Dunkel, or “dark,” is a reference to both a beer’s color and the color of the malts used to make them. A specialty of the Bavarian region, Dunkel Weizen combines pale wheat malt with darker barley malt for color and flavor. Ayinger’s Ur-Weisse exemplifies the style’s platonic ideal — smooth, rich and complex, without being the least bit heavy. Cloudy with bready-tasting yeast sediment, the beer showcases a brilliant russet-gold hue under a fluffy white head. Lush fruity flavors result from a unique strain of ale yeast, marking the beer with aromas of caramelized bananas, plums and cloves.
While beer is associated more with cooling, winter beers are fuller in body and maltier than standard styles, giving imbibers that warm, fuzzy feeling.