Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lucent dark brown with dark amber accents that have a faint reddish cast. A classic dark lager appearance. The head is the color of lightly toasted bread and hangs around for a bit. It eventually falls to a thin, uniform sheet and leaves a few scattered scraps of lace.

The nose is on the underpowered side and is primarily of dark carmel malt. There isn't a great deal of complexity, but it's nice all the same.

The flavor profile is of dark malt with a wee bit of chocolate and leans toward sweet. The mouthfeel thins out in anticipation of the finish and just avoids wateriness by the time it arrives.

Creamy Dark Lager isn't a bad little drinker. In my opinion, it's the best that Leinenkugel's has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2004 23:15:45 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

reviewed from notes, this one was poured into a pint glass and given to me by my in laws.

the pour was a decent dark brown with light highlights around the edges and a nice tan head that reached about two inches before settling back down to earth. aroma of artifical chocolate and light roast, some light caramel as it warms but nothing over the top here by any means, flavor was clean, smooth chocolate is well supported by caramel, light bitter coffee and dark malts, hint of dryness in the finish with a touch of vanilla. body is light and seems to be off putting given the flavor.

overall not terrible by any means, and it is what it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 02:43:09 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours out a clear, dark chestnut brown body with a small-sized coating of off-white head.

Smell: The modest nose has some slight dark and roast malt notes to it, with accents of toast, coffee, and chocolate.

Taste: Dark maltiness imparts some toastiness and a small portion of unsweetened chocolate powder. Hint of standard coffee providing a touch of roast. Just a little bit of grainy astringency combines with the smidgen of hop bitterness. Things thin out, both in terms of body and taste for the dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. Encroaching on being a tad watery.

Drinkability: Eh, it's okay, I guess. A light counterpart to the rest of Leinenkugel's Fruity Pebbles-tasting line-up. Paired well with watching a program about Jimmy Stewart PBS.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 23:16:45 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Probably an attempt at a German Dunkel, because an attempt at any other dark beer would be a failure. Even compared to the good Dunkel's, this beer is more grainy than malty, a bit chalky, and almost cola-like. The carbonaiton is a bit harsh and the body thins quickly. There is a bittering that comes partly from hops, and partly from grain hulls. The body is less creamy than the lable suggests. Overall, it's just a bit weak on the malts and it hurts the beer from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2006 02:06:20 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

True to its word it ia a very creamy dark beer,very dark brown/black with good creamy head that doesnt stick around lond.Chocolatey aroma smells very sweet.Toasted malty taste and chocolaty,kinda thin after a few drinks.Pretty good beer had it with some hot wings and seemed to pair up pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2003 10:52:32 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark pours a clear, deep-mahogany body with ruby-accented chestnut highlights near the base of the glass. The head is creamy, bone-white, holds well, and leaves some very nice lacing about the glass. There's some dry roastiness in the nose, similar to dark-kilned chocolate malt, and a bit of dark caramel. It's medium bodied in the mouth with a gentle zest. The flavor is full, expressing dark caramel, almost burnt sugar, a touch of nuttiness, and some mild roastiness that lingers into the finish along with more scorched sugar. The bitterness is solid and it finishes dry. A flash of hops appears in the end as well. Very nice, almost smoky roastiness. Well-balanced. Clean. Very nice!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 00:16:43 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a shaker pint glass at Twelve Pines.

Another step into Wisconsin beer during the Man's Weekend. It pours a dark brown with garnet highlights topped by a finger of off-white micro-foam. The nose is nearly nonexistent, a fact which was corroborated by others at the table, though some intense nasal digging did eventually flush out some very light notes of roasted malts, coffee, and caramel. The taste is also kinda light, but not nearly as much so as the smell: notes of coffee, cream, vanilla, and roasted malts dance around playfully on the 'buds. The body is a sleek medium, with a light carbonation and a decidedly creamy feel. Overall, a nice little bit o' darkness, nothin' too dark, but something easily drinkable and enjoyable, especially given the more-than-reasonable pricetag.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2010 05:25:03 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

"Creamy Dark", eh? What does that connote exactly, what might you think they're going for, a porter, a scwarzbier, a tasty dunkel, surely not a stout.
Wel, let's check it out and see, eh?
Color, not brown, not black, but certainly darker than pale yellow...it's more of a deep reddish hue, with a creamy, fluffy off-whitish head.
Aroma: not bad at all, soft, creamy, light, but pleasant and not the least bit bad.
Taste: just the smallest bit of character, before thinning out forever, a whisper of darkish malty feel, with no particular flavors or desciptors coming to mind, maybe ...no, not really, but...not that either, really...maple syrup, charcoal, sausages, I don't know now, I'm just grabbing away...Light/medium body, rather blase finish, precious little texture, not a thing that really catches ones attention, ever, just sort of limpid and lame.
Not a terribly beer, really, and I guess I'd opt for it if the pickin's were slim, but nothing I'd ever really want to have, but...that's just me...enjoy, Leinie's Lovers, enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2003 11:37:25 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.28/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a translucent dark brown color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a very dry, roasted scent with lots of caramel malts and a lager yeast aroma. The taste average. It has a very bland and dry flavor that goes down slow and finishes weak and watery. It has some caramel malt sweetness, but it is roasted and dry with a musty/bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is an average dark lager. It has decent aroma, but average flavor. It's one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 00:13:58 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark brown color with a tan, foamy one-finger head. Small amounts of lace.

S - It smelled very nutty and malty.

T - It tasted of roasted malts, almost porter-like. It also had a sweet quality.

M - It had a soft and clean mouthfeel. A -medium-bodied beer.

D - Up there with BigButt Dopplebock as the best products from Lenie. It really impressed me.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 01:21:52 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer appears near black in color but is clear dark amber when held up to a bright light, exhibiting no visible carbonation. It poured with a thin creamy light beige head that left a bit of bubbles on the surface and a thin ring around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of dark and chocolate malts in the nose along with some hints of roasted malts.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except that the hints of roasted malts are absent from the flavors. No bitterness is detectable.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and somewhat thin and watery on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink but does not have any interesting flavors and seems a little too watery on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:27:40 | More by metter98

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark ruddy red with a 1.5" sand colored head. Good head retention & no lacing

Smell: slight molasess notes

Taste: Slighlty grainy up front & accompanied by chocalate notes. Finishes fruitty

MF: good balance, although slighlty undercabonated, Never got to the creamyness

Drinks pretty good. A good entry level dunkles for the unintiated

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2006 03:45:30 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours out as a really dark brown, almost black in color with a nice looking tan head. The aroma is packed with roasted and burnt malts and some nice hints of hops on the nose. The taste is nicely roasted with a good amount of malts upfront with a rich burnt bitterness in the aftertaste. The hops don't really shine thorugh in the flavor at all. The mouthfeel is lighter than most dark lagers which is ok I suppose. I'd prefer it to be a little thicker. Overall I was happy to have tried this one because it was one of the harder Leinie's to find in my area. I'd drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 19:19:36 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark burnt umber tone with a deeper crimson highlight in the light. Two fingers of puffy foam that settles down to a few centimeters, with some sheets of lacing. Aroma is malty, grainy and a little too vegetal.

First sip carries a mild astringency, grainy, with a minor roast note and low level sweetness in the aftertaste. Fairly clean but bland. Mouthfeel has adequate carbonation, but it's a bit watery. Papery, dry aftertaste. Something about this beer makes you want to just throw it back without pondering it at all. Not good. It's easy enough to drink, but i'm glad I didn't buy the sample.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2007 02:28:07 | More by emerge077

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours dark chestnut brown with a thin tan head that stays.

The smell is of roasted grain, a soft touch of chocolate and slight earthy spicing.

The taste is of toasted grain, a hint of chocolate and some roast. Hops peek through enough to give balance to the sweetness.

It is light-bodied, approaching medium. It is on the overcarbonated side, with fizz almost hindering the "creamy".

Despite the fairly aggressive carbonation and relative thinness it does have a decent dark character and enough balance to make it an easy-drinking enough beer. Not as sweet as the other offerings I've had from this brewery, though sweet enough for the style. While this is certainly not a hop-centric style, I do with they would dump the bland cluster hops. In the end, this beer does have a malty, but balanced character and with less fizz and more body could be much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 03:39:53 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had a bottle with frozen pizza on a cold Northern night, an approptiate pairing I'd say. Pours a dark, near black, brown with a light tan head and some lacing.

This beer is caught between a marginal macro lager and a legitimate dark lager. The aroma has an unfortunate cooked corn smell, but the flavor is dominated by a pairing of nutty and roasted malt flavor that are quite nice. Its a shame Leiny's can't follow through and really make this a good beer. Still quite drink despite the flaws.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 20:04:41 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Chestnut brown amber with a nice sized creamy textured darj cream head, leaves specks of lacing. Aroma: Slightly toasted malts a grassy note pretty mute on the overall aroma. Taste: Flavor is a decent mix of lager characteristics with dark roasted malts giving it just a nice overall edge not bad. Clean tasting brew. Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body lackluster not much to it. Drinkability: Overall decent priced easy drinking mass produced dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2004 02:21:53 | More by WVbeergeek

Billolick

New York

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 ouncer sampled. w/o any freshness indication on the label/bottle. Pours dark maple syrup in color, off white head, disolving to a tiny bubble film. This left behind some middle of the road lacing. Ho hum so far. The nose highlighted some maple syrup and molasas. Flavor notes included some caramel and lighly roasted malts. Smooth mouthfeel, but a bit thin and watery. This is a decent, lower cost brew. Basically malty, w/o much of a hop presence. Dark beer with training wheels.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2005 02:53:52 | More by Billolick

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The beer pours a dark shade of ruby and throws out a medium brown creamy head. There's a nice little chocolate/coffee aroma to this beer. Very pleasant. The taste is really lacking something. I had this on tap a year ago and I remember it being quite a bit better. The taste has some shades of cocoa and coffee bean. A very small amount of bitterness coming from the roasted malt I believe. Pretty average brew here.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2002 19:03:36 | More by Bighuge

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.33/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This is a terrible example of a creamy dark. Looks earthy colored, aroma was of earth and tobacco.

Taste, more tobacco, a little bit of bitterness undesired in a cream style beer. Roasted malt and tobacco rule here. No hops. Alcohol and bitterness way too amped up in the mouthfeel for this style. Coffee even seems to come into this. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 15:27:17 | More by Beerandraiderfan

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

- Bot. date 12-31-12. consumed 2-27-13.

A: Coal black coloring with a light walnut tinted head that was a bit foamy and sudsy with a short life expectancy. Small presence of carbonation with minimal lace coverage.

S: Soft roasted caramel and dried wood.

T: Flavor of roasty coffee, moderate depth, with a bit of lightly scorched wood. Vanilla and warm nuttiness with dark fruit. The finish has sweet dark caramel and chocolate highlights with a soft earthy and roasty fade.

M: Light creamy body, light presence of carbonation with a soft dry roastiness and dry creamer fade.

O: Leinenkugel seems to be improving with actual indications of flavor compared to earlier renditions ive experienced by them. This one is creamy sweet, and dark and decent by all accords.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:35:48 | More by beerthulhu

plaid75

New York

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep amber hue with a one finger creamy off-white head. There was good retention and good lacing.

The smell featured a roasted grain aroma with mild hints of adjunct grain. There was a subtle coffe aroma and a mild flowery hop.

The taste was light and refreshing. A mild roasted grain and coffee element dominated. Some residual sweetness as well.

The mouthfeel was creamy yet light.

Overall a nice macro dark lager. A unique creamy characteristic. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 00:46:51 | More by plaid75

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

How curious - a style without any guidelines. In that case, I will review to taste and since I am tasteless guy, anything could happen ...

My pour resulted in just under a finger of light-tan head that wilted quickly in this unrelenting heat. Color was a deep dark-brown with cola highlights at the edges. Nose smelled of licorice and molasses. In a lager?!? Mouthfeel was kind of thin and it tasted like drinking watery cocoa powder mix. WTF? Man, this was one bizarre beer, even for me. Finish was lightly chocolaty with a mild smokiness on the extreme finish. I really have no point of reference on this one. I am not a fan of the Black IPA hybrid style, but this was something different. I guess that what bugged me was its thin mouthfeel and its lack of Ooomph in terms of flavor. It's a neat concept, but it could be better executed, IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 21:18:12 | More by woodychandler

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass.

Color is a dark ruby red. Can't really see through the beer. Head is really thin and dissapates quickly, leaving some lace.

The aroma is next to nothing, very grainy, like a lager, but that is all. Taste is much better. It is like almond toffee. Burnt roasted malts are also noted.

Mouthfeel reminds me of and American macro lager. Nothing to special, leaves an itchy taste in your mouth.

Overall, not to bad of a beer (for a lager) but not something I'd drink again.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 01:28:43 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Very impressive color and aroma. Smooth pour and it earns the "creamy" moniker, as I was surprised how smooth it was for a dark beer. My first Dunkel and I would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2002 17:15:51 | More by Dogbrick