Dawn of the Dunkel
Jack's Abby Brewing

 

Pours dark brown with a soap bubble head that is short-lived. There's a few bubbles left in a ring, and minimal cling to the glass.

The smell is pleasing. A little bit of smoke, some chocolate that is more like cocoa powder, roasted malts, and a little earthy contribution from the hops.

The taste does not deviate from the smell - a mild smokiness with a rich malt base, a little of that chocolate flavor, and minimal if any bitterness. It's there but barely. Earthiness is definitely in the description here. I do get a flavor that reminds me of root beer in combination with the other tastes - almost a delicate licorice flavor like fennel. A little sweet.

Surprisingly light in body. The initial impression is slightly sweet and smoky, but it turns into a dry finish. Not highly carbonated, but enough to clean things up.

Overall, this is an enjoyable beer to drink and one I would recommend picking up if you see it.

 

 

Toasted grain, pumpernickel, root beer, hint of chocolate, wisp of smoke and coffee. Earthy malt backbone with a fairly large underlying hop bitterness. Medium bodied. Finishes somewhat clean and short. Pretty good.

 

 

 

Poured into the test glass from a can purchased at the brewery. Can dated 2/28/18.
A - Molasses colored backdrop, hides gentle carbonation. The loose knit off white frothy cap is beautiful. During the experience bits of lace act as evidence.
S - Each element is delicate, a bit of smoke, a bit of roast malts, a bit of earthy hops, a bit of cocoa powder.
T - Here the smoked malt is more assertive, by a fraction, toasted malts and chocolate malt are in excellent balance. The noble hop again adds a nice earthy floral touch
M - Semi sweet start, then a drying wave moves through, the carbonation is about perfect,acting as an usher for all the components to move along. Interestingly in the finish, the last piece is a wisp of those smoked malts.
O - What a delight, the lager yeast is crisp and showcases the malts very well. Body and texture are exceptional. Hop choice and additions add to the offering quite well. Nothing out of whack here. A very well crafted offering
Well done offering from Jack's Abby.

 

Ruby brown color where light passes through the center of the glass. Modest head which leaves some streaks for lace.

On first sniff, I get darker malts, but not coffee nor chocolate, and a meat-like smell. Intriguing and odd at the same time.

The "meat" aspect comes from a mild smokiness (I think). Low hop presence. The body is slightly rich with ample carbonation. Short, rather neutral, aftertaste. Very close to a Brown Ale in terms of flavor.

 

 

Exceptional flavor. A bit bigger and bolder than what I would normally expect from a dunkel lager but doesn't matter. This has notes of chocolate malts and smoke that I wasn't expecting. Super delicious.