Stickenjab Alt Bier
Heavyweight Brewing Co.

Stickenjab Alt BierStickenjab Alt Bier
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From:
Heavyweight Brewing Co.
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
Altbier
ABV:
6.4%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 11.78%
Reviews:
121
Ratings:
122
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 01, 2011
Added:
Jun 14, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by ski271:
Photo of ski271
Reviewed by ski271 from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Note: Do NOT just pour this beer into a glass without paying attention, like I did with the first bottle. There’s a lot of sediment in the bottom of this one that really affects its taste. You’ll have to let a good ounce or so of this stuff go.
Hazy medium amber with a small, off-white, foamy head that diminishes to a stubborn film. Good thick lacing. The smell is full of butter, grain, yeast and citrus. The taste is a little sweet with a sting of fruit and alcohol esters. The finish tends to lean more toward the caramel malts than the lingering floral hops. It is medium bodied and astringent with moderate carbonation. Much better when poured correctly. Pretty good Altbier. Naice take on the style. It’s a shame more brewery don’t take a stab at an altbier.
Apr 16, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 01, 2011
Photo of froggyfrog
Reviewed by froggyfrog from Pennsylvania

4.69/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Beer from a squat 12-ounce bottle served in a no-frills standard pint glass.

A: Rays of copper and blood orange light filter through murky liquid. A single-digit bubbly white head forms and quickly recedes.

S: Soap and citrus lead the way as hints of cracked pepper and candied-apples round out the mid-tones.

T: Lightly sweetened dried cranberry and pear notes with a citrus finish.

M: Positively glides across the tongue. I remember a slightly more involved alcohol presence in the draft version of this beer which made for a fuller and more sipping-type mouthfeel. But here in the bottle it seems leaner and more fast-paced.

D: I had a hard time drinking this slowly enough to write this review. I am not a chugger but this smooth brew goes down quick and easy.

Overall a stand-out brew. Tom Baker of Heavyweight told me this was his favorite HW brew and I concur.
Aug 14, 2006
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is a 12 oz bottle of Stickenjab. I had intended to drink and review a Lunacy, but the damned bottle erupted upon opening and made a damn-hell-ass mess.

Appearance: The ale is a lighter color that the other altbiers that I've had. It is an auburn orange color and has a bit of haze. The beer poured with a nice head that left a good lace around the glass.

Smell: The aroma is a little off. There is a definite biscuity malt aroma, but something else also pops up, a nasty fruity aroma.

Taste: The beer has a firm malt flavor. As I let it warm over my tongue, toffee and biscuit are the big flavors that emerge. The malts are so strong and assertive that one doesn't even notice when they trail off (which they do at the proper time, to prevent a malt bomb). Very nice taste!

Mouthfeel: The malts are quite good and make this an enjoyable drink.

Drinkablility: Very high, a winner amongst the altbiers.
Jul 10, 2006
Photo of ggaughan
Reviewed by ggaughan from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Just had the bottle at the Drafting Room in Exton. Figured I would try more Heavyweight while it is still available. The beer poured a deep clear amber color with a thin, off white head and nice lacing. The aroma was of sweet malt with some hints of citrus, maybe cheeries as well. The taste was a bit of caramel, toasted and some nice notes of bread, earthy. Very pleasing to the taste buds. The body is medium but makes for a pretty drinkable alt beer.
Jul 08, 2006
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Clear and coppery, a vigourous pour yielded a thin skim of head and solid ring around the glass. Decent retention and spotty lacing. Malt aroma all the way - freshly milled barley, light sweetness - with just a hint of apple/pear. Fruit is apparent in the flavour, start to finish, and leads into a spicy finish with just a hint of alcohol warmth. Bitterness is strong without being pronounced - malt is still in control here with a bit of caramel rounding out the sweetness. Medium bodied with carbonation on the low side. Nice texture too. This is really tasty. Just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness in check and an interesting flavour profile.
Jul 03, 2006
Photo of hero27
Reviewed by hero27 from Minnesota

2.87/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
12 oz bottle
48 IBU's, 6.4% abv.

Cloudy orange, rather small fizzy head. Aroma has a thick malt, with a definite cherry element to it. Tastes are slightly spicy to start. Assorted fruits are thrown in with the caramel malts to churn up a somewhat artificial sweetness, but there's a mild sourness as well. Quite cloying (clover, ginger, and cinnamon?) use of spices. Slick mouthfeel and rather low carbonation.

I see what they were trying to do with this one, but it kinda misses the mark for me.
Thanks go the way of ski271 for the bottle.
Jun 20, 2006
Photo of Kendo
Reviewed by Kendo from New York

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Short 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Amber-orange in color, slightly cloudy and with a small ivory head that left a little lacing.

As for the nose: slightly malty and slightly citrusy, reminded me of green apples at times.

Taste: nutty maltiness at first, a tad bit of fruity flavors in the middle, but it finished with a tangy, almost sour hop aftertaste. All in all a nice balance between the malt and the hops, but I thought the sourness detracted from the overall taste.

Mouthfeel: medium-bodied with mild-to-moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: I could see myself having a few of these. A solid if unassuming version of an altbier, I would definitely try it again.
Jun 05, 2006
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.91/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: pours a clear orange color with a thcik 2" head. The head slowly falls to a surface foam.Spotty lacing develops.

Smell: sweetness and nuttiness are detectable.

Taste: strong caramel and bread like malt backbone with some sugary sweetness, green apples, and mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: crisp and dry at the start. Dry and smoother finish. Long aftertaste of malty goodness. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: easy drinking alt beer. If you are in the mood for the style, this will do it for you. Seek this one out if you live in the Jersey area.
May 28, 2006
Photo of AlexJ
Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

2.87/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Cloudy, sediment-rich honey caramel pour with thick one-finger head of tan suds. Nice retention fed by steady uprising streams of pinpoint carbonation.

Aroma is very harsh, bready malts, sweetened condensed milk(a very unique aroma), tart lemony dryness, and some muddled fruit notes.

Flavor is thick, dextrinous malts, that funky milky note, band-aids, and a tart, mineral-laden, yeasty astringancy that reminds me very much of a wild ale. Not a bad flavor, just not at all what I expected. Perhaps this has been infected/influenced by one of the many in-house yeast strains that Heavyweight utilizes. I strongly believe this to be the case.

Body is medium, slick, and very slippery textures. Mouthfeel is juicey and a bit flat. Hard to finish simply because there are too many contrasting themes present in this sample.
May 28, 2006
Photo of psinderson
Reviewed by psinderson from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Poured into pint glass. A nice dark amber color with a 2-finger, off-white head that shrinks quickly. Very little lacing apparent.

This beer is extremely malty. The only significant aromas are bready malt and alcohol. The sweet malt flavor hits you immediately. There is a brief appearance of hop bitterness, but it seems to be quickly snuffed out by the malt. In my opinion, this could definitely use some more hops for balance.

I like the mouthfeel. Good medium-heavy body with a pleasant carbonation level.

Because this beers seems unbalanced to me, it's harder to get through than others. This may be just my preference for greater hop character in a beer. They state the IBU's as 48 and that does seem low for a beer of this strength.
May 14, 2006
Photo of hopsaplenty
Reviewed by hopsaplenty from District of Columbia

3.07/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz brown bottle, no date information

Cloudy, murky amber. Thick, puffy head of fine off-tan bubbles that is loosely packed and slow to settle leaving no lacing. Filled with thick, almost chunky sediment. Spicy, peppery smell, a bit nutty and sweet. Starts sweet and hard cider tinged. Remains on the sweet side, but lightly though, through the middle before finishing with a minimally spicy hop edge. There is also a tart slightly sour note as well. The tartness lingers a bit. Filled with a grainy, granular, chunky sediment and fine, tingling carbonation and has a medium body. Didn't find this particularly enjoyable and won't be going back to it. Something seems off, perhaps it was old, but with no date info, it is tough to say.
May 13, 2006
Photo of ColForbin
Reviewed by ColForbin from New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A "secret" alt, Stickenjab pours a hazy orange-red with a light tan head that gives a lot of lacing around the glass. Aroma is caramel malt, with some sour fruit, almost dopplebock-like. Taste is malty and roasted, but with a surprisingly crisp citrusy finish. Some bitter hops in the aftertaste. Just an incredibly refreshing beer, very light on the palate, seems to have medium-high carbonation.

Not as hoppy as Long Trail Double Bag, the only other sitcke-alt I've had, but since I've never had a German version of this variety, I don't know which is more appropriate. But they are both damn tasty beers.
Apr 11, 2006
Photo of beveragecaptain
Reviewed by beveragecaptain from New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle purchased at the brewery during an open house. Stickenjab pours out a caramel color with a small head. The aroma is malty, but has a slightly off-putting sour smell. Sweet and malty with an apple cider tanginess. There is a bit of a nutty flavor. Finishes with light spicy hoppiness. Alcohol is noticable. Good drinkability. A tasty and refreshing altbier. Other than the sour aroma, I really enjoyed it.
Mar 28, 2006
Photo of NiceGuyMike
Reviewed by NiceGuyMike from New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
First time I tried this in the bottle it was at room temperature. Yuck, don't recommend. Malt is too strong for that warm of temp. I'm making this review from bottle right from the refrigerator. That seems to be the best temperature for this brew.

a: Cloudy brown with white head and lacing.
s: Smells of sweet malts with a bit of sulfer (spent match).
t: Strong malt flavor (reminds me of Rogue's Dead Guy Ale). Finsihes with nice bitterness that rounds out the malt. Strong alcohol presents. As it warms up, I get fruitiness which is very welcomed.
m: Fizzy, creamy full bodied mouth
d: I think I shall continue drink this this after noon.

Notes: first time I had this was at Slow Food and Beer festival. I had opportunity to meet the brewer and try this from the tap. It was wonderful and I made a mental note make a purchase in bottle.
Mar 25, 2006
Photo of Hautacam
Reviewed by Hautacam from Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is a really good one !
Hazy orange amber..lively head..laces and drops to 1/8 ".
Smells mostly of malt...some dried fruit...a hint of hop and port.
There's about a million things going on here in the taste...all well balanced. Malt, apple-pear,yeasty, caramel..hop bitter with a slight lemon rind hint...some port wine near the finish. Wow !!
Mouthfeel is velvety, micro carbonation. Perfect.
Very drinkable..Thank You, Sir, may I have another ?..this came in a 4-sampler.
I think I'm in love...
Mar 03, 2006
Photo of MuddyFeet
Reviewed by MuddyFeet from North Carolina

3.16/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This poured a very pretty color. It was my favorite thing about the beer. A red-hued brown. Almost glowed red. Thin white head with some stringy lace. Nose was fairly hoppy for the style. Came across as bits of clove mostly. Flavor was sweet at first but then with a clover-like bittersweetness. The flavors kind of tingled. Almost watery feel to it. Not sure what it is about this beer (perhaps it was the kind of cloying clover) but it is falling through the floorboards for me.
Mar 02, 2006
Photo of taez555
Reviewed by taez555 from Vermont

4.14/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer poured a dark brown but clear body with a small white/tan head.

Huge rich german malt smell. It's just got that classic earthy, nutty vienna type german malt and yeast smell, but in spades. Really very inviting.

Medium bodied and very malty. Sort of a sugary, caramel, mild date and other fruit sort of flavor. Nothing huge in the way of hops or even a hop bitterness. Just enough to give it some balance. Some touches of floral hops, touches of earth and that's about it mostly. A nice alcohol touch as well, again, you can tell it's there and bigger than your normal session beer, but never overpowering. The more I drink it it really reinforces that dried dates or raisin sort of quality. Nice.

I've never been crazy about alt's or sticke beers, but this, wow.... I could drink it all day long. Sort of reminds me of a session version of bockbeer. Very nice.
Mar 02, 2006
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Reviewed by outdoorbrewer from New Jersey

4.12/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Alt, a top-fermented old style beer originally from the lower Rhein region of Germany where winters are too mild to produce enough natural ice to control fermentation and storage temperatures. Method kept unchanged until recent years as showcased in this Stickenjab.
Label reads bottom fermented with German malts and Hallertau hops.
Poured from a bottle straight down the middle of a pint glass produced a luscious head of off-white color and tilted to ease off to make sure it all fits in. The diminishing head left a fair lacing over a rich clear dark golden brew that was lively carbonated. Bottled conditioned sediment remained where it belongs.
Initial aroma had caramel covered hay dusted with powdered malt and a touch of berry - original and very pleasant to experience.
Medium body almost syrupy texture finished lightly alcoholic.
A moderately sweet malty flavor blended with esters and hop acids to create a unique taste one would associate as being "alt"
Aside from a detected sourness and one bottle in the four-pak that tasted oxidized I like this brew.
Mar 01, 2006
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Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Got this at a friend's party recently - took it home with me and finished up some other brews before getting around to this. I don't drink this style of beer that often, but it was interesting and certainly worth a try, in the sense that it broadened my horizons!

Nice pour to this - thick head, not a lot of lacing, but a beautiful apricot orange to this beer and a nice translucence to boot. A lot of malt up front, and then the hops kick in. Not the usual American style no less, but very heavy and bitter. On the level of a barleywine, but not as intense and much heavier as well. There's a lot going on here, but it works well once you get further and further along in the drink. A bit of floral and citrus notes can be felt here too, but nothing overpowers as much as the back of this brew.

Beers like this are an acquired taste for someone like me who's more accustomed to pale ales and belgian whites. Heavyweight has a solid offering here, and it comes a "price" I don't mind paying for - no pun intended!
Feb 20, 2006
Stickenjab Alt Bier from Heavyweight Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 122 ratings