I think we can all agree that this winter was likely some sort of cosmic punishment for centuries of mankind’s sins. Living in the Midwest, we forgot what it was like to allow room for hope and joviality in our everyday lives. Every moment was scrubbed with grit until it faded from memory, lost amid the white-gray pools of dirty slush along the sides of the road. It was unpleasant, is what I’m trying to say.
But beer geeks take heart—Two Brothers Brewing Company is there for you, with a beer they vowed will help “cure polar vortex fatigue,” and it’s a Munich dunkel lager, of all things.
You really don’t see a lot of true dunkels in American craft brewing. The style’s wheat-centric offshoot, the dunkelweizen, may even be more common than the straight dunkel these days, but in its original form this is a beer style that combines drinkability with a chewy, substantial malt character. I’m not sure it’s the natural choice to stand up to the subzero temperatures we braved this winter during each polar vortex, but it should be a fine way to wave goodbye to the bad memories.
The beer pours a light brown that, when held near the light, reveals itself as a deep garnet red. Its aroma is more complex than expected—there’s a good charge of caramel and mixed nuts in the malt character, and a light chocolate not dissimilar to Nestle Quik powder. A pleasant, English-style hop presence follows, mostly herbal but with an intriguing mint note.
The flavors, on the other hand, present slowly and at first seem to be less assertive than the aroma. As the beer warms, though, a much more interesting character develops. Caramel sweetness comes through, as does a doughy character like brown bread. There’s a bit of raisin-like dried fruit and alcohol is present on the back end, despite this being only 5.9% ABV. That booze note works well, however, backing up the malt character and the impression that this is a beer to warm hearts still locked in the last vestiges of a brutal winter.
Initially easy to overlook, this is both a style and a beer that will likely grow on you as you sip and contemplate. There’s no mistaking that it has a backbone, but it doesn’t entirely sacrifice drinkability either. It’s not the prototypical American craft brew that you’re going to find as a 22-ounce special release, but it makes for a nice change of pace.
Brewery: Two Brothers Brewing Co.
City: Warrenville, IL
Style: Munich dunkel
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 24.3 (Two Bros. and Avery, with their IBU decimals)
Availability: Limited, 22 oz. bottles