Long Trail Double Bag

Brewed by Long Trail Brewery
Style: Altbier
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont USA

Surprisingly strong beer. A decent brew that has hops up the wazoo. Not amazing, but drinkable.

Pours a translucent red amber with an average light tan head that left nice lacing. Aroma is light caramelt malt. Flavor is piney hops with a nice sweet malt backbone and some roastiness. I’ve had a few other Long Trail beers that weren’t too hot, so this was a nice surprise.

I first tasted this without reading the label, and thought it was an American IPA. A modest head, dark amber color, mildly fruity aroma and interesting flavor with a pleasant hoppy bite. Ignore the altbier tag. I went out and bought a case.

Dark, slightly nutty malt aroma with some sweetness. Deep amber color with a thin, fine head. Has forward malt flavors with nice bitterness, although not hoppy, and a prominient alcohol character--which is nice. A big, well-rounded body with a nice, slightly warm and spicy finish.

(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with jah noth, thanks Dan!) An okay attempt at a "double alt", and I say that because compared to the Uerige Sticke that I also sampled this evening, this beer has a cheap tasting, sweet malt flavor, a moderate fruitiness, and a mildly bitter, but perfumy hop flavor. It’s certainly more flavorful than the regular Long Trail Ale, which is also an altbier, but as this beer proves, more flavor doesn’t always mean more enjoyment. The nose is sweet, malty and fruity. Medium "plus" bodied, but that cheap, sugary sweetness just sits on the palate and becomes a bit cloying. Dark amber in color and fully clear in appearance. The off-white head is pretty average all around, rising to half an inch and settling to a small ring. Just doesn’t speak "quality" to me, but it’s not too bad.

Pours amber with a thin pinkish head. Smells of roses and candy. Taste is a bit citrussy with some sweet notes on the mouthfeel. Strong in alcohol. Not sure what to make of this one.

Pretty good beer, very surprising how much this one had to offer. Alot of alcohol and spice on the palate, with a cooling finish that made it very easy to enjoy.

* This review is based upon a bottle which I chilled too quickly and may have suffered as a result - I’ve got one properly staged for another "fair" test tonight so I’ll amend this if necessary* Clear garnet pour with ruby highlites under a thin tan head which dissapeared by the time I lifted the glass. Very sweet aroma of malt, vanilla and overripe fruit. This one explodes like a sweet malt bomb leaving little room for balancing flavors (such as hops, which were restrained to the point of being hidden). I found the alcohol notes fairly obvious, though not unpleasant, leaving me with little doubt about this ale’s propensities for mischief. Mouthfeel was quite thin and watery and finish very weak. Overall, this beer would appeal to those who enjoy sweeter ales that lean decidedly towards the malty side of the spectrum. I’m also not certain this is an Alt - at least not a good example of the style.