Hollow Pointe "Schlossbier" Dunkel Lager

I have known many people who scoff at the very idea of a dark beer. A very nice guy, whom I love dearly, has often referred to Guinness as the "stuff that they scrape from the bottom of the barrel after they get the beer out." Well, I'm not going to show him a dunkel, even though they tend not to be the ruby black of a stout.

The dark mahogany beer is very clear. I guess I've had so many hazy beers lately that it's a novelty to come across one that has been properly filtered.  The rather thin layer of foam dissipates into a mostly barren top with artistic flourishes of bubbles here and there. The aroma is so amazingly different from the IPAs I've had lately that it is wondrous. The chocolate and caramel merges with toasted oats, and I want to drink this.

First sip is crisp and rich. The toasted grains mix with caramel goodness and the light pine is absolutely here just to make my life better. The beer is sweeter than what I have recently had, and it subsequently doesn't feel like a chore - it feels like a relaxed, yet rich glass of goodness. I am enjoying the sipping. 

Tip-in is sweet, toasted nuts and oats with caramel lightly sprinkled on top; carbonation has not gotten an invitation to the party. The middle spreads into full swing as the caramel surges forward with grains and the carbonation finally shows up - fashionably late. The finish is naked, charred nuts with a chocolate afterglow.

Bottom Line: This'll do.

4.0/5