Autobahn Munich Dunkel

 

When it comes to traditional, old world beer styles, I love European beer. I love England for its ales, Belgium for its no holds barred approach to brewing, and Germany for its lagers. Germany gives us such a wide variety of lager ranging from the palest pilsners to lagers almost as dark as any English brown ale. And those dark German lagers are often as refreshing as their lighter cousins despite their dark color and richer, more developed flavor profile. The Munich dunkel is no exception.

Coming from the German word for “dark,” Munich Dunkel traces its history back to the 1800s when advances in technology changed how barley was roasted into the malt used to make beer. New kilning technology allowed barley to be roasted without using open fire which gave malt a smoky flavor. It also allowed barley to be roasted with a finer degree of control. This allowed maltsters to produce malt with smoother flavors leading to dark lagers with more depth of flavor. Autobahn Munich Dunkel fills my glass with a medium brown colored lager with hints of ruby. The head is dense, cream colored, and lasting.

          On the nose, Autobahn is a malty beast, but beastly in a good way. The aroma is bready, although not the biscuit or white bread I’ve noted in other beers. Rather, it’s more like a rye bread. And toasted rye at that. Toasted rye becomes more earthy in the center coupled with a sweetness I have trouble identifying at first. The sweetness is something not unlike fresh, ripe dates. Underneath all this is just the barest whiff of chocolate before moving into a dryish finish.

          As I take my first sip, I find a beer that is medium bodied with a smooth, almost oily mouthfeel. Modest carbonation prevents the mouthfeel from becoming cloying. Flavors are just as malty as the nose, but skew a little sweeter than I expected. Up front flavor gives me just a taste of chocolate before moving into that toasted rye bread quality. In the center I find that note of chocolate blending nicely with a subtle nuttiness. The finish is leathery, and gently bitter.

          Overall, I’m giving Autobahn Munich Dunkel 7.25 out of 10. With all of its rich, malty flavors, this Munich Dunkel is very drinkable, very enjoyable. Admittedly, Autopbahn’s mouthfeel caught me off guard, having what I described as a slightly oily quality. Thankfully, the beer’s flavor profile gave this dunkel enough structure and character to make Autobahn well worth trying.