Efes Dark

It was recently pointed out to me that I have been slacking on the beer reviews lately...especially in light of my recent birthday present, which is providing a steady stream of new stuff.

So, to kick things off, I'll start with what I'm pretty sure is the first (and therefore only) Turkish beer I've ever had, Efes Dark. I'd never heard of it (imagine that) but apparently the Efes brand (they have very popular pilsner) is virtually synonymous with beer in Turkey.

Efes Dark is brewed with bottom-fermenting (lager) yeast, which makes this a European-style dark lager. On first impression, it reminds me of a muted, flatter version of Northern German Altbier.

Color is a deep reddish-brown. Very little head..in fact, it's nearly flat like an English ale. The aroma is rich--malty, roasty, yeasty--but compared to most other beers, it's actually not very aromatic. (Point of reference--I'm a bona fide hophead, so my baseline for aroma is probably a little higher than average.) Flavor is predominated by roasted malt, followed by sweet, slightly raisiny undertones. Clean, crisp finish with very little aftertaste. Warming alcohol presence (6.5% ABV). Overall, a very easy-drinking beer...the kind that people might say "I don't usually like beer, but I could drink this" about.