderate carbonation level make you want to take a sip quicker and quicker. Heavy handed with bready tones, toasted and mildly grainy with a faint hay-like flavor. Ample sweetness is balanced by a reserved hop bitterness. Faint grape skin flavor from the malt middle to end, solid dry maltiness in the finish. At 4.8% the alcohol stays in place, the palate is clean from start to finish with only a ghost faintness of cooked veggies (DMS).

I wish every German import would taste this fresh or at least close to it, a superb Dunkel that is extremely drinkable and packed with flavor. A beer Neumarkter Lammsbräu Dunkel is a real reason to visit Germany, not just the yearly fest in Munich.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2007 02:11:25 | More by Jason

Sigmund

Norway

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Bottle, trade with joss in Germany). Organic! Reddish brown colour, very good head. Roasted malts, toast, caramel, oak and pine wood in the aroma, some smokiness. Flavour is all malts + a slight smokiness, nice bitterness, well balanced. This is a very good dunkel!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2006 18:52:29 | More by Sigmund