Pinkus Münstersch Alt

Brewed by Brauerei Pinkus Müller
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Very light yellow with a medium size head. Some bottle stink that went away when I poured it. Aromas of grass, yeast, lemon, and a touch of butterscotch. Flavor is almost nonexistent. Just a faint fruity (perhaps apple) flavor, and that’s it. It’s nice and smooth and refreshing on the palate. Overall, it’s not a drain pour, but I won’t be drinking this again!

(Bottle). Slightly sour hay, yeast aroma. Clear pale yellow color, with a nice white head. Very mild malt and yeasty flavor, almost no bitterness. As said by others, more like a koelsch than an altbier. Light and refreshing, but with some subtlety in the finish.

Think I got a bad bottle. Butterscotch aroma. Butterscotch flavor and odd carbonation. Bleh. Very little head, no lace. Not drinking more of this. Hints of bridal leather and kerosene, reminds me of the fresh earth at a funeral.

Bottle from John’s Marketplace in Portland, OR. Poured a brassy gold color with a slight white head. Warm roasted caramel aroma. Near medium body with sharpish carbonation. Flavor is a touch of apple, underlain by light caramel malt. It drinks very smoothly and pleasantly. Finish has a light bitterness on the tongue.

On this particular night, I was in need of a brew to accompany a summer grillout with some nice German bratwursts. I first considered a Rauchbier, but that had been done before. Then i realized, what better partner to a smoky, juicy weiner than a nice malty altbier? As soon as it was poured, I was impressed by the distinct, appetizing aroma. A strong buttery pecan and brown sugar malt character tickles the nose. Toast, caramelized apples, slight smoke, tart pear, and butterscotch all round out the aroma. On top of that, the beer looks amazingly delicious. A very large, frothy, festive head forms above the rim of the glass. The body is a coppery honey-amber to gold color, quite a bit lighter than a classic alt. The first noticeable factor in the taste is the soft, chewy, buttery sweetness, with caramelized malt, honey, marzipan, butter-toffee and molasses. There really is no percievable hop bitterness, and the beer finishes smooth and sweet, with a lighter body than a classic Dusseldorfer alt, which have a strong, puckering dryness and fuller, stronger body. This beer really is delicious though, hands-down a perfect accompanyment to grilled food and good times. Perfectly rounded, smoothly malted, oily and slippery on the tongue. I love it.

It’s refreshing to see organic beers on the scene more and more, but they don’t always have the richest flavors. This is a decent blond ale, but nothing special. The color looks like a mixture between a white ale and pilsener. There is not much aroma, and it is crisp and pure in flavor, which follows those German Purity Laws.

50 cL bottle. Pours clear and yellow with a huge white and slight creamy head. Light fruity and crisp bitterhops aroma. Flavour is mild malty, vaguely metallic towards mild bitter. Light fruity into the finish along with a mild bitterness.

Malty, honeylike sweet aroma with some banana notes. Color is opaque orangish with a small white head. Flavors are sweet malt, honey, some tomatoey citrus qualities. Light bitter bite. Medium palate with sweet haylike duration and a bitter finish. Good and drinkable. Would match well with many foods.