Garten Brau Munich Dark

Munich Dunkel (8A). The beer pours a deep red brown with a thin off-white head. There is a faint haze to the beer, but overall fairly attractive. The initial aroma is toasty and bread-like with a faint cocoa note. It's very fresh and Munich malt dominated, with minimal hop character, with the exception of a faint spice. Rich cereal grain and very clean aroma. Upon tasting, the malt dominates and carries a toasty and rich quality, but never really sweet. The bitterness is a touch on the high side but it manages to help the crispness in the finish. Quite dry and drinkable, very well balanced. The beer is also well carbonated with a faint astringency that assists with the dryness. On the whole, perhaps a bit too bitter and the astringency detracts, but a really easy drinking and tasty interpretation of a Dunkel. Too often this style tends towards sweet in the hands of American brewers, so it's nice to have a dry and drinkable malty beer.