Graf Stolberg Dunkel - Brauerei Westheim GmbH

augustgarage

California

3.6/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 500mL bottle into my Harriet pilsner glass.

Clear sienna body with rufous highlights and a khaki cap. Decent retention; soapy lacing.

Spicy aromatics suggest nutmeg and cloves in addition to a malty base. Christmas-y.

Malty yet dry on the palate with the suggestion of spice and herbs (a nearly vegetal element, though not perceived as DMS). Hints of caramel, but the distinctive Munich malt flavor dominates. Mild hop presence adds to the "spicy" character - finishes bright and bready.

Creamy, smooth, medium-light bodied mouth-feel.

Difficult for me to rate to style as I rarely drink this variety - but it is a moderately flavored yet light lager with few obvious flaws.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 21:36:23 | More by augustgarage

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500 ml bottle into lager glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, pear, apple, toast, toffee, nuttiness, brown sugar, brown bread, floral, and light earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and of malt and fruity ester notes; with decent strength. Taste of caramel, pear, apple, toast, toffee, nuttiness, light roast, brown sugar, brown bread, floral, light pepper, and floral earthiness. Lingering notes of caramel, light fruits, toast, toffee, nuttiness, light roast, brown bread, floral, light pepper, and floral earthiness on the finish for a bit. Very nice flavor balance of malt, hop, and ester flavors; with a good amount of robustness and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy and lightly crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good dunkel lager. Good robustness and balance of malt and moderate fruity esters; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 04:03:48 | More by superspak

flagmantho

Washington

3.79/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: dark amber-brown body which shows a rich ruby hue when held up to the light. Body is haze-free and there's a robust effervescence. Head is one finger of pillowy tan foam with a decent lacing on the glass. Attractive!

Smell: mild malty aroma with a hint of chocolate and a nice graininess. It's a bit muted, but decently composed.

Taste: nice malty flavor with a little dab of chocolate and a nice yeasty character. Hops are earthy/noble in nature and there is a decently balanced bitterness at the end. Not complex, but a decent dunkel.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a big, well-integrated carbonation and a surprisingly satisfying creaminess. I dig it!

Overall: this beer is eminently drinkable and a quite-tasty example of the style. Definitely seek this beer out if you like Munich dunkels.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 21:21:52 | More by flagmantho

Bung

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml. My bottle says 5.1 abv. Really dark brown pour with a very thin layer of off white.

Aroma, smells bit like German macro, not sure how else to describe, with a faint tartness. A dry roasted malt and some light chocolate.

Taste, toasted malt, cocoa, pretty nice. Tinge if caramel and metallic. Dry finish, about the same as before. Pretty straight forward.

Lighter bodied, carbonation is a tad high washing out some of the flavor to me. Drinks quite easy though. A good middle of the road example.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 02:58:40 | More by Bung

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Starts out nice with a pour at a good temperature and a nice, medium sized, light tan head that settles after a bit to a light cover and some lace. Color is a clear mahoganey with no bubble trails. Aroma is a pleasing roasty-toasty, malt. Flavor's like nose, though on the shallow side - as well a bit dry up front along with a hint of bitter and a little carbonic tang, then in the finish there's a little sweetness. Body's a bit thin too, carbonation likewise. Finish is as I've said with malt sweet doing a slow taper. Ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 04:28:31 | More by drpimento

HardTarget

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tall bottle, 1PT .9 FL.OZ. lists ingredients (Water, Malt, Hops), guess they filter out the yeast, and a note that it is “easily digestible”. Also noted is that it is imported by Golden Cage out of San Antonio, which explains why all us Texas boys are reviewing it.
Aroma: Slight yeast aroma (ironic) with some mild banana and malt smells. Also some mild grape and dark fruit smells.
Appearance: Clear brown amber glass with a nice cover of small bubbled creamed coffee head that laced like a champ.
Flavor: Smell forecasts the taste fairly well with more of the dark fruit and grape taking the lead. Second taste revealed some oxidation notes which detracted from a very good first taste. No date on the bottle, so the brewer takes the hit.
Mouthfeel: Medium body slightly over carbonated. Fairly creamy in feel
Overall Impression: Too bad the oxidation took away what was otherwise a very solid beer. Overall it’s fairly mild and quite slammable/sessionable, with enough depth to make it interesting. Nothing I’d go to Germany for, but I’d order another with some schnitzel.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2005 03:40:48 | More by HardTarget

Pegasus

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep reddish brown in color with excellent clarity. The head is moderate and off-white in color with excellent retention. The lacing is quite thick, breaking only slightly on the glass walls.

Aroma: Toasty dark malt flavors and caramel dominate the aroma with a slightly spicy note as well.

Taste: Opens with a fairly strong caramel malt note, later in the taste there are hints of spices and a lingering undercurrent of nutty flavors. The finish is very dry with a mild metallic hop note.

Mouth feel: Not unpleasant, but does not seem as full as it should be.

Drinkability/notes: Very pleasant and drinkable, particularly on a cold, rainy afternoon such as this.

Presentation: Packaged in a brown glass half-liter bottle with a pop top crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2005 19:11:22 | More by Pegasus

Gagnonsux

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As far as I know, in Texas, Westheimer products are only available at HEB Central Market locations. Graf's color is dark brown with a reddish hue. Head is about average sized and off white. The smell is fairly light with notes of spice and dark malts. The taste is very malty and full. Toasted malts are accented with a mild spice flavor. The finish is sweet and breadier, with another splash of spice at the very end. This is another German beer that I enjoy, I'll have to pick up some other Westheimer products the next time I go to Central Market.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2005 02:33:05 | More by Gagnonsux

allengarvin

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: half-liter bottle in a nonik glass.

Appearance: Dark mahogany-brown color, with a solid, long-lasting inch of head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Light toasted bread aroma. Very light, almost not there.

Flavor: Smooth, caramel flavors with toasty, slightly sweet malt. A very slight burnt-malt bitterness, together with quite restrained hops, make for a slightly dry finish.

Body: Medium body, average carbonation.

Slightly above average dark lager (except for the lack of aroma).

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 05:09:32 | More by allengarvin

kbub6f

New York

3.2/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A crusty, pale tan, two-inch head sits on a clear, dark, red-brown beer. Runny swoops of lacing. Peanutty and dusty in the nose. A little fruit. Nutty and chocolatey in the front. The middle is tangy with some chocolate. A little milky. Medium body. Finish is metallic and dry. It's not bad. It has some flavor, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2004 20:06:53 | More by kbub6f

assurbanipaul

Texas

2.95/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a dark brown with a thin head, looks like a standard brown ale. Aroma is almost nonexistant.

Taste is like a rich brown ale (thought it was at the time) with a good malt background and little hops. A little flat on the palate, some slight spiciness comes through after a while. Nothing that would make this offering stand out.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2004 15:05:40 | More by assurbanipaul