Dunkel
Otaru Beer

 

 

Appearance: Cranberry juice brown with an off-white, eggnoggy head that reminds me of the surface of the moon. Fair retention. High opacity.

Smell: Burnt sugary, corny, caramelly, grainy, and vaguely fruity malts with a sharp shot of herbal hops. Smooth and sweet yet invitingly spicy.

Taste: Not as good as it was on tap... but then, isn't that always the case? I may have waited too long to drink this one, because the hops have lost their powerful snap that I remember from Hokkaido, but the sweet-but-not-too-sweet malt base has held up nicely, and thankfully, the finish is clean and dry. Nutty through and through with notes of roasted almonds, whole wheat toast, dried apricots, peanut brittle, and caramel corn with an edge of Noble hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Almost perfect, smooth and soft with solid carbonation. Very well-attenuated yet lush on the palate.

Drinkability: Like I said, it's better on tap. But the bottled version is recommendable, too, as are all of Otaru's beers. Very easy and enjoyable to drink.

The amber red and off-white, long-lasting and free-forming head are very nice, as is the decadent smell of fermenting red fruits, both of which jive well with this meaty brew. It's smooth and thick, a round satisfying drink. Big notes of molassas and caramel. I keep thinking of eating roasted pig with this brew for some reason.

Big tan head on a dark read body.
Light hops and whole grain bread aroma.
Light coffee and whole grain bread flavor with a warming malty finish.
Mouthfeel is thin and a little too agressively carbonated.
This is my favorite dunkel, but I generally do not like dunkels.