Tasted: Munich Dunkel 1.0

Again, as we trace our brewing heritage, we end up time and time again in the Bavarian countryside.  This adventure has lead us to one of the brewingest cities in the world, Munich, Germany.  The beer I'm sampling bears this great city's name as little other is associated with the style than its birthplace.  Munich Dunkel merely refers to a dark colored beer that's made in Munich.  It's described as being a dark colored lager with no overwhelming characteristics of its own.  It's not roasty, chocolately, or particularly sweet or bitter.  The challenge here is to make a beer that matches what's made in the home of the Oktoberfest.

Aroma:  7
Appearance:  10
Style:  7
Bitterness:  4
Maltiness:  4
Mouthfeel:  5
Head:  5
Balance:  5

These marks earn the Munich Dunkel a 47 out of 55 and a rating of 85%.  This beer greets its consumer with a dark brown body with a slightly creamy light brown head which dissipates slowly.  Unfortunately, there's no impressive aroma to draw you in.  You have to dive right in hoping Ze Germans have lead us in the right direction.  The first sip is light and thin, as a lager should be, and waves a fond farewell as its malts slip away down your throat, leaving only the hint of roastiness as evidence that it was ever there.  It's easy drinking that keeps you coming back for more, as its light unassuming balance leads the way.

As tricksy as this style may be, I believe we are certainly close.  I'd say small changes would put us right in the style, as I remember it.  The removal of the "Carafa I" would be my first improvement.  It was only added to keep the color profile in the style guidelines.  Unfortunately for this style to be truley traditional it must be decocted to give it a darker color.  I chose melanioden malt as a substitute.  Maybe next time a longer boil or a small decoction could help the color along and possibly improve on the caramel flavor I remember so well.

Recipe: Munich Dunkel