Bonfire Dunkle Weiss - Two Brothers Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not a great dunkel, but a drinkable dark brown with a decent white head, and substantial lace down the glass. Boozy, spicey chocolate aroma. Above-average carbonation and about average mouthfeel as a tad more watery than I would expect. I taste a bunch of cloves first and foremost, and then chocolate.Fairly sourish finish. Could be much creamier.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2009 21:47:05 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke."

--Benjamin Disraeli

Hazelnut brown with russet highlights... that becomes dark cranberry when backlit with morning sunshine. The skinned almond colored crown is on the lightly airy and unsticky side. It lasts a while, but doesn't look very good and doesn't grace the glass with much lace.

This dunkelweizen smells like both a dunkel and a weizen (more the latter), which is to its credit. It's minimally toasted-earthy-nutty and only slightly brown malty. Spicy clove is much more prominent than banana. This has a chance to be pretty good beer.

Bonfire isn't setting my world ablaze. Positives are definitely present, but so are negatives. In the end, the flavor score settles into a spot just north of average. Incidently, the beer drinks much closer to the 6.2% seen on the label than the 7.5% shown above.

Positives include the usual style flavors of well-toasted (not quite cocoa-like) malt, along with a sweet nuttiness, a light fruitiness and a hefty shot of clove. Negatives include too much tartness, not enough banana, and cloves that are more medicinal and phenolic than yeast-derived. At least that's the way it tastes to me.

BDW is supposed to be a bigger, darker version of Ebel's Weiss. I prefer the hefeweizen to the dunkelweizen. There is some underlying sweetness, but something seems amiss in the sweet-bitter-sour department. Maybe more malt would have helped, it's hard to say. The flavors themselves aren't *that* far off.

The body/mouthfeel seemed thin initially, although now that I'm into the bottom half of the bottle, it's more light-medium. An odd slickness appears on the finish and the bubbles are within the wide range of acceptable.

Bonfire Dunkel Weiss Dark Wheat Ale is not one of Two Brothers's better efforts. Having said that, it's a decent example of the style that would probably be just fine after a few well-chosen tweaks. A purchase price of $5.99 isn't too bad for a bomber, but a second chance probably isn't in the cards.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 14:50:40 | More by BuckeyeNation

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Kinda going out of order in this anniversary series (1, 3, 2), but who's counting? This stuff pours a dark, somewhat hazy russet-ruby topped by a half-finger of off-tan foam. The nose comprises clove, dark wheat, light banana, a pinch of black pepper, and a half-pinch of cinnamon. The taste comes through with a blast of spice: cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, allspice, and black pepper. Some mild dark wheat and banana notes populate the background, but they're clearly relegated to the supporting cast (they're petitioning for more than their couple o' lines apiece, but the director seems to be a bit of an ass...). Something akin to mild tea sits amongst the scenery behind everything else. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a slightly watery feel. Overall, a muddled, weak take on the dunkelweizen style. Not my thing, yo.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 02:25:01 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dusky crimson coloring, smallish cola-tinged head.

Aroma: fruit, grapes, figs, dates, carob, and a bit of cocoa...swetness and yum. Spice, and plump fruit, and deliciousness.

In the taste: more sweet, malty deliciousness. Medium-bodied, easy drinking and smooth, but vastly tasty. What is itabout the dunkel weiss? The smooth, sweet drinkability, the fruity flavor, ...non-stop deliciousness.
The texture and the grit of a wheat beer, all the roasty, toasty malty tasteof a dark bock beer.

I love a good dunkel weiss, and this joins the ranks. Way to go, Bros!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 07:39:15 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a cloudy, dirty brown color with a small, foamy, off-white head. Not much in the way of lace.

S - It smelled fairly nutty and of wheat. There was also a grainy aroma.

T - The wheat flavor comes through more in the taste. It has a nutty, roasty taste.

M - It was soft and smooth. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty interesting dunkel. Pretty tasty, too.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2009 02:52:51 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear dark brownish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation but poured with a massive three finger high beige head.
S: There are light aromas of bananas and sweet malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but a little more complex with notes of caramel and chocolate malts along with hints of chocolate towards the finish. A light amount of sweetness is present.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: The beer seems to be over carbonated and takes a delicate hand to pour this and get more beer than bubbles in your glass. The beer is interesting but doesn’t seem to fit the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 17:52:37 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired from diekia, courtesy of the Review This! BIF so a big "Thank You" goes out to her. Poured from a 22oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a medium brown color, with a large beige head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of wheat, caramelized malts, some hints of dark fruit and chocolate along with a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out a little sweet with flavors of caramel, dark fruit and chocolate. Then bready flavors of wheat and a hearty roasted malt character come in. The hops presence is mild but brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, although there are better beers in the style this is still a solid beer that is worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 02:35:09 | More by TheManiacalOne

emerge077

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft at Village Tap.

Served in a pint glass, black with a dark chocolate brown edge. CO2 bubbles cling to the side, with a feeble head of foam that barely covers the surface. Aroma is plain at first, and some clove and cider notes come out as it warms.

Tastes cidery, there are grape and clove notes, with sort of a funky yeast presence that doesn't help things. It lingers into the aftertaste, with a sort of slick feeling. The body is thinner than a dunkelweisse/weizenbock, about as light as a standard hefeweizen. I finished the pint, but didn't really enjoy it. This is a brand new keg, as this was just released. I don't have high hopes for the bottled version, although this may be a bad draft line issue (not likely looking at other bottle reviews).

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2008 00:21:26 | More by emerge077

akorsak

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A 650 mL bottle purchased at Anderson's on Talmadge in Toledo, OH. I'd heard that this is infected.

A: The ale has a huge, ginormous white head that bubbles up to over three fingers. Just as fast as it appeared, it was gone, fueling concerns. The ale sits still, no sign of carbonation (and no lacing), with a dark black cherry cola color.

S: Darker chocolate notes dominate with a subtle hint of wheat underneath. It smells a little sour, which surprisingly aids the depth. I'm going in...

T: The infection adds a very mild sourness to the start of each sip. Setting the darker malts off with a flourish. The wheat stands out, with a lighter flavor. The yeast adds clove, but it struggles to make its way through the sourness. Chocolate sits in the aftertaste, wiping away memories of the start.

M: Sour? Yes. Infected? Yes. Still tasting good though? Yes. Not the best dunkelweizen, but one that offers a great deal of darker malts that are content to linger on the palate.

D: This one is enough for me. Maybe I'll check back in on the next, uninfected, batch.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2009 00:48:39 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is rockin' it carbonation a bit high at first pour but as the bottle opens and a focused slow pour there's no problems getting a nice tall weizen glass full of dark ruby almost black crimson highlighted dunkel weiss. Head is bubbly with the higher levels of carbonation but doesn't quickly dwindle head sticks sporadically in mixed chunky patterns.

Aroma has darker roasts a mild metallic twang with tart fruit including apples and raisins blended together with the creamy dark chocolate roasted malt character. I'm lovin' this brew mild banana esters but overall a kick as fall release that works for what it's trying to pull off authentic dunkel weizen. An herbal citrus kick is flowing as well and it's going great with the rest of the experience.

Flavor before pouring the rest of the yeast into my glass it was much more balanced in flavors I got dark roasts ripened fruit notes tart citrus with slight raisin and apple tartness. After pouring the yeast in I got a chalky nutty character that over burden the rest of the flavors that were going on. Tart apple still persisted with a raisin tone but the additional yeast sediment didn't do justice like it typically dose. So hold off or pour two smaller glasses to detect the difference.

Mouthfeel overall was nice effervescent with the heavy carbonation I don't believe it was overdone just right for the style, most American dunkel weiss brews leave out the spritzy carbonation levels. Medium bodied for sure especially when you pour the sediment in.

Drinkbility overall an enjoyable fall/winter seasonal that I would like more access to, I think these two brothers should move into Pittsburgh they are makin' some great versions of classic styles and this one sits no differently.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 01:11:43 | More by WVbeergeek

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Served in a small weizen glass)

A- This beer has a dense dark brown body with a faint murky brown glow at the base. There is a thin head of bubbles that last for a few sips and the body is a bit too dense to see much carbonation.

S- This beer has a soft plastic and yeasty aroma to it. As it warms there is a bit of a dark nougat aroma that comes through.

T- This beer has a tart apple cider flavor at the front of the taste with a soft toast flavor and some dark bread dough hints to follow. Then the taste finishes with more apple tartness but softer that the first.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a slippery texture and no real alcohol heat.

D- This beer is a bit bland with the flavors coming through being a bit off and one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 22:28:16 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ouncer, under $6 at Cable Bev in Bardonia, NY. Pours dark cola, moderate head, dissolves to a medium khaki ring and leaves just a smidge of lace. dark ripe fruit nose. Figs, earth, dark fruit juice, and a slight metallic or perhaps a hint oxidation picked up before it was warmed up. Ehh, nothing special going on here. I'd say worth a try if you're in love with the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 01:11:45 | More by Billolick

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark murky mess of brown liquid. Bubbly light brown head. Barely. And lacing is damn near absent. Aroma is muddy, earthy and vegetal. A little clove and chocolate, but the nose is mostly goth. Flavor is phenolic, a little roasty, slight anise and some bread pudding. All in all, pretty agreeable. Easy to drink. Smooth feel to it. Close to medium in body. Decent enough, but not really up to Two Brother's standards.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 05:53:40 | More by Bighuge

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into Town Hall Weizen Glass

Pours a 1 finger light tan head. Not very good retention. Not a lot of lace either. Color is a combination between dark ruby red and caramel bark brown.

Aroma: A little smokey/roasty. Chocolate, banana, cloves. A very typical dunkelweize. Reminds me of the Naked juice flavor: chocolate banana.

Taste: pretty much like the aroma. Big roasty malt bomb mixed with bananas, cloves, and chocolate. Pretty solid dunkel.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and very creamy. Medium-full bodied. Decent amount of carbonation. Ends with a smokey/chocolaty aftertaste.

Overall, very easy drinking beer. This bomber didn't take me too long to finish. I really liked it. Good representation of the style and I would buy more.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 21:09:10 | More by mothman

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a good two finger head after the pour that retains to a ring of foam. Dark cola colored, ruby beer with strong bubbling. Figgy and some chocolatey aromas. Plus some light roasted malts as well. Fruity toasted and roasted malts give layers of complexity to this dunkle weiss. Plums and cocoa and figs. Complex and tastey dunkle with a malty, fruity palate and a juicey feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 02:33:56 | More by scruffwhor

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.93/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

22 oz bottle poured into a weiss glass.
16.1° P, 15.1 IBU, 6.2% ABV, no date.

*Yes, this is old. I picked this one up a few days before review towards the end of May this year at Groppi's, who, to my delight, had a bottle on the shelf. At that point I had wanted one for at least a year.

A - Bonfire pours a gorgeous vintage burgundy brown with good clarity despite the dark color. The light oak head is effervescent as can be and disappears quite quickly. No lace.

S - The volatile mutant yeast aroma disappears quickly leaving behind dark wheat and light smoke notes. The mutant yeast returns! Mild aromatic notes of the classic German strain.

T - Quite dunkl-y indeed, there's a good amount of dark what within this brew but just a touch of smokiness. The yeast shows mild signs of infection, but certainly no where near as much as the nose.

M - Highly carbonated with a medium-light body and soft, dry finish, the feel of this brew is still quite nice!

O - I wish I would have looked at reviews before my spontaneous, joy-filled purchase. It seems there had been issues even when fresh. Then again, I knew what I was getting into, buying an old beer. Still, it's not as bad as some reviews have made it out to be, even with it's age.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 02:35:38 | More by BeerFMAndy

drpimento

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was served with a small light tan head and a little lace. Color is a fairly hazy very dark mahoganey. Aroma was roasty dark malt, pumpernickle rye, a little dark ripe fruit, and not a lot of spice. Flavor is dominated by tartness, then a little bittersweetness, the above aroma characteristics and a little nuttiness. Body is ok, a bit sharp. Finish is mainly dark sour malt. Nothing special, but not too bad.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2009 21:41:07 | More by drpimento

Vancer

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I thought the "Double Weiss" per the label would pack some abv punch, but on closer inspection I see it's only 6.2%.

Pours a deep mahogany brown, almost blackish, with a quick dying tan head. Aroma is light, just some sweet malts notes.

Quaff is not toasty, as the label notes, but a funky sour rotten fruit taste. Someone drop a spoiled melon in the mash tun?

Wow, surprised at Two Bros with this one, usually they produce tasty brews. This one misses the mark badly.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2009 19:23:34 | More by Vancer

KarlHungus

Minnesota

1.85/5  rDev -48.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

So after a delicate twenty minute long pour the beer is finally ready to be drank. How annoying. The beer is a dark brown color (perhaps the darkest dunkelweizen I've yet seen, but alright). The head is massive, and doesn't recedes. The aroma has the nasty chemically breadiness to it. It smells nothing like a dunkelweizen. Unfortunately this translates over into the taste. There is some roasted malt, and chocolate with a hint of yeast that cover some of it up, but it is still there. It is also lacking of the usual banana bread and clove that are expected in the dunkelweizen. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with likely carbonation. Overall, this beer doesn't do it for me. It seems like Two Brothers was trying for a dunkelweizen/porter hybrid along the lines of New Glarus Black Wheat. If that is truly what they were going for they were completely off. On the other hand if they were going for a traditional dunkelweizen they were way off too. The aroma makes me scared with every sip that it will taste like it smells. That, and the over carbonated pour make this beer a something I would not recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 00:17:19 | More by KarlHungus

GbVDave

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a St. Feuillien chalice.

A: Pours a dark, ruby-hinted brown with a small dallop of light-khaki head that doesn't stick around for long. It recedes to a whispy skim and unbroken ring that leaves some globs of lace in the glass.

S: Yeasty nose reveals aromas of banana, clove, toasted malt, tangy fruit, bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate covered cherry, and sweet over-ripe dark fruit.

T: Tangy dark fruit and citrus toe the line with toasted malt, bakers chocolate, banana, anise, clove/cardamom, cherry, milk chocolate, and fresh baked bisquits. Perhaps a bit too much tangy fruit?

M: Sweet and spicy with a welcome dry roasted maltiness that helps to balance out the fruit tang.

D: I highly suggest that all sediment be swirled around and poured into your glass. Doing so really dials in a toasty/creamy/chocolatey presence that I think is what the folks at Two Brothers were going for with this beer. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 20:28:12 | More by GbVDave

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - pours with warm caramel brown tones, a thinnish cap of light mocha above it.

Aroma - some light banana, metallic-like aroma. Some initial roastiness seems to have faded rather quickly. There is a little caramel sweetness in the residuals. 3.5

Taste - the opening grain is a touch sour, reminiscent of a mild infection. Doesn't sport the heavy carbonation that goes along with it though, so I'm more inclined to think it's just the balance of malts and sugars. A kind of sweet brown ale flavor, like sour brown sugar. Banana notes on the swallow, expected weissy yeastiness. The aftertaste is a little tart with powdery grain. Once the palate adjusts, the flavors settle into a more likeable beer, some nice roasted grain coming out, and a good blend of grain sweetness, caramel, and yeast. 4.0

Mouthfeel - thin, highly carbonated, a little light. 3.0

Drinkability - a decent brew, crafty but not all that enticing. 3.0

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 04:28:10 | More by brewdlyhooked13

prototypic

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Wow. The cap pops on this one with some force. Hmmmm...could be an overcarbonation problem. Bonfire pours an attractive nut brown color. It's clear and backlighting gives it really nice scarlet highlights. As I suspected, it's overcarbonated to an annoying degree. Topping it off is an off-white head that stands over four fingers tall easily. It takes a while for it to dissipate to a normal level. Lacing was somehow on the light side. Clean up that carbonation issue and this would probably be attractive.

The nose is okay, but isn't special by any means. There's a decent spicy combo of pepper and clove. Neither appears to be stronger. Banana is disappointingly weak. There's a subtle hint of it, but it clearly needs to be stronger. It's somewhat herbal and earthy. Smells like there's a nice malty base present. It smells a little sweet, but not by much. Alcohol is blended well. It's not bad. I'll go above average here, but barely. It smells alright, but nothing stands out about it.

The flavor's a little better than the nose, but not enough to warrant a score bump. It is spicy up front. Clove and pepper are more prominent here. Clove seems to be the strongest spice. It is a little sweet and it has a solid malt base. Banana is very, very subdued and is almost unnoticeable. I really don't like that aspect of it. Banana needs to be much more in the mix for this to truly succeed. It's a little earthy on the tail. Alcohol isn't noticeable in the least. The flavor's a little more lively than I expected. But, it's still just floating above average.

Bonfire has a light body that leans toward medium. It's nearly smooth, but active, buzzy carbonation really interferes with any smoothness it might have. Average, at best. Drinkability is above average. The flavor here is okay. No better. Excessive carbonation keeps it from being really enjoyable. But, it still goes down pretty easy despite that shortcoming.

Two Brothers is a pretty solid brewery. This is not one of their finer efforts. It's okay, but suffers from overcarbonation and a strong banana deficiency. Ultimately the flavor never really materializes into what I'd hoped it would be. Those probably wouldn't be big problems to correct. Fix it and get this fire blazing. It's worth a try. Stick with a single bomber though.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 01:58:30 | More by prototypic

morimech

Minnesota

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

Poured into a weizen glass being sure I got the yeast sediment into the glass. Has a dark, murky brown color with a small tan head that quickly settles to a thick cap. Very little lacing is left on the glass.

The smell is weak. It just does not explode with weizen aromas. What I do smell is a combination of cloves and something along the lines of moldy grain.

The flavor is just off. Has a musty, slightly sour flavor that does not belong. The yeast flavors are weak. I do not taste any fruity esters. Unimpressive flavors. A shot of sourness before a clove aftertaste settles in.

Light bodied with a well suited carbonation. Typical for the style.

Not a well done dunkelweizen. The 6.2% ABV is well hidden in this light bodied beer. It was also a bit expensive as well. There are many dunkleweizens that are better and cheaper on the market.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 19:04:58 | More by morimech

sulldaddy

Connecticut

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

Sampled this beer at room temp poured into a pint glass. Beer is dark chestnut hue with garnet tints and fizzy beige head of 4 cm foaming up even with a gentle pour, would have overflowed without precautions taken. Aroma is chocolate malt and roasted notes a little fruity, but not as complex as I had hoped. Not too much twang in there either. First sip reveals an average body and rolling gentle carbonation. Flavor is very mild but similar to nose with bits of brown sugar and chocolate and a hint of dark red fruit, plums??. No hops or ABV show through, but again not very complex flavor. The beer is an easy drinker, but I was hoping for more subtleties and mix of flavors. I am a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 04:45:06 | More by sulldaddy

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bonfire Dunkle Weiss is ok....I am just not a fan of this beer style so ratings from me are probably skewed. This was a retro release from Two Bros. The beer was dark almost opaque with brow/ruby hugh. There is a almost non-existent head that is not lacing. There is a light wheatly smell and a sweet mlt taste. The mouthfeel is lighter in body with bland carbonation. Overall...eh.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 02:47:49 | More by WoodBrew