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Dunkles: Another Style of Beer with German OriginsJul 01 '01 (Updated Oct 28 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Dunkles beer originated in Germany. They are dark and are pretty good tasting, but very difficult to find.
Dunkles is a style of beer that originated in Germany. Among all the styles of beer created by man, this is one that’s among the least well known. In fact, unless you’re well- acquainted with the world of malt beverages, there’s a good chance you have never heard of this style of beer at all. What Exactly is Dunkles?: The word dunkles is a German word and it simply means dark (helles is the German word for light). This type of beer is made in the lager tradition and it’s characterized by the use of Munich malt, in the brewing process, or sometimes wheat malt. Dunkles beer is sweet and malty, with very little hop flavor at all. These beers, although they are dark in color, are less full- bodied than porter, bock, or dopplebock. Dunkles usually have a moderate alcohol level, ranging between 4.5% and 6% by volume, and a low bitterness level of 10 to 20 IBU (International Bittering Units). The most common mistake that people make with Dunkles is that they confuse this style with styles like bock and porter. Since the word dunkles means dark, people assume that any dark beer can appropriately be called dunkles. This is not the case. In Germany, bock (and dopplebock) are much stronger than dunkles. In fact, according to official German brewing laws, if a dark beer has a specific gravity greater than 1.065 (16 degrees Plato), it gets labeled as a bock. Dunkles, on the other hand, are brewed with a starting gravity of around 1.050 or less (12 degrees Plato), resulting in a lower level of alcohol in the finished product. If you have tasted dozens of different beers, you should have no problem distinguishing dunkles from these other styles. Like I said before, bock and dopplebock have greater alcoholic strength and are heavier and maltier than dunkles. Porter is also similar to dunkles in appearance, but Porter is a type of ale, not lager, and therefore is usually slightly more hoppy and sometimes a little bit fruity in flavor. With dunkles, you should primarily taste sweet malt, and the beer should be smooth, without any bitter edge or strong flavor of coffee, chocolate, or other taste that you expect to find in bock or porter. Good Examples of Dunkles: Dunkles are not easy to find. If you scan the beer isle at your local supermarket, you will probably not find even one example of this style of beer. The only way to find dunkles, in most parts of the United States, is to visit a beverage specialty store that has a wide selection of import and craft- brewed beers. In the foreign beer section, some of the better known examples to seek out are Ayinger Dunkles, Paulaner Original Munchner Dunkles, and Paulaner Dunkles Hefe Weissbier (a dunkles wheat beer). Depending on where you live, you might also have some local microbrewed dunkles available in bottled form. Gordon Biersch brewery makes a dunkles style (I have never tried it, so I can’t comment), as does the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The best one that I’ve tried is DeGroen’s Dunkles, produced by the Baltimore Brewing Company. This classic dark beer won a bronze medal in the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. Other craft- breweries and brewpubs make dunkles beer, too, and sometimes the beers are available only on tap. But you will have a hard time finding this style, even among brewpubs. It’s just not a very popular style of beer. Final Thoughts: Dunkles, I will admit, are one of the styles of beer that I’ve had limited exposure to. The ones that I’ve tried, I have enjoyed very much. The problem is that there just aren’t that many examples of this style to sample. I think this is a style that could catch on, if giving the chance. I don’t think dunkles will ever replace pilsner- style lager in popularity, but I think that there is a market to tap. Most beer drinkers who like dark beer (stout, porter, bock) will also like dunkles. Personally, I like dunkles style beer, but I prefer stout, porter, or bock. Dunkles are smooth and easier to drink, but I prefer my beer a little more full- bodied. Given an open choice of dark beers to select from, dunkles would rank near the bottom. They’re ok, but they can’t compare to my favorite stout, porter, or bock. Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Advice on Other Beer Types: What Should You Know About Pilsner Beers What Should You Know About Blonde Beers What Should You Know About Black & Tan Beers What Should You Know About Porter Beers What Should You Know About Stout Beers What Should You Know About IPA Beers What Should You Know About Wheat Beers What Should You Know About Bock Beers What Should You Know About Doppelbock Beers What Should You Know About Ale Beers What Should You Know About Lager Beers  |
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