Well, I took some unplanned time off from blogging. I recently had a change of career and I have been extremely busy getting myself up to speed, caught up, and familiar with the responsibilities. It did not help that my new career path is in the IT field, so spending 9+ hours on a computer made it hard to get into the swing of blogging. Now my work load is leveling off…..a bit, and I can spend a few leisurely hours in front of a monitor at home. Let me assure you, even though I was not writing about beer, I did enjoy some great beers. De Struise Black Damnation, More Thomas Hardy Ale, some beers from The Bruery, Stone Double Bastard all just to name a few. I even had a beer pot luck party for my birthday in early August. If you have never thrown a beer pot luck, you should, they are great fun for beer lovers. My rules are simple, everyone has to bring a six-pack of anything other than Bud, Miller, or Coors. Then it all goes into some coolers and all beers are free for the taking. Towards the end of the night, the remaining guests names are tossed into a hat, and names are picked. When your name is picked, you can take however many beers are left to split between the people. I am selfish with beer, so since it is my party (and I have to clean up) I get first pick before the names are drawn. These parties have never been a dull time. So with all that explained, let’s get into the beer here. 

Capital Munich Dark

Today’s beer is Capital Brewery’s Dark Lager, which is a Munich Dunkel. Munich Dunkel, along with Vienna Lager, is one of my top favorite dark lager styles. Although Schwartzbier is quite good too. But I just feel that the Vienna lager, and Munich Dunkel offer a much more rich dark (not roasted) malt flavor, and often have that great melanoidin character I love. Overall, what you can expect from this style is a rich Munich malt flavor and aroma, very low hops, and a full complex malt forward beer, hopefully with some great melanoidin flavors. 

Aroma: Smells like a light bock. Some very low spicy hop aroma. The malt is not overpowering or heavy in the aroma, but it should not be in this style. The aromas are of sweet toffee, a bit of chocolate, and that distinct Munich aroma. Just as the guidelines specify, the malt is the showcase of this beer, but it is not as intense as a bock. But the beer is malty and rich in the aroma as it should be, just not intensely so. (8 points) 

Color: Nice clarity with a beautiful garnet tone. It poured a nice tan head which lasted quite a long time. (3 points) 

Flavor: The flavor is simply great. The first thing I notice is the rich fullness of the Munich malt, and there appears to be some deep melanoidin character. I’m not sure if they added melanoidin malt, or did a decoction mash, but either way I don’t care. I love that flavor. There are some other major players are some thick crusty bread flavors, some chocolate, and just a touch of a darkened or cooked caramel. As it warms it becomes a bit nutty as well, with the flavor of toasted almonds.  The hops more than happy to a back seat….a way back seat to this malty jewel. The only minor ding I can give it, is that there is a minor bitterness in the back-end that I don’t care for, but I don’t think it is a beer flaw, just a personal taste issue. The good thing is that bitterness, which is slightly roasty does dry out the beer, leaving you ready for another drink. (17 points) 

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with some great creamy texture. The malt in the beer gives a great smooth feel to the beer. No astringency or alcohol warmth. (4 points) 

Overall: This is a top-notch commercial example of the Munich Dunkel in my opinion. The lager is clean with no diacetyl or esters.  The grain bill is great, and spot on for me. The only thing I don’t like, and it is very minor, is a slight bitterness that doesn’t agree with me. It may be the hop choice. But in the end, I think this beer is must find for anyone looking for a US made commercial example of a beer style dominated by German brewers. The truth is, sometimes those German exports are not treated that well during transit and are not at their best. At least this beer was produced fairly locally for many (less than 3 hours away for me) and at least does not have to travel on a hot and rocking boat over the ocean. (8 points) 

Total score: 40 points. This would be equal to an A- in my book.