Warsteiner Premium Dunkel

Brewed by Warsteiner Brauerei
Style: Dunkel
Warstein, Germany

Mahagony brown with a clingy off-tan head. Aromas of roasted malts, a little smoke, and medium caramel. Grabby up front on the palate. Good carbonation. Very dry finish. Woody, roasted, slightly citric flavors. Finishes clean.

12 oz bottle,nice beer.caramel, roasty, red, brown, clear, white foam, medium sweetness, medium bitterness, medium sourness, medium body, sticky, average carbonation, long finish, I like beer.

On tap, poured into my 32 ounce/1 liter/whatever plastic souvenir mug at the annual Schuetzenfest festival put on by The Kolping Society, one of the many German heritage organizations in Greater Cincinnati. Faint malt/cheap grain aroma, color of standard commercial coffee, light body, faint malt taste overcomes the rancid notes that are more prominent in Warsteiner "Premium" Verum. Better than the "Premium" Verum but that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. For some reason, Warsteiner brands seem to increasingly be the only ones on draft at the beverage booths at the German societies’ festivals. Oh well, bring on the Germania Society’s Oktoberfest, where you can go to the clubhouse and get the same variety of beers the group’s members can.

On tap at the Oasis. Nice smooth caramel flavor with hints of chocolate. Worth trying repeatedly.

On tap at Flying Saucer Little Rock. I’m not sure why this is getting such low ratings. Maybe it’s better on draft? Or maybe I have a different palate... Either way, this beer was incredibly smooth and fluffy. Thick tan had on a dark carmel body. Chocolate, raisins, clove, toasted malt, and some cola.

Bottle. Pours a clear brown with a moderate off-white head. Light but pleasant aroma of malt. Flavor is also malt with a bit of sweetness followed up with some hops bitterness. The flavor quickly dies, which is a bit surprising for a darker beer. A tad thin. Definitely better than lawn mower beer, but not quite what I would call a good session beer either.

THOUGHTS: I used to love this beer and while I still like it, it doesn’t even compare to Penn Dark, which I tried the same night. But it will still be one of my favorite session beer. It is a good beer that at least in NJ is very affordable. PA prives for it are more than double. One of the first imports or speciality beers I bought on a regular basis. Just a little too much mustiness underlying in the aroma and flavor keep it from being great, and that might just be from travel. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a meium brown with orange highlights and a small to average, white head that mostly diminished but left fair lacing. The aroma was light to moderate hay, strw and carmel malts with moderate to heavy grassy hops and moderate doughy yeast. The initial flavor is light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness, while the finish is heavily sweet and moderately bitter and sour with an average duration. The gody is light to medium with a watery, yet dry texture fizzy carbonation and slightly chalky, lightly astringent finish.

Coloração preta avermelhada, creme bege não persistente. Levemente tostada, tanto no aroma quanto no sabor. Carbonatação média.