Munich Dunkel
Stoneface Brewing Co.

 

 

I stopped by Stoneface today mostly just for something to do but also because I really wanted a bottle of their new apple brandy & rye double barrel aged imperial stout, but this caught my eye so I picked up a single of it as well. Stoneface, a brewery who began with several hoppier styles, now finally branching out into the wide world of continental European lager styles... fun! Let's see how they did.

The pour is initially pretty nice, with a full head of deep khaki foam topping off a medium-hazy but still rather clean chestnut/mahogany colored beer. It's a little lighter than Negra Modelo, I think, however, and the head retains for a few minutes before sinking to a thin ring that just clings to the edge of the glass. No legs or lace to speak of. A bit lacking in appearance, I think, especially because the initial way it tumbled into my glass was quite nice.

The nose is quite nutty with a big roasted hazelnut-type note that melds well with brown bread and toasted bread crust elements. A slight sniff of herbal hops complements the sweet-leaning attributes this seems to be boasting right upfront. This definitely has quite a robust smell to it,, which makes me excited to see if it remains balanced and drinkable on the palate.

First sip is definitely a bit on the sweeter end for this style. Not as much balance as I'd like, but the nuttiness and roasted malt flavors lend some good complexity that keep it from becoming off-style whatsoever. Bread crust and a hint of cocoa mingling in the mid-palate. Modest carbonation and a semi-slick finish keep it within the realm of sessionable. Body is light-medium, but the flavors seem to push it into a realm where it kind of pretends to be heavier than it is, which makes it almost a little awkward compared to some of the more well-known and well-rounded examples of this style out there. Still, it's always cool to see a smaller brewery bother to do something like this, and it's pretty drinkable overall. I just don't think I'd want more than one in a session, as the apparent heaviness/sweetness lends it to feeling a bit more filling than I typically want.

Pours a clear dark brown with small mocha head that fades precipitously leaving no lacing. Aromas are roast malt and cooked sugar. Flavor follows, though too heavy on the roast aspect for the style. When heavy roast character is combined with a rather light mouthfeel this is lacking overall, but nice to try something different from these folks.