Dunkel (or Dunkles) is a dark German beer. Dunkel is the German word meaning dark, and dunkel beers typically range in colour from amber to dark reddish brown. They are characterized by their smooth malty flavour.^[1]

Schwarzbier, a much darker, almost black beer is mainly brewed in Saxony and Thuringia with a chocolate or near liquorice flavour, similar to stout.

Dunkel, along with helles, is a traditional style brewed in Munich and popular throughout Bavaria. With alcohol concentrations of 4.5% to 6% by volume, dunkels are weaker than Doppelbocks, another traditional dark Bavarian beer. Dunkels are produced using Munich malts which give the Dunkel its colour. Other malts or flavours may also be added.

Dunkels were the original style of the Bavarian villages and countryside. Lighter-coloured lagers were not common until the later part of the 19th century when technological advances made them easier to produce.

Dunkels have a distinctive malty flavour that comes from a special brewing technique called triple decoction.

In some parts of Germany, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Dunkelbier (also Kinderbier) refers to a sweet malt beer containing no alcohol (0%).^[2]

Most commonly, dunkel beers are dark lagers, but the term is also used to refer to dark wheat beers such as Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel. Dunkel weizen is another term used to refer to dark wheat beers, which are fruity and sweet with slightly more malt than their lighter counterpart, the hefeweizen.

Also, Dunkel has been used as a surname for members of the German Diaspora.

Contents 1 Examples 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Examples

• Andechser Dunkel
• Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
• Beck's Dark
• Löwenbräu Dunkel Munich Dark
• Capital Munich Dark
• Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Dunkel
• Hofbräu München Dunkel
• Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark
• Lobko Dark Lager
• Paulaner Original Münchner Dunkel
• Sagres Bohemia
• St. Pauli Girl Special Dark
• Vitamalz
• Warsteiner Dunkel (Warsteiner Brauerei)
• Spaten München Dunkel

[edit] See also

• German beer
• Helles
• Doppelbock

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Munich Dunkel - By K. Florian Klemp - All About Beer Magazine (Volume 23 Number 5 - November 2002)

v • d • e Styles of beer Ale · Lager   British beer (England · Scotland · Wales) Barley wine · Bitter · Brown ale · India Pale Ale · Mild · Old ale · Porter · Scotch ale · Stout   Belgian beer Flanders red ale · Oud bruin · Saison · Witbier   German beer Altbier · Berliner Weisse · Bock · Dortmunder Export · Dunkel · Gose · Pale lager · Kölsch · Märzen · Roggenbier · Schwarzbier · Smoked beer · Wheat beer   American beer Amber ale · American pale ale · American-style lager · Cream ale · Steam beer   Other Baltic porter · Bière de Garde · Irish red ale · Pale ale · Pilsener · Vienna lager History of beer