Frankenheim Alt

Brewed by Privatbrauerei Frankenheim (Warsteiner)
Style: Altbier
Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Draught at Düsseldorf Altbierfest (special event at Distillery District in Toronto, October 2009). Altbier is a style that I’m pretty unfamiliar with, as it’s pretty rare in Ontario, with no locally brewed versions and a scarcity of imported ones. According to BJCP, Alts are supposed to have a “deep copper colour”, a “clean yet robust and complex aroma of rich malt, noble hops and restrained fruity esters”, and a flavour that features an “assertive hop bitterness well balanced by a sturdy yet clean and crisp malt character.” All of which I found in Frankenheim Alt, so I guess it’s a good one. I certainly had no problem throwing back a few traditional 200 ml glasses alongside some hearty German sausage, sauerkraut and soft pretzels.

a classic Dusseldorf Alt. Sort of sweet, browncolored and not very pleasant smelling. Taste is mild with a hint of strawberry.

Sampled from can@RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Low beige head. Clear, dark amber colored body. Aroma of dark, fresh bread. Some butter notes, and whiff of caramel. Taste sweet grainy. Sweet in a pleasant way, with caramel notes and hint of pepper. Mid-bodied. Dries up lot in the finish. Lack some hops, overall a reliable Altbier.

500 ml can sampled@RBNAG 2009, Vatlandsvåg. Clear amber body with a thin off-white head. Aroma of bread, malt, caramel and grain. Flavor is sweetish malt, bread, caramel and a decent bitterness. Nice balanced, maybe a bit sweet, clean malt impression, and a bitter finish that compensate for the sweetness. Not bad at all.

Bottle, 4,8% ABV, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Cognac to deep amber colour, moderate off-white head. Distinct aroma of wort, malts and rye bread. The flavour is dominant malty with notes of brown bread, low bitterness. Nice.

Bottled from Aachen. Dark clear brown color, with big tan head, lacing. Aroma is malty and roasted caramel. Flavour is the same with some dry bitterness in finish. Nice.

Draught at Bahnhof-Süd, Essen, Germany. Dark brown colour with frothy medium-size off-white head. Caramel sweetness in aroma. Quite light, slightly roasted with caramel sweetness. Some bitter hoppiness. Light but decent.

A lot of bread and fruit in the taste and smell. I enjoyed this beer through and through although it’s definately not the best beer I’ve had. Good caramel notes in the flavor with a big hoppy bite at the end. Descent beer.