Durham Black Abbot

Brewed by Durham
Style: Dunkel
Durham,, England

Cask (gravity dispense), St Albans Beer Festival 2005. Deep ruby red colour. I certainly thought this beer was a bit of a strange beast and difficult to classify, but I never would have had it down as a dunkel. Just take a look at that grain bill. I think they may have accidentally omitted the kitchen sink. There’s more chocolate and coffee than I would normally expect to find in a dunkel. The words "milky" and "creamy" appeared several times in my notes - milk chocolate, creamy coffee. But most of the impact is up front in the aroma. Some soft coffee and roasty malt on the palate but, truth be told, there wasn’t a lot happening. Falls away slightly on the finish. Odd but somehow appealing.

Bottled. Dull red/brown body, off-coffee head that soon goes. Roasty aroma. Liked the lively feel tempered by more roastyness. More than a hint of sweetness in the finish. To be honest, I didn’t find it to be the most flavoursome but still a decent toasty/roasty in a style I’ve not tried before.

Cask conditioned - handpump - Cask & Cutler Sheffield. Stated to be a mild on the beer board and also 5.3% but if Durham state it’s a dunkel who am I to argue? I certainly wouldn’t have described it as a mild. A dark ruby beer with roasted notes in both the aroma and the taste. There is added fruity notes. The beer is tasty but seems a bit too complex for its own good.

I have never tried a British Dunkel before-this may be the only one in existence. What a pleasant surprise it was although I should know by now that this brewery consistently produces good beers. Dark with a lot of complex flavours including chocolate and coffee. Well worth a try.

Bring it on. I love this dark lager brew. More than a mild and more than a lager. Bottle, but nice with it. A good zippy one.

Some coffee in the nose, some caramel. Fizzy mouthfeel, with flavours of charcoal, roast aand chocolte, very dry again, bitter-ish finish.

Very big head, mahogony-chestnut-ruby colors. Very subtle malty aroma, with a hint of coconut. Lots of toffee in the flavor, coffee, roasted. Aggressively dry, metallic hints. Some body, affected by the astringent element.

A dunkel? Is that why I didn't like it much? Fizzy body keeps prickling the mouth in a faintly annoying manner. Then the burping starts. Tastes of cough syrup and licorice. I'm struggling with this one. Durham haven't yet knocked my socks off, and this one has got me pulling my socks up tighter. [2.3]
Re-rate. Bottle Conditioned, with Duff & Nuffield. Dark brown colour. Dark malt and metallic notes in aroma. Coffee and other dark malt flavours, but in a simple way and unrelieved by any fruitiness. Dull body. [2.6]