Leinenkugel Chocolate Dunkel Review: Try This Unique Chocolate Beer

Our Leinenkugel Chocolate Dunkel review is the ideal choice for anyone who wants to try out a chocolate-flavored beer. Although chocolate and beer might seem surprising, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company does a great job of retaining the beer flavor.

The Chocolate Dunkel features give you a smooth flavor and cocoa crispiness, all encased in a crisp dark lager style. Continue reading our beer review to know more about this flavorful beer.

Leinenkugel Chocolate Dunkel Stats

Country	United States
Brand	Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Style	Munich Dunkel
Taste	Chocolate, malts
Body	Light body
ABV	5.5 percent
Flavors & Aromas	Chocolates, coffee, dark fruits
Serving Temperature	45 – 50 degrees Fahrenheit

Tasting Notes

Leinenkugel Chocolate Dunkel Review

Leinenkugel’s Chocolate Dunkel is a Munich Dunkel with a 5.5 percent ABV. The beer is brewed with cocoa nibs and eight malts as a winter seasonal. You should check out the beer for a warm taste in the winter months.

The beer is full of chocolate characters in aroma and flavor, as this is the first thing you notice when you open the can and taste the beer. As you drink, all the other flavors will come forward and give you a delicious experience. If you want a beer lighter than a porter, the Chocolate Dunkel is the ideal choice.

You should serve the Chocolate Dunkel cold, especially with a lot of ice. Add whiskey and bitters too, and garnish it with an orange peel.

– Appearance

As expected, the Chocolate Dunkel beer pours dark amber to brown. The beer features a tan head, as thick as a finger, with good retention. With the foamy head lasting long, the beer’s aroma also lasts long. The head leaves a solid tan lacing against the inside of your glass.

– Aroma

On the nose, the Chocolate Dunkel features a chocolatey aroma that hits you immediately after you open the can. It has a semi-sweet smell that will remind you of chocolate syrup. You will also notice hints of coffee and roasted malts in the aroma. Its bold chocolate aroma follows into the flavor.

– Mouthfeel

As for the mouthfeel, the Chocolate Dunkel beer has a light and watery body. It has decent carbonation, too, so it only feels lightly fizzy on your palate. Despite the watery body, the beer is enjoyable and will finish lightly dry. The Chocolate Dunkel has a smooth feeling that caresses your palate.

– Flavor

The Chocolate Dunkel beer flavor follows the aroma, although the chocolate does not overshadow the beer. The taste is mostly sweet and retains its flavor of lager, so you don’t forget that you’re drinking beer despite the aroma of chocolate syrup.

The flavor of sweet chocolate is followed by bittersweet coffee and roasted malts that will fill your mouth. The coffee also follows into the aftertaste. The flavor can also notice hints of dark chocolate, breaded malts, and subtle dark fruits. Dark coffee notes are also present in the flavor.

All in all, the beer finishes slightly dry with light coffee in the aftertaste. It reminds you of a combination between chocolate syrup and your favorite lager.

– Food Pairings

Leinenkugel’s Chocolate Dunkel goes well with a wide range of foods. With the flavors of caramel malts and the light roast sweetness of the beer, you should have it with sweet and savory barbecue. The beer goes well with pulled pork, roasted meat, chicken, and meat of all kinds.

You should also have the beer with sweet and chocolatey desserts. Try it out with a chocolate cake, coffee-flavored desserts, and even dark fruits like blackberries and cherry. The Chocolate Dunkel beer acts as a palate cleanser, making it go well with spicy and intense foods.

The Chocolate Dunkel is also paired well with rich and creamy cheeses, like aged Gruyere, which will go well with the caramel sweetness and chocolate of the beer. Other cheeses you can try out include Brie, Chevre, gorgonzola, feta, and ricotta.

Ingredients

The Chocolate Dunkel beer is made with malts, hops, yeast, and water. The malt list consists of eight malts, which gives it its rich malty flavor. Some of the malts include dark chocolate malt and chocolate wheat.

It is also brewed with real cocoa nibs and natural chocolate flavors. The flavors come together to give you the authentic flavor of chocolate that is not overly sweet and will not overshadow the flavor of the lager. The exact hops and yeast used to make the beer are unknown.

Nutrition Fact

The Chocolate Dunkel beer features 5.5 percent alcohol content in every 12 ounces. It also has 43 bitterness units from the hops, which balances well with the chocolate flavors of the beer.

The beer features 19 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein every 12 ounces. It is not ideal for those on a keto diet because of the high-fat content. The total number of calories in the beer is 210, which is a pretty high level.

The Chocolate Dunkel is not gluten-free, so it’s not ideal for those who can’t consume gluten.

History

The Chocolate Dunkel is a Munich Dunkel brewed by the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery. It is released between November and January as a winter seasonal and is one of the newest additions to the brewery.

Leinenkugel’s is a brewing company located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in the United States. The brewery has been running for over 155 years and remains true to its German brewing roots. Their beers are now distributed around the 50 states.

Conclusion

Chocolate Dunkel is a delicious Dunkel offering you flavors of chocolate and lager. Here is a summary of what we covered in our review:

• Chocolate Dunkel is brewed by Leinenkugel, with a 5.5 percent ABV.
• The beer has aromas and flavors of chocolate, coffee, and dark roasted malts, with a sweet and slightly dry finish.
• The beer is brewed with ten malts, cocoa nibs, natural chocolate flavors, hops, yeast, and water.
• It is best consumed cold and with ice; an orange slice garnish makes it better.
• It goes well with sweet and savory barbeque, sweet and chocolatey desserts, and creamy cheeses.

If you’re curious about the Chocolate Dunkel, you can have it at the brewery or visit a nearby store to purchase it today.