Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

Tastes A bit like molasis cookies. A very nice beer. Great aftertaste. good shtuff.

Pours dark and amber red with a frothy off white head which is mostly diminishing. Aroma is heavy malts, dark bread and cookies with a hint of apple. Flavor starts big and malty, kind of sweet and finishes clean and dry. Light to medium bodied watery and softly carbonated. Nice.

This is a very attractive beer - deep amber color, with an off-white head. Very sweet aroma, most noticeably caramel and chocolate, and the initial flavor follows suit. The aftertaste reminds me of a sweet flavored coffee. Overall, a fine dunkel, but I would like a bit more hops to balance things out.

I’ve really been enjoying Ayinger’s fine beers this fall. This one pours dark amber with a medium sized, lasting beige head. the aroma is strong caramel, some wet hay, a nice fruit note, and even some chocolate. Flavor is a bit smoky, with caramel chocolate, tobacco, nuts, and fruit. Fits the fall season very well.

Bottle; Nose of caramel and fruitiness; brown with a medium beige head; Flavor of caramel, with a little smokiness and a tiny bit of hops.

2006 bottle drunk on 9/30/06.
Dark beige-walnut colored head is very forthcoming and shows fine retention. Light webs of lace are produced as it recedes down the glass. The chocolate-amber colored body has deep auburn tints and demonstrates a medium-high clarity.
Poignant touches of vinousness and berry-skins are peppered about a softly sweet, chocolate-caramel maltiness that deftly allows a crisp lager yeast bite to creep in towards the end, finishing dry and quite elegant. Some definite traces of almonds, walnuts and light coffee beans arise from the dark malts and stretch the complexity. A touch of grassy, dusty hoppiness is minimally noted. Gentle on the nose, and with well-defined notes that work well together. Medium strength of aroma, no alcohol apparent, no lagering/brewing flaws.
Very sweet up front, moreso than the aroma would suggest, with a nougat and toffee creaminess, that blends nuttiness and light vinousness as well. Some breadiness and light acidity from the dark malts begin to dry things out, while a robust carbonation helps pull apart the sweetness as well. Light buttercream, coffee cake and vibrant berry-like melanoidins sit on the end, surviving the lightly crisp yeastiness. Very delicate, as a dunkel should be, with nothing even remotely overdone. Quite possibly, nothing here is going to rock your world, but the execution/brewing is near-flawless. Perhaps a touch too much on the carbonation, and the finish could stand to be more biting for a lager, but the overall attenuation is well-done, and the flavors are quite elegant.

This has to be the most consistantly good German brewery I have come across. This poured very dark clear amber with a nice dense egg shelled colored head. The aroma has rich bready toffee and creamy malt. Medium / light body with some soft carbonation. Starts with a bit of astringency and roasted malt that is very smooth and velvety. There is also a good amount of dry toffee. The finish has some spice added in with the rest. A very enjoyable dunkel.

The 17 ounce bottle poured a deep reddish amber colored beverage with a small creamy off-white head that was mostly diminishing but left some lacing on the glass. The aroma was nicely balanced with notes of molasses, coffee and slightly burnt malt. The body was medium to full with a soft, smooth carbonation and a crisp, dry texture. The flavor starts off lightly sweet and then begins to take on a hint of tartness that grows through the middle and then levels off. The tartness lasts through the medium-long finish.