Schumacher Latzenbier

Brewed by Brauerei Ferdinand Schumacher
Style: Altbier
Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Bottle Courtesy of dortmunder. Thanks!
A rare beer and a privilege to have been sent a bottle of. Says to contain hop extract on the label, which, in my book, means lower quality. Let’s taste it... First, it pours golden red with a thick head (!). Malty and hoppy aroma from a damp cellar. Fruity as well and that makes it quite complex for this strength and style. Quite bitter and slightly sharp. Lacks a bit in body. This beer benefits with big gulps. Maybe that’s the reason it comes in one litre bottles... It’s quite moreish. Tastes fresh - which it is! I have to go to Düsseldorf some day to "trink vom fass". A hint of yeast is present but not disturbing and is expected. A session beer of the stronger kind for an anglophile like me. A slight cheezy character comes through at the end when warmed up. I like.

Amber coloured, almost ruby, thick ivory head; sweet, extremely full-bodied and "warm" in the beginning, well balanced with an extremely long, hoppy aftertaste. Available only three days a year. Don’t miss it ! Re-Rate 17/11/05 (Latzen-Tag): Extremely well balanced and moreish......

I´ve just came back from the Latzenbier-Event at Schumachers´ in Düseldorf, which is held only trice a year (every third Thursday in March, September & November). Red amber coloured with frothy beige head. A sweety malty start is followed by a great long elegant hoppy aftertaste. I will be there again in September, that´s for sure. Swing top bottles were available for the home experience.

Thank you so much Dortmunder - what a great Altbier: Big, long lasting frothy off- white head on a nice orange colored brew. Soft carbonation. Clay and cookie malt nose - light all in all. Nice peppery and hoppy taste start, some coriander, a medium malty woody long lasting finish. Complex but great balanced.

Clay nose with a little sulfur as the glass warmed. Extraordinarily attractive beer: lovely copper-amber color and a creamy frothy head that stuck to the sides of the glass. Caramelly, toasted malt flavors, maybe some raisins and nuts in the middle. Spicy, slightly corriander-orangy end with a dryning effect. Great great balance. A fine and classy beer. Maybe the best Altbier I’ve had along with Uerige Sticke.

The best alt I´ve had, I like it a little better than schlüssel even! Wonderful copper color and head, flavor was perfect, I couln´t ask for more from an Alt bier! I can´t explain how much I liked the flavor! More hop flavor than most AltsCan´t wait to have it again next year! Thanks to Dortmunder for the sample!

From cask. Malty, slightly smoky nose with hints of nuts. Earthy, slightly smoky maltiness. Very dry and tangy on the tongue. Medium- to fullbodied. Superb, and very one of a kind. (3.7) Re-rate: (Bottled) Additionaly I might add a certain fruitiness, mostly dried fruits like raisins and dried plums. Maybe a tiny hint of almonds. The first time I rated this was in the pub bursting with people and as I didn´t have a seat, I was shooed like a stray dog around the place, so the circumstances maybe were reflected in my rating. A truly great beer.

(draught - what else?) Fully clear beautiful chestunut coulour; very dense, yellow-amber head, leaving fine lace. Almondy nose, a bit of bread, and maybe some sugar, bit leafy. Very strong malty taste, with again a flavour as the kernels of apples, almondy. Finish is quite bitter, almondy again - and is it the colour suggesting - but I get a chestnut flavour as well. Very well-bodied, nearly chewy. Maltimpression is enormous. Long-lasting, dry-bitter aftertaste, nearly hoppy. I like this Latzenbier much more than Uerige’s Sticke. Malty - the opposite of the superb regular Uerige.