Beer of the Weekend #33: Hofbräu Dunkel
It’s official: I have a new apartment! I’ll begin moving in on Tuesday and will be completely out of my current place by next weekend.
I’m moving into the place I wrote about last week. Two blocks from Main Street and four blocks from the beach, so I will beat my mom’s Pacific proximity record. My new roommate is an Aussi who’s surfed all his life. Maybe I can get some free lessons from him.
The beer this weekend is Hofbräu Dunkel brewed by Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München of Munich, Germany.
This wasn’t the beer I had in mind when I walked into BevMo! tonight. For some reason I always walk to the German shelf for a quick glance before moving on to browse the rest of the selection. The hemp ale was out of the question (I wasn’t in the mood to experiment, though I am experimenting in a small way tonight) so I was going to buy a sixer of Lost Coast 8-Ball Stout. I’ve been eyeing 8-Ball for some time, but I walked past the microbrew aisle and straight to Germany. The likely reason is because I’m hooked on German beer; plus, there are a few more hefeweizens I want to try, but the bottles (they’re only available in 16.9-ounce singles) are so expensive I just like to admire them. I have been eyeing Hofbräu Dunkel, also, and ultimately decided to buy it instead, something I regretted as I drove home. I had walked out with something I wanted, but not what I had intended to get. Depending on my craving, 8-Ball Stout will be my beer next weekend.
To make my regret burn even more, the first thing I thought after I put the bottles in the fridge was, “Oh. That’s the Nazi shit.” I’d completely forgotten about Hofbräuhaus’ connection with the Nazis. It’s a stain the brewery cannot wash from its history, but, regardless of past patrons, Hofbräuhaus is world famous for brewing great beer, and that’s one reason why I’ve been eyeing their Dunkel. I’ve never tried a dark German beer, besides the dunkel weisse that is. I’ve also been eyeing their Original Lager. It’s odd because I would normally sample a brewery’s lager before moving on to it’s other varieties. With Hofbräuhaus I’m working backwards toward the lager.
One thing about this tasting: My taste buds may not be working at 100 percent. Oddly, I’ve been sick the past few days. I never get sick. I’m getting better, but I have no clue what I had. The flu? A quick cold? Who knows?
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Not as dark as I thought it would be. It has more of a brown ale look than the stout-like black I was expecting. It poured like a soda and the head developed and rose like a soda. Very effervescent.
Smell: Roasted, grassy malts; caramel; and just a hint of chocolate.
Taste: It’s very much like a German lager. That means this is the second beer I’ve expected to be completely different but turned out to be just a different colored lager. I’m not disappointed, but I do feel a little cheated by reality (yet again). The taste is very balanced with roasted malts, caramel, and a tingle of hops at the back of the tongue.
Drinkability: Because it’s lager-like (grrr!) it’s very drinkable. It’s not a hot day lager, but it’s the type of lager I would drink later on after the sun has set. But that’s just me.
Fun facts about Hofbräu Dunkel:
-Serving temperature: 45-50°F.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-Fuck it. I’m tired.
The Quiet Man’s grade: It’s a good brew, but I was expecting a little more. B.
I’m moving into the place I wrote about last week. Two blocks from Main Street and four blocks from the beach, so I will beat my mom’s Pacific proximity record. My new roommate is an Aussi who’s surfed all his life. Maybe I can get some free lessons from him.
The beer this weekend is Hofbräu Dunkel brewed by Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München of Munich, Germany.
This wasn’t the beer I had in mind when I walked into BevMo! tonight. For some reason I always walk to the German shelf for a quick glance before moving on to browse the rest of the selection. The hemp ale was out of the question (I wasn’t in the mood to experiment, though I am experimenting in a small way tonight) so I was going to buy a sixer of Lost Coast 8-Ball Stout. I’ve been eyeing 8-Ball for some time, but I walked past the microbrew aisle and straight to Germany. The likely reason is because I’m hooked on German beer; plus, there are a few more hefeweizens I want to try, but the bottles (they’re only available in 16.9-ounce singles) are so expensive I just like to admire them. I have been eyeing Hofbräu Dunkel, also, and ultimately decided to buy it instead, something I regretted as I drove home. I had walked out with something I wanted, but not what I had intended to get. Depending on my craving, 8-Ball Stout will be my beer next weekend.
To make my regret burn even more, the first thing I thought after I put the bottles in the fridge was, “Oh. That’s the Nazi shit.” I’d completely forgotten about Hofbräuhaus’ connection with the Nazis. It’s a stain the brewery cannot wash from its history, but, regardless of past patrons, Hofbräuhaus is world famous for brewing great beer, and that’s one reason why I’ve been eyeing their Dunkel. I’ve never tried a dark German beer, besides the dunkel weisse that is. I’ve also been eyeing their Original Lager. It’s odd because I would normally sample a brewery’s lager before moving on to it’s other varieties. With Hofbräuhaus I’m working backwards toward the lager.
One thing about this tasting: My taste buds may not be working at 100 percent. Oddly, I’ve been sick the past few days. I never get sick. I’m getting better, but I have no clue what I had. The flu? A quick cold? Who knows?
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Not as dark as I thought it would be. It has more of a brown ale look than the stout-like black I was expecting. It poured like a soda and the head developed and rose like a soda. Very effervescent.
Smell: Roasted, grassy malts; caramel; and just a hint of chocolate.
Taste: It’s very much like a German lager. That means this is the second beer I’ve expected to be completely different but turned out to be just a different colored lager. I’m not disappointed, but I do feel a little cheated by reality (yet again). The taste is very balanced with roasted malts, caramel, and a tingle of hops at the back of the tongue.
Drinkability: Because it’s lager-like (grrr!) it’s very drinkable. It’s not a hot day lager, but it’s the type of lager I would drink later on after the sun has set. But that’s just me.
Fun facts about Hofbräu Dunkel:
-Serving temperature: 45-50°F.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-Fuck it. I’m tired.
The Quiet Man’s grade: It’s a good brew, but I was expecting a little more. B.
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