The Doppelsticke I’ve had several times before, but never this in the US until now. The usual, Grolsch style, “pop-top” presentation, with good gun-smoke on opening. Head is beautifully formed, excellent lace, nice retention. Brown body. Nose gives up intense, bready malts. Really very strong. Tastes are more reserved, but follow-on with simple malts and very light bitterness in the back end. Not sweet, but with some light spice among the hops. Excellent mouthfeel, and this beer feels like a...
Notes on beers in the style
Altbier
My Preferred Apocalypse
Very good looker. I'm always seeking that correct, mid to deep, copper clarity in an Alt, and that is found here. The head (and especially the lace) are really very good. Sticky, white and persistent, the lace is a particular feature of the pour. Nose has a ton of bready malts - good. This seems just a tad too bitter. It's really, really close, but I want just a little more malt to support the bitterness in the style. Altbiers are hard - very hard! At least good Altbiers are hard, specifically...
Headless Man Amber Alt
12 oz stubbie as per the usual Tyranena presentation. Many thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer. Murky brown pour that lacks clarity but does produce a nice head and some significant, sticky lace. Nose and tastes are very yeasty (as one would expect) and the German tasting malts come through really strong. The persistent yeast and malt tastes re the backbone of this beer and are the fundamental aspects that one would expect in the style. Plenty of toffee and caramel notes as...
Alaskan Amber
12 oz stubbie bottle. Been waiting on this one for a while, delighted to get the chance to try it. In a nutshell this beer is, for me, just about as quintessential as one is likely to get outside of Dusseldorf. Magnificent clarity underneath the bone white head and superb lace and just the right amount of carbonation to make the beer feel alive but not enough to make it prickly. There is a definite reddish/orange hue to the beer that mingles with the more classic, brown colors. The classic...
Altbier
22 oz bomber from Riverside Beverage, Chattanooga, TN, USA. If I were to sum this beer up in a simple way, I would say it was authentic or "in style". Orange pour with great clarity. Bone white, frothy head with some good lace. Nose is of the earthy malts that so often define the style. Finishes with te same earthy tastes, a feature of the style. Nice, smooth mouthfeel. Without ACTUALLY knowing the ABV, this beer gives the impression of being a sessionable brew with simple drinkability and...
Otter Creek Copper Ale
12 oz single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Very light orange pour with almost complete clarity. To be honest it looks a but thin and lightweight. Some lace but no head that offers any sustainability. Nose has that really typical, earthy and organic malt note that comes with the style. Malt dryness is repeated in the taste and there is quite a bite in the finish. Pretty well balanced by the flavor is what I would call "strong". The aftertaste lingers somewhat too. Dry malts...
Southampton Altbier
Very happy to accept this into the ATL market in the last few weeks. 12oz single from Tower on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Contract brewed I believe. Beaufiful clarity on the pour, super light amber color nice carbonation and a decent head. Not much lace. Color is a simple chestnut brown. Great, sweet malty wave after wave of richness greets the tongue and is full and delicious. Richness is the key and its a really full-flavored beer. Nicely in style too. Extremely easy drinking and it seems...
Altbier
8oz pour, for $1.69 during Happy Hour. Lovely dark dark brown pour and a nicely formed head. Some lace. Good malts (obviously) which are going to be the basis for any decent Alt. I pick up a mild nutty roastiness, and some golden syrup. Slightly too sweet for me, but a pretty good stab at the style - drinkable.
Organic Münster Alt
Not really at all sure what is going on here, like the other Pinkus beers that I have tried it's rather odd. This beer has a slightly clouded macro yellow color with plenty of carbonation. Nice head and some good lacing. The beer is an ester-filled, malty and sweet bomb. It finishes quite acidic and with a mild hoppy, dry presence. Very smooth, quite drinkable, but where it fits into the traditional "Altbier" scheme is difficult for me to tell. I often wonder if the Organic moniker has...
Altbier
Thanks to BEERchitect for this offering. Mid amber pour with some lacing and a small head. Nice legs on the beer considering the relatively (I assume) low alcohol. Smell is really fruity. Surprising! I get mainly pears. A little dry for me in the mouth, but not to any alarming extent. The tastes are typically Altbier. Brown ale malts but more reserved than an English (or indeed) an American version. Fruit comes through a little in the taste, but not to any extent. Tiny hop finish. Tasty.
Uerige Doppelsticke
$5.99 Brawley's Beverage, Charlotte, NC, USA. 11.2 fl oz. Definitely unique presentation. Huge, huge malt backbone holds this together. Very sweet and malty upfront with a tiny bitter bite in the short finish. A little lingering bitterness in the short aftertaste too. Light brown body, some lacing and a small head. Sweet plummy fruits in the aroma. Drinks like a quality doppelbock but with the edge taken off. Nice and I enjoyed it, but pretty poor value for money.