Altenmünster Jubelbier Dunkel Spezial (Jubel)

Brewed by Allgäuer Brauhaus (Oetker Group)
Style: Dunkel
Kempten, Germany

Pours the color of dark tea with a lighter head. Aroma is absolutely malty. Mouthfeel is disappointingly thin. Just a hint of a zing but that fades quickly. Good beer, though. Flavor was also malt and that on the sweet side. Late in the glass some bitterness was evident. This was a smooth and easy drinking beer. Cool bottle and opening top were a nice touch, too.

Bottle. Brown sugar malt aroma. Orangish dark brown color with small head. Brown sugar and malt flavor wtih a light hops finish. A bit light but fairly typical for the style. Nice.

Thanks to Degarth for this gem. Pours hazy brown/ruby with little head. The aroma is extremely corn flakey, perhaps even more so than Celebrator. There is also some malt and cinnamon and almond in the aroma, but corn flakes predominate. The flavor is like liquid Wheaties, with some nuts and slight fruit. Smooth palate. This one is a malt bomb.

Lots of malt...chocolate mostly, but there is this almosut carrot cake aroma to it as well. Light brown with a modest pinky thin tan head. Rich caramel and chocolate malts...I taste baked treats as well..cookies, carrot cake, pie crusts and cocoa. Very smooth...almost no hop presence, but ton of tasty malts.

They certainly pulled out all the stops on the bottle presentation and thankfully the beer inside was a tasty little number indeed. Had this in the cellar for over a year so my rating might be a little off par. Poured a deep, garnet brown, quite clear, with a slowly forming thin, yet dense and creamy beige pad that lasted for the length and left webs of lace down the sides. Peaty and earthy dark malts and dusty cocoa in the nose, lightly nutty with hints of tree-bark, sultanas and cinnamon spice. Interesting!! Quite fruity in the mouth to differ from the aroma. Dark, soft fruits, fruit sugars and tangy, almost savoury sultanas blend with flavours of nutty, peaty and earthy dark malts, cola soda?, and a little brandy (odd also). Finish is malty, tangy and quite long leaning more towards dried fruits. Medium bodied and well lagered in its soft peppery carbonation. I liked this one. Not a quick thirst quencher; it seemed more a beer for a quiet winter’s night. Enjoyable!!! (50cL swing-stopper, BBE 08/05)

(500 ml swing-top bottle: $4.19 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) This is the really fancy bottle with the blue Jubel label, but the beer is less interesting. Dark malt flavor is moderately toasty with some nice chocolate toward the finish. It’s not too sweet and bitterness is kept to a minimum. Toasty nose, but the beer is less aromatic than flavorful. Medium body seems about right for the style, or at least close enough. Fairly clear, medium brown body is topped by a tan head that rises to nearly two inches during the pour and very gradually settles to a thin but complete layer. The head slides right down the glass, so there are only a few spots of lace. Certainly tasty enough, but since I can get better dunkels for less, I figure I spent an extra $1.50 for the fancy bottle, but it’ll look good on the shelf.

(special shape swing top bottle with handle) Dark amber colour with a foamy off-white medium head. I´ve suspected this one to be the same as the Winterbier Dunkel, but it is a tad sweeter and has more body. Slightly sweet toastmalty and nutty aroma with a whiff of hops. Bittersweet flavour, medium body, moderate carbonation. Light sweet and breadish malty taste, slightly roasted, dry and light hopbitter finish with a touch of dried fruits (raisins). OK.

(Bottle 50 cl) This original version by "Privatbrauerei Franz-Joseph Sailer". Dark brown without much head. Loads of malt in here with an edge of caramel and some balancing bittering hops. A lovely Dunkel. 040201