Beer Is Good – Otaru Bakushu Organic Beer Dunkel-Type Jibiiru

Dunkel, or Dunkles beers are Bavarian-style lager beers brewed using a dark roasted Munich malt, and in fact the dunkel was the original Bavarian beer until new brewing techniques introduced in the later half of the 19th century which allowed the preparation of a lighter malt. The name Dunkel literally means “dark” in Deutsche. Although one would expect a stronger flavor from a darker beer, in general, dunkels have a smoother and “maltier” flavor than the other common Bavarian lager, the helles, or pale lager, and have no significant bitter or sweet character from the hopping. This example from Otaru Bakushu Brewery in Western Hokkaido has a mild smoky flavor, but has only a hint of malt taste. The initial mouth feel is smooth but slightly thick with the carbonated “karakuchi” dry bubbly sensation popular in Japanese beers. There is a hint of caramel sweet in the middle from the roasted malt and hopping. There is no significant bitter. The finish tapers to a faint malt flavor. The color is a dark, nearly stout-like brown. The carbonation level is moderate. This Dunkel is easily quaffable. Like the Otaru Bakushu Pilsen, this beer has no objectionable traits, but it similarly doesn’t really have the strong malty beer flavor I would expect from a dunkel. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the “organic” origins of the beer, or if it is due to the brewmaster’s choice. I would almost say that with the hint of sweetness and the light malt taste, this seems more like a bock than a dunkel…