Sticke Alt
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

(From notes)

A - Thinnish slightly off-white head, light brown color that was pretty clear and noticeable rising carbonation

S - Malty, earthy, and nearing on dark bread. Mint-like hoppiness toward the end

T - Malt shows up first and is a touch sweet, but the hops are pretty spicy which is really interesting and enjoyable. Bit of the earthiness comes in again as well.

M - Thin MF, with tight carbonation, perhaps could have used a bit more body to carry the flavors (even though the style calls for a thinner MF)

D - Decent drinkability, and held some interesting flavors. Decent abv weight keeps this from being as drinkable, and the really light body just didn't turn me on.

Overall, solid example and a style that doesn't get as much love as it should. Worth checking out.

Pours a dark, barely translucent honey-amber with a thick, fine-bubbled, persistent off-white head. Aroma is not strong but malty and spicy and quite inviting. Flavor is malty, spicy, hoppy, slightly woody, and just a little bitter with hints of caramel and evergreen. Texture is smooth but edgy, leaving a hoppy and slightly sweet finish.

A copper brew, dark to the point of being nearly opaque, but it isn't quite there. Creamy, off white head - a couple of fingers' worth - settles to a nice, fairly thick cap. It seems to leave big, drapery lacing - but then they just sort of dissipate, with a few spots here and there.

A faintly nutty nose, also with caramel malt and some citrus. A bit of floral hops, too.

There is some toast to the flavor. Caramel, peanuts (and nuts in general), grains. A dollop of hop bittering makes itself known towards the end, and sticks to the palate a bit.

Light to medium body, with a pretty good amount of carbonation. Prickliness up front keeps the malt-forward brew's sweetness from completely settling, and allows it to interact more with the more intricate malt and hop flavors.

Pours a dark copper brown with a lasting tan brown head. Noticeable hops in the aroma. As with other GB beers this beer has a distinctive GB house flavor. There is malt sweetness that is somewhat soapy. The Alt finishes sweet with a touch of sourness. I have not had an original Sticke Alt so I can't compare the drinkability of this interpretation to that. However, I found the drinkability of this beer on its own merits to be OK because the sweetness puts me off-reminds me of cocacola.