Very few beers are packaged in 22 ounce bottles these days here in New England. The Smuttynose Big Beer series is the exception, and a successful one. These beers are not only hard to find, they have become harder to find. Only about 400 cases are made of each brew, and distribution is very limited: it in fact had to be pulled back from Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts. Fortunately, I found a supply of the dunkel in Newburyport, Massachusetts while on the way home from a trip to Portland, Maine about a month or so ago. Ordinarily I would drink a Smuttynose beer out of my pint glass of the same logo, but this dark German style lager demands a German glass, I'm using a big half liter Landsberger Bier mug that allows room for the 22 ounces of beer and the head of the beer. Germans tend to do everything in a big way, if a glass is marked .5L you can be sure it holds a little more than that.

The beer has a light brown color, light head formation, and a sweet nutty-malty nose. Palate is smooth and malty with a rich mouthfeel, nutty-chocolatey flavors, reminiscent of chewing a fresh handful of Munich malt. The soft malt character reminds me of bock lite if you will. Pale 2-row, carastan, Munich, and chocolate malts are used. Finish is slightly sweet, a touch of grassy Hallertau hoppiness comes through, Tettnangers and Galenas are also used. Very nice dunkel lager here, a very drinkable and flavorful beer. I'd recommend it with game dishes and red meats, it's drinkability would lend it to pairing with a great many dishes.