Penn Dark Lager Beer

Brewed by Pennsylvania Brewing Company
Style: Dunkel
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Pours a dark color similar to Guinness. It has a nice smooth taste but not a whole lot of body. Not too much bitterness and had a nice aftertaste.

12-ounce bottle. Great-looking dark beer with a picture-perfect tan head of average size. Smooth and drinkable, well balanced, not extraordinarily interesting in any way.

Courtesy of Matta <P> The aroma was grassy at first and has some powdered soap and earthy notes, but as it warms it becomes malty sweet with hints of molasses and brown sugar. Dark, red-tinted, brown in color with a firm thumb thick creamy tan head that diminishes slowly. Fore is malty and ever so slightly smokey, but it more a carmalized kind of burnt/smokey than a Rauch smokiness or even a peat smokiness. Has a richness that is very hearty and breadlike, but slightly sweet like honey wheat bread dipped in molasses or caramel cakes. <P> The finish almost evokes some sweet dark fruit, but it is more like the afore mentioned carmalized and molasses flavors playing on the malt and suggesting that fruity sweetness. This is a very well done brew that lives a subtle, but pleasant life on the tongue before fading away with whsipers of roasted, but sweet, malt. It’s a low key beer as far as flavor intensity so I can understand a low rating rating on this site, but it is far too well made to only have a 61 overall.

On-Tap @ Penn Brewery

poured cola-like. Nice bubbly white head. Aroma sweet and malty, hints of caramel, and brown sugar. Flavor is sweet from caramel notes. Nice and roasty as it warmed up. Nice malt backbone. Very balanced. Medium to full bodied. Clean, creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Nice refreshing german lager. New favorite of the GF.

Also New In Town… yet limited… Although I’ll be bringing this back for sure!

Poured with a dark charcoal gray body, edges of crimson; the head sat a tall tan mass of fine bubbled foam. The aroma and flavor evoked grand mentions of a sweet toffee, pumpernickel, dark brown sugar, and a hint of molasses. The surprise was the beautifully roasted barley that gave the beer a serene smokiness, like it were the little sister of brother Rauchbier. Although NOT BBQ smoky at all, it was more that of cinders from that of last night’s fire, or the smell of ones clothing after roasting marshmallows by a campfire … I verymuch enjoyed this beer! It was a great surprise to discover the majesty of a quality American Dunkel… Although rather Schwarzbier like… I don’t know the real difference?
Nevertheless… this is a WINNER!!!!

One thing I really love about living in the Mid-Atlantic is the German influence in the area. States like Maryland, and Pennsylvania really have a German influence that can be see in many local specialities, and that includes the beer. Pennsylvania really is a fantastic place for a beer lover. Cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are just brimming with great beer. What really makes it great for me, is the variety of beer styles that are available. I use to live in New England, and that six state area with the exception of maybe, Rhode Island, is another fantastic place to find great beer. Good luck trying to find a lager though. New England is mostly all ales, which is great, but when my German beer loving palate craves a good lager, I’m glad I’m in an area that can brew some of the tastiest, and most authentic lagers in America. Lagers are much harder to brew than ales. They are cleaner, and rounder, and can’t hide any flaws that could be hidden with a big dose of hops or a funky ale yeast. You can tell a poorly made lager because "there is no place to hide" so to speak. When a brewery cheapens a lager with adjunct such as corn and rice, you can taste it. I find those types of "light" lagers to be poor examples. You should be able to taste malt in every glass of a good lager. Lagers are about balance, a harmony of water, malt, and hops. So simple, yet so sublime. Lagers are more expensive to brew, they must be cold conditioned, and usually for a one to three month period. Lager is after all the German word for "store". A true test of a great brewery is; can they brew a great lager. The Pennsylvania Brewing Company, of Pittsburgh, PA passes that test with flying colors. This brewery does exceptional German beer styles, some of the best I have ever tasted. I have been fortunate enough to have visited the brewery in Pittsburgh, and I can tell you from first hand experience, this place for a beer lover is a "must visit". Penn Dark is a Munich Dunkels by style, and it is an outstanding example of this malty, slight roasty, dark lager. Penn Dark pours to a bright, deep brown color, with a nice white head, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose on this beer is sublime. Nice sweet, slightly chocolatey and slightly roasty malt aromas are balanced with some nice hop aromatics. The palate is a lean malt backbone of Munich malts, a touch of sweet malt, a touch of roast, a touch of chocolate. This is a very gentle beer, with a very soft and smooth body, round and clean. This beer finishes with more good malt character up front, then is balanced out again with a mild hop bitterness. Whole flower Hallertau hops imported from Germany are used in this beer. Really a wonderful Munich Dunkels, very well balanced, and stylistically accurate. This beer is flawless. I would match this beer with classic German fare such as saurbraten, spatzel, and red cabbage, or perhaps some Pennsylvania Dutch fare such as ham, potatoes, apples, and dumplings.

An interesting example of how sweet and smokey can make for an interesting flavor combination. This really needs to be served at the proper temperature because when it warms it because revolting. Finishes way too dry and roasty.

Brewtopia ’05 Ruby brown in color with a small off-white head. Aroma is of sweet malt and subtle roast. Flavor is malty with an acrid finish.