Dresden Codex
Human Robot Brewery
- From:
- Human Robot Brewery
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- Vienna Lager
Ranked #23 - ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 90
Ranked #13,537 - Avg:
- 4.1 | pDev: 4.88%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 11, 2025
- Added:
- Jul 24, 2022
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
A paradox, this “light” dark lager is perfect for summer nights. Big malt flavor, with a light body and easy drinkability. Brewed with US grown, high country Moravian barley. Cereal mashed with 40% corn. Hopped with Czech grown Saaz hops, then fermented and conditioned cold with our house lager yeast. The Dresden Codex is an ancient Mayan document which was found in a library in Dresden, Germany. The codex has been used to decipher Mayan hieroglyphs, and document the history of southeastern Mexico and its people.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania
4.25/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz can purchased directly from the brewery from the fridge as a 4-pack for $16. Canned on 06/13/2025, so it's just over one month old.
Look: Nice dark amber color with excellent clarity. There is a thin layer of frothy, khaki-colored head. Just slightly hazy after pouring the bottom of the can.
Smell: Nice malty aromas with a nice toasted grain note. I also get a light floral hop character along with some earthiness. It's hard note to say it because I know that this is a Mexican lager - I get a nice stone ground corn note. I'm not sure if I would pick up on that blind though.
Taste: Super chuggable. This is an interesting beer and it has a lot of contrasts. Up front, it's pretty malty yet on the finish it's surprisingly crisp and hoppy. On the finish I also get lingering notes of cocoa, coffee, earthiness, pepperiness, and baking spice. And the beer is light to medium bodied, so it's very easy-drinking. It almost tastes like there's Cascade hop in here, but I doubt that is true.
Feel: It's light to medium bodied, super drinkable with just a bit of chewiness. The carbonation is right on.
Overall: So interesting and delicious. So much more flavorful than the other Mexican Style Dark Lagers that I have had before. At the end of the day, it's a Vienna Lager but it does have a certain uniqueness to it and of course Human Robot puts its spin on it. I would say that this is a bit hoppier than your average Vienna Lager and it is also a bit darker with more toasted grain character.
Jul 16, 2025Look: Nice dark amber color with excellent clarity. There is a thin layer of frothy, khaki-colored head. Just slightly hazy after pouring the bottom of the can.
Smell: Nice malty aromas with a nice toasted grain note. I also get a light floral hop character along with some earthiness. It's hard note to say it because I know that this is a Mexican lager - I get a nice stone ground corn note. I'm not sure if I would pick up on that blind though.
Taste: Super chuggable. This is an interesting beer and it has a lot of contrasts. Up front, it's pretty malty yet on the finish it's surprisingly crisp and hoppy. On the finish I also get lingering notes of cocoa, coffee, earthiness, pepperiness, and baking spice. And the beer is light to medium bodied, so it's very easy-drinking. It almost tastes like there's Cascade hop in here, but I doubt that is true.
Feel: It's light to medium bodied, super drinkable with just a bit of chewiness. The carbonation is right on.
Overall: So interesting and delicious. So much more flavorful than the other Mexican Style Dark Lagers that I have had before. At the end of the day, it's a Vienna Lager but it does have a certain uniqueness to it and of course Human Robot puts its spin on it. I would say that this is a bit hoppier than your average Vienna Lager and it is also a bit darker with more toasted grain character.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.04/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Appearance is dark amber to copper red, even nearing brown, under a tall khaki foam head.
Whoa, a dark Mexican--not many breweries attempting these! I get butterscotch and fallen leaves before a semi-dry finish.
It's good.
Aug 08, 2024Whoa, a dark Mexican--not many breweries attempting these! I get butterscotch and fallen leaves before a semi-dry finish.
It's good.
Reviewed by Hayesbro from Pennsylvania
4.21/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a slightly cloudy luminous brown with a creamy head, attractive. Malty aromas. Malt forward, with some toastiness, mild sweetness and medium bitterness. Filling medium mouthfeel.
Jul 26, 2024
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.63/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.63/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a golden amber color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.
This smells like bittersweet caramel, rye bread, cocoa, and floral hops.
I love a good Mexican dark lager, be they Vienna lagers or dunkels, I want to drink them. This is most certainly a good Vienna lager, as there’s a deliciously toasty and slightly chocolatey malt character, just the lightest kiss of herbal bitterness, and a really nice bready sweetness, that almost feels like rye.
This is light bodied, but full in flavor, with a great drinkability.
I’m not sure that I will have a bad beer from Human Robot at this point.
May 31, 2024This smells like bittersweet caramel, rye bread, cocoa, and floral hops.
I love a good Mexican dark lager, be they Vienna lagers or dunkels, I want to drink them. This is most certainly a good Vienna lager, as there’s a deliciously toasty and slightly chocolatey malt character, just the lightest kiss of herbal bitterness, and a really nice bready sweetness, that almost feels like rye.
This is light bodied, but full in flavor, with a great drinkability.
I’m not sure that I will have a bad beer from Human Robot at this point.
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.02/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
on draft at the Jenkintown location - served in mug with slice of lime
appears a clear dark amber in color, thick foamy white head, good head retention. Light caramel, a little earthy hops, well balanced. A touch of lime from the slice it was served with. medium bodied.
Apr 02, 2023appears a clear dark amber in color, thick foamy white head, good head retention. Light caramel, a little earthy hops, well balanced. A touch of lime from the slice it was served with. medium bodied.
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania
3.98/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Clear dark amber with a thin finger of light tan head that fairly quickly settles into a thin cap and crown.
Nice lightly sweet malt aroma. Maybe a hint of corn tortilla.
Tastes sort of like a dry Marzen: a kiss of malt sweetness, a little bread, touch of mineral water and a dry finish.
Relatively creamy feel with tight carbonation.
Another high quality lager as expected from these folks.
Jul 24, 2022Nice lightly sweet malt aroma. Maybe a hint of corn tortilla.
Tastes sort of like a dry Marzen: a kiss of malt sweetness, a little bread, touch of mineral water and a dry finish.
Relatively creamy feel with tight carbonation.
Another high quality lager as expected from these folks.
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