dunkel

noun

dun·​kel ˈdəŋ-kəl 

variants or Dunkel

plural dunkels or Dunkels

: a dark-colored, slightly sweet lager typically brewed with roasted malt

To me, the perfect dunkel is rich, with flavors of bread and toast. … It also has a hop bitterness that balances those attractive malty flavors.

—Ryan Pachmayer

… lagers range from light, delicate pilsners to brown, roasty dunkels.

—The Troy (New York) Record

While the colour is on the darker side, you can expect a fairly light body with the Dunkel, featuring toasty notes and a distinct chocolate flavour with a clean finish.

—Robin LeBlanc

compare dunkelweizen

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German, "dark," going back to Old High German tunkal, thunchel, going back to West Germanic *dunk^wla-, whence also Old Low Franconian dunkal*; with a variant *dunk^wra-, whence Old Saxon dunkar "dark," Middle Dutch donker "dark, unclear, hidden"; compare unsuffixed, with full grade or o-grade ablaut, Old Icelandic dǫkkr, døkkr "dark, black," Old Swedish dionker, diunker (going back to *dink^wa- or *dank^wa-), Old Frisian diunk "dark, unclear" (going back to *denk^wa-); all from an Indo-European etymon *d^heng^w-o- seen also in Hittite dankui- "black, dark"

Note: In German the beer in the definition is marketed as Münchner Dunkel or Bayrisch Dunkel.

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above