Looking for a gift for your favorite beer enthusiast this holiday season? You’re sure to please him or her with Saranac’s 12 Beers holiday collection. Not only will they enjoy a wonderful assortment of many different styles of beer, but they’ll also get a bottle of Saranac Dunkel, a delightful German style dark lager. In fact, this year’s 12 beers collection features the first-ever appearance of Saranac Dunkel, along with the following:

New Beers:
Saranac Hefeweizen
Saranac Light

Year Round Brews
Saranac Pale Ale
Saranac Adirondack Amber
Saranac Pilsner
Saranac Black and Tan

Limited Releases
Saranac Chocolate Amber
Saranac Single Malt
Saranac India Pale Ale
Saranac Stout
Saranac Caramel Porter

As you can see, this is a varied and considerable selection. Not only will your favorite beer enthusiast likely be pleased by your good taste in choosing such a fine gift, they’ll also surely enjoy the fine taste of each and every beer in the collection. This also makes a fine gift for the budding beer lover, who will get a chance to try a multitude of different styles from a respected brewer. And all this for about $11. Make sure you pick one up for yourself, as well.

A great example of just what’s in store for you is Saranac Dunkel. This is a Munich Dunkels in style, a slightly dark Bavarian lager with a smooth drinkability and a soft malt palate. It’s sort of a big brother to the Munich Helles style, a light colored lager that is also known for its soft malt character. In both of these styles, hops should be an afterthought and malt the star.

Judging from my past experiences with Saranac beers, I knew I would be in for a real treat here. The neck label reinforced that conviction when I read it:

The rich malt aroma and glowing reddish-brown color of Saranac Dunkel comes from German two-row and Munich malt that is melded with Hersbrucker and Saaz hops. You’ll love the malty sweet taste/

Wow. The two-row malt is just the thing to impart the soft malt character we want here, but the Munich malt really caught my attention. I knew this was going to be a good beer.

And good it is. Saranac Dunkel pours to a dark caramel brown color with a light and fizzy head formation and a sweet malt nose. The palate is delightfully nutty and toasty with suggestions of chocolate and molasses. There’s a wonderful soft mouthfeel to this beer that is soothing and pleasant. The finish starts out slightly sweet but a gentle bitterness slowly emerges.

The Munich malt is readily apparent here in all its toasty-nutty glory. This isn’t a hugely bold beer but it is a complex one all the same, and a strong testament to the skill of the brewers at Saranac. I would love to see this one sold in six-packs.