Funkel Dunkel
Holy City Brewing

this has apparently been renamed dr. dunkelstein, which is what it was called when i had it, must have been something else with this name out there, not sure the reason, but its the same beer as is listed here, just under a new name. its a fine dunkel, a relatively authentic take on the style, with some sweetness, a lot of toasted and nutty character, and an appreciable lager yeast taste to it, although perhaps less old worldy than i generally like in the style. subtle red apple and raisin to this, a little bit of an ester thing, and even a little astringency to it, but its still a mellow drink, an easy going darker beer, and one thats even almost refreshing for the style, with high carbonation giving it a lot of life. subtle dried cherry, cola, and almond. lighter body for its color, a slight twang before the swallow, but overall pretty well made, even if its unexciting. i like an american brewery that still gives some energy to the old world styles, not enough of these around anymore in my opinion. better than average here.

 

 

 

 

 

A: Had this beer on tap at Gene's Haufbrau, poured into a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a somewhat cloudy texture. There was an inch of creamy, off white, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A decent aroma that was dominated by malt, but also had a nutty quality as well.

T: Tasted of malt (especially in the finish), a hint of chocolate, and a nuttiness. A pretty good, but not overwhelmingly great flavor. Tends towards being a little overly malty. Still, pretty good.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A solid enough beer that's easy to drink. Won't knock your socks off, but it is worth a try.

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing that was close to how a Dunkel should be was the appearance. Slightly hazy with a medium lasting off white head along with a caramel color.

The smell was almost straight diacetyl with some slight hints of malt and no hops.

The taste was mainly popcorn butter with a wet paper towel. There was a very faint hint in the after taste of how a dunkel should taste but overall a mess.

My overall impression is this was a bad keg because I have a hard time believing a professional brewer would make a beer this flawed. If is meant to taste like that then the head brewer seriously needs to re think their brewing skills.