It's been a while since I've enjoyed a dunkel, a German lager. And truth be told, it's not often a style of beer that I tend to seek out.
If you've followed Beer O'Clock for any length of time, you'll know that my go-to brews are IPAs, stouts, pale ales, and saisons. I'm not typically drawn to lagers, though I do have a strong respect for them.
But I do like dark beer of all stripes: brown ales, Scotch ales, schwarzbier, and dunkels.
One of my favourite local breweries of 2021 was Orleans brewery, Broadhead. From the time that they were a small, hole-in-the-wall setup in Nepean, I've been drinking their brew since early 2012, with my first review of their Dark Horse Stout nearly 10 years ago. And every year since, I've had better and better brews from them.
When they released a Munich Dunkel in January, I thought I would have to give it a try. It seemed like the perfect beer for a cold season.
As part of their 174 Taproom series (174 is the highway that splits from Hwy 417 and leads out to Orleans), a batch of showcase-level brews, I had high expectations for this dunkel. Let's see what I discovered.
Broadhead Brewing Company
Orleans ON
Appearance: reddish-brown with copper highlights, and a foamy-tan head that settles to a thin cap. Lots of effervescence, with tiny beads that line the glass and pick up light.
Nose: caramel, biscuits, and lightly toasted malt. The aroma is inviting.
Palate: the malty caramel continues in the mouth, accompanied with bitter walnuts that temper the sweetness. The body is full and the finish is like a warm blanket.
Overall impression: this Munich Dunkel is perfect for a cold winter's night. Perfectly balanced with malts and hops, there is a seamless blend of sweetness and bitterness. Sip after sip, I struggled to find a fault—not that I wanted to find any. This is a highly enjoyable dark lager that I would gladly drink at every opportunity.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
While my eyes don't typically focus on dunkels, I'm glad they fell on this one.
Moving into 2022, Broadhead continues to impress me with its 174 Taproom series. I have also tried their Schwarzbier and Single Hop Hazy IPA, both of which were highly enjoyable. In my latest order, I also included their Coffee Porter 3.0, but have yet to crack one of those cans open (perhaps today, as it is New Brew Thursday).
Broadhead offers free shipping in Ottawa (minimum $40 order) and a flat rate of $10 across Ontario (minimum $60 order). I highly recommend the Munich Dunkel (heck, I recommend them all!) so get your order in while supplies last.
Cheers!
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