König Ludwig Dunkel
König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei Kaltenberg
- From:
- König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei Kaltenberg
- Germany
- Style:
- Munich Dunkel
Ranked #116 - ABV:
- 5.1%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #31,394 - Avg:
- 3.72 | pDev: 11.83%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 85
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 18, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 15, 2002
- Wants:
- 20
- Gots:
- 47
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
Germany's No. 1* dark beer was awarded the gold medal by the DLG! The classic is produced using the traditional brewing method – in the copper brewing pan. The dark barley malt gives the beer its typical color and creates a caramel-like flavor. In combination with the best aroma hops, the result is a quaffable beer with a slightly tart taste. It is, without question, the crowning glory of royal brewing tradition in modern times.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by DraftMonger from Denmark
3.3/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.3/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Copenhagen 18/9 2016. 50 cl bottle from Meny, Østerfælled Torv, Kbh. Ø. Black (of course) label with both two roaring lions, a giant heraldic shield and an idyllic looking small German town. In gold.
Pours dark reddish brown with a white head. Stable. Settles as 0,5 cm thick layer of foam covering the surface of the beer. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is not very strong but of brown sugar, roasted malts, cocoa and caramel. Fairly sweet.
Medium strong carbonation and slightly thick palate. Lightly tingling texture.
Flavor is well balanced between a medium strong sweetness and a medium strong bitterness. Bitterness is lingering in the aftertaste.
Nice enough dunkel without being outstanding.
May 18, 2026Pours dark reddish brown with a white head. Stable. Settles as 0,5 cm thick layer of foam covering the surface of the beer. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is not very strong but of brown sugar, roasted malts, cocoa and caramel. Fairly sweet.
Medium strong carbonation and slightly thick palate. Lightly tingling texture.
Flavor is well balanced between a medium strong sweetness and a medium strong bitterness. Bitterness is lingering in the aftertaste.
Nice enough dunkel without being outstanding.
Reviewed by Mikehicks100 from Canada (ON)
3.75/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours couple inches of foam. Very dark brown in color. Smells a little like a dessert. Taste is mild in flavor with a bit of malt and bitter chocolate. Hint of coffee. Easy to drink. I'm quite impressed with this one even though its not as depth in character as other dunkel beers. I'd buy it again.
Apr 11, 2026
Reviewed by Jmsandberg17 from Missouri
2.58/5 rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
2.58/5 rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
500mL bottle pours a rich, dark brown color with a dense, substantial head of tan-colored foam that fades down to a thick, sudsy layer and leaves small bits of lacing. Smells of dark malts, molasses, and coffee. Flavor is restrained dark malts, molasses, cola, burnt coffee, and bitter cocoa. Medium bodied, very subtle, near-absent sweetness, slightly sudsy carbonation mouthfeel, extremely overbearing bitterness, and an aftertaste that develops into a horrendously bitter and sour burnt coffee flavor with some notes of bitter, unsweetened chocolate and just lingers and bites with seemingly no end.
I thought this beer might be good and that it may be one of the dunkels with a much more subtle, restrained flavor experience, and at first it really was like that! That bitter, burnt coffee flavor just kicks you in the face, turns sour, and never seems to leave. It seems like the Ayinger dunkel is decently bitter for the style, but it doesn't nearly punish you like this one does. Just a normal bitterness. Not sure I've ever had a beer destroy my review so bad from just the aftertaste! Almost makes me wonder if it's supposed to be like this. The bottle says it's good until April 2026 though, so who knows.
Jan 08, 2026I thought this beer might be good and that it may be one of the dunkels with a much more subtle, restrained flavor experience, and at first it really was like that! That bitter, burnt coffee flavor just kicks you in the face, turns sour, and never seems to leave. It seems like the Ayinger dunkel is decently bitter for the style, but it doesn't nearly punish you like this one does. Just a normal bitterness. Not sure I've ever had a beer destroy my review so bad from just the aftertaste! Almost makes me wonder if it's supposed to be like this. The bottle says it's good until April 2026 though, so who knows.
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look - reddish brown with a nice tan head
Smell - fairly easy going caramel raoste malts and slightly sweet
Feel - lighter body with a slight carb
Overlal 0 nice
Nov 04, 2025Smell - fairly easy going caramel raoste malts and slightly sweet
Feel - lighter body with a slight carb
Overlal 0 nice
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington
3.89/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.89/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from 500mL bottle into my Higgins Ale Works tulip.
Appearance: rich, dark amber hue with a clear body and a thick head of tan foam leaving a good lace on the glass. I think it’s very pretty!
Smell: sweet and caramelly, with just a hint of malted-milk-ball aroma and a dash of chocolate. I actually find it quite nice.
Taste: malty, obviously, with a nice caramel character and a very little bit of biscuity breadiness. Bitterness is moderate but definitely there. Not bad, but the biscuity malt bit isn’t my favorite.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.
Overall: I think this is a pretty solid Munich dunkel, even if it isn’t specifically calibrated to my tastes.
Oct 29, 2025Appearance: rich, dark amber hue with a clear body and a thick head of tan foam leaving a good lace on the glass. I think it’s very pretty!
Smell: sweet and caramelly, with just a hint of malted-milk-ball aroma and a dash of chocolate. I actually find it quite nice.
Taste: malty, obviously, with a nice caramel character and a very little bit of biscuity breadiness. Bitterness is moderate but definitely there. Not bad, but the biscuity malt bit isn’t my favorite.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.
Overall: I think this is a pretty solid Munich dunkel, even if it isn’t specifically calibrated to my tastes.
Reviewed by Bavarican from Germany
3.68/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
500ML Bottle in my home bar in the Alps. Pours a deep ruby brown color with a thin beige head. Aroma is nuts and malt. Taste is a clean dark malt. A nice dunkle but a bit light.
May 02, 2025
Reviewed by Sinte from Italy
3.27/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
3.27/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
Bottle 0.5 L.
Lightly hazy, brown body with reddish veins; medium, frothy, light brown head, mostly diminishing with a fair lacing.
Moderate malty (caramel when the beer warms up a bit) and yeasty (dough)aroma; notes of ripe banana, prune, light citrus.
Moderate sweet flavour with light acidic notes.
Light-to-medium body with watery texture; soft carbonation; light astringent feeling in the finish.
Nice beer.
Mar 08, 2025Lightly hazy, brown body with reddish veins; medium, frothy, light brown head, mostly diminishing with a fair lacing.
Moderate malty (caramel when the beer warms up a bit) and yeasty (dough)aroma; notes of ripe banana, prune, light citrus.
Moderate sweet flavour with light acidic notes.
Light-to-medium body with watery texture; soft carbonation; light astringent feeling in the finish.
Nice beer.
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
3.62/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
500 ml bottle
pours a clear medium brown color with amber highlights. cream colored head. Caramel flavor but not a lot of depth. A little sweet, medium bodied
Sep 12, 2024pours a clear medium brown color with amber highlights. cream colored head. Caramel flavor but not a lot of depth. A little sweet, medium bodied
Rated by IMFletcher from Kentucky
3.62/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Just drank a bottle with a best by date of 2003. Had little carb, nose, and flavor, but there were really no off notes, so we finished drinking it.
Nov 08, 2023
Reviewed by Ant777uk from England
3.04/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
3.04/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Cool bottle...hop extract in the ingredients, not a good sign.
Beautiful colour, head not quite as smooth as a Chimay Bleu or a Guinness. Quite a mild, yet complex aroma. A little chocolatey, with cloves, and maybe a little black pepper.
Quite light for a beer that is so black. The hop extract is detectable in the aftertaste. Not as chocolatey as I was expecting, which is great. I'm not a fan of overtly chocolatey dark beers or porters. Especially in the summer. Mouth feel is a little watery, it's not as creamy and luxurous as other dark beers, a Belgian quadruple, or a Guinness. Though the hop extract gives it an interesting aftertaste, often hops are hardly detectable at all in dark beers.
It's ok, but there is nothing great about it unfortunately, except it's lightness and drinkability.
Jul 01, 2023Beautiful colour, head not quite as smooth as a Chimay Bleu or a Guinness. Quite a mild, yet complex aroma. A little chocolatey, with cloves, and maybe a little black pepper.
Quite light for a beer that is so black. The hop extract is detectable in the aftertaste. Not as chocolatey as I was expecting, which is great. I'm not a fan of overtly chocolatey dark beers or porters. Especially in the summer. Mouth feel is a little watery, it's not as creamy and luxurous as other dark beers, a Belgian quadruple, or a Guinness. Though the hop extract gives it an interesting aftertaste, often hops are hardly detectable at all in dark beers.
It's ok, but there is nothing great about it unfortunately, except it's lightness and drinkability.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!