Schwelmer Alt

Brewed by Brauerei Schwelm
Style: Altbier
Schwelm, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

[on tap in Brooklyn, NY] Dark brownish amber with a thin, pristine cover which formed a nice ring. Nice biscuity malt aroma with pear and a little lemon and toffee. Noble hops are obvious in the flavour with plenty of toasty malt. Too much grain in the flavour at the end--needs some more sweet malt character. Light to medium body with moderate carbonation and a tiny bit astringent.

Beautiful dark cherrywood auburn color when up to a strong light, nealy black in shadow with an immense puffy cap of light sandy brown, finely foamed froth. Cap slowly levels off and down to a good amount of skim and collaring. Lacing glazes the glass in webby curtains. Aroma is stiff and bready with light touch of cocoa powder. Taste is mild yet firm with not a whole lot going on unfortunately. Semi sweet. Clean with a fluffy coating. Big on bready flavors mostly but it doesn’t last long. A little brief on the buds with this one. Has some light hints to sunflower seeds, cocoa, and toasted grains. Finish has a bit of subdued and muddled smokeyness and earthy yeast under the last remainders of toasty stuff. Lots of pretty decent bread tones though. Feel is smooth and fairly fluffy with an easy carbonation to slurp down but lacks some depth. Its lighter then medium in body with a weak-ended front but picks up some as it finishes. A good enough drinker, pleasing if not all together simple.

Pours out a nice clearish amber color. Nose full of breadiness, some fruit, nuts, heavier malt. Flavor seems to focus more on the sweet nutiness with the malts taking some strides also. Not shabby.

Very good Alt. Body is lighter than all 3 Uerige versions. Moderate strength, about the same as Uerige Alt.

Mild bubblegum and fruity esters with bready malts and leafy hops in the nose. Clear dark copper-brown with large, fine bubbled, tan head that recedes slowly to cover with plenty of lacing. Bready malts and fruity esters are offset by fairly assertive bitterness with a mineralic character apparent especially in the aftertaste. Medium body with lively carbonation. It seems to be quite well-made and aside from the esters, it’s to style, but I can’t say that I’m a big fan for some reason. Tulip glass. Allowed to warm from fridge temperature. Bottle (Somerville Supersaver, NJ, Oct-05).

I got this one really fresh. Never poured it into a glass, because I prefer to drink in public, and the contour of the bottle’s mouth make drinking this like kissing a lusty maiden with full lips. Fruity malty aroma, nice caramel cookie like malt, subtle fruity sweet finish. Nice crisp pop when opening the ceramic top. Great on cool fall evenings lying on the grass under a tree.

Coo bottle. chestnut body with foamy tan head. Nose was sour mats, a bit of fruity hops. Malty creamy body, with more sour off tastes . This was ok, not a grab again. Got this as a bonus, thanks.

Deep red-brown body, dark, with a medium-thick light tan head. Toasty aroma with grassy, leafy hops that reminds me of jumping in piles of crisped tree leaves each fall as a kid. Cheerios were also noted. Interesting malt body, with malted milkballs and toast, reminding me strongly of the non-alcoholic malt sodas available in international markets. Light sweetness with leafy hops and some cardboardy off-flavors. Medium-bodied. Not half bad despite the cardboard.