Copper
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery


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- From:
- The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
- North Carolina, United States
- Style:
- Altbier
Ranked #4 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 91
Ranked #7,086 - Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 12.99%
- Reviews:
- 108
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 06, 2022
- Added:
- Apr 29, 2009
- Wants:
- 78
- Gots:
- 137
SCORE
91
Outstanding
91
Outstanding


Notes:
OMB’s flagship, Copper, is an authentic Düsseldorf style “Altbier” or Amber Ale. There are no crazy flavors or gimmicks with Copper – its full-flavored start transitions to a smooth, balanced, easy-drinking finish. It’s the beer that tastes like beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by SaltofOH from Ohio
4.48/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Draft, plastic cup.
A: pours a beautiful, brilliant dark amber, with one finger of off-white foam that leaves a ring at the edge of the cup. Streams of tiny bubbles flowing up.
S: hard to get a nose on this cup, but I can get some sweet, cherry, toffee malt, deep and inviting. Slight hint of noble hops.
T: not a sweet on the palate as the nose presents, but plenty rich and malty. Earthy noble hops on the arrival, turning to the rich, toffee, slightly red fruity/dark cherry middle, then quickly snapping into a hoppy ending, with a lasting moderately hoppy finish. This is the epitome of a balanced beer.
M: stellar feel, especially on draft. Midweight, moderate to low carbonation, frothy, slightly slick on the finish. Could be a little cleaner, but you don’t want an ale totally clean so it’s perfect for the style.
O: this is an outstanding beer. Quality craftsmanship, you can tell they spent their time with this malt bill, and let this ferment and/or age appropriately. Stellar example of the balanced, classic beers that are disappearing these days. Very similar to Eliot Ness from GL. Hope this one sticks around.
Jun 25, 2022A: pours a beautiful, brilliant dark amber, with one finger of off-white foam that leaves a ring at the edge of the cup. Streams of tiny bubbles flowing up.
S: hard to get a nose on this cup, but I can get some sweet, cherry, toffee malt, deep and inviting. Slight hint of noble hops.
T: not a sweet on the palate as the nose presents, but plenty rich and malty. Earthy noble hops on the arrival, turning to the rich, toffee, slightly red fruity/dark cherry middle, then quickly snapping into a hoppy ending, with a lasting moderately hoppy finish. This is the epitome of a balanced beer.
M: stellar feel, especially on draft. Midweight, moderate to low carbonation, frothy, slightly slick on the finish. Could be a little cleaner, but you don’t want an ale totally clean so it’s perfect for the style.
O: this is an outstanding beer. Quality craftsmanship, you can tell they spent their time with this malt bill, and let this ferment and/or age appropriately. Stellar example of the balanced, classic beers that are disappearing these days. Very similar to Eliot Ness from GL. Hope this one sticks around.
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap in a standard pint glass.
Copper color with a hint of amber tint. The cap is 1f foamy white that lasts and leaves heavy web lacing.
Darkish breaded malt, roasted and light sweetness. Floral and herbal hops.
Malt bomb flavors, bread, dough, caramel .
Near full bodied. Malty with a hop bite to nullify any sweetness.
A real beer, hearty and flavorful.
May 11, 2022Copper color with a hint of amber tint. The cap is 1f foamy white that lasts and leaves heavy web lacing.
Darkish breaded malt, roasted and light sweetness. Floral and herbal hops.
Malt bomb flavors, bread, dough, caramel .
Near full bodied. Malty with a hop bite to nullify any sweetness.
A real beer, hearty and flavorful.
Reviewed by nick_perry from North Carolina
4.12/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Clear dark amber appearance, lot of rising bubbles, foamy white head. Toasty, bready malts. A touch of fruit and spice. Crisp, clean mouthfeel. Lingering malty finish. 4 stars.
Sep 27, 2021Reviewed by arizcards from North Carolina
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Enjoyed a 1/2 liter serving at the brewpub on 8-8-21 for $6.99.
Beer was served copper colored with an outstanding white head that stayed up for a long time.
Nose was a light touch of fruitiness and not much else.
Taste was spot on the style. Light toasted malts mixed very nicely with the yeast that imparted a light fruit flavor. Hopping was well done to erase any sweetness but not take over the beer.
Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and pretty refreshing.
Overall a wonderful flavor profile, spot on the style!
Aug 09, 2021Beer was served copper colored with an outstanding white head that stayed up for a long time.
Nose was a light touch of fruitiness and not much else.
Taste was spot on the style. Light toasted malts mixed very nicely with the yeast that imparted a light fruit flavor. Hopping was well done to erase any sweetness but not take over the beer.
Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and pretty refreshing.
Overall a wonderful flavor profile, spot on the style!
Reviewed by dribblespit from Pennsylvania
4.66/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.66/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Copper is a good name since it is the color of this bier.
Malty and a good bit of hops. Not an IPA level, but noticeable.
Easy drinking feel. The low ABV encourages imbibing a few.
Found this in 16oz cans at a local bottle shop.
Haven't found them anywhere else, yet.
Jul 18, 2021Malty and a good bit of hops. Not an IPA level, but noticeable.
Easy drinking feel. The low ABV encourages imbibing a few.
Found this in 16oz cans at a local bottle shop.
Haven't found them anywhere else, yet.
Reviewed by Foyle from North Carolina
4.23/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.23/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. A thick beige head recedes quickly with no lacing. Color is deep amber with little visible carbonation. Aroma is rich malts, bread dough, a bit of spice, and hops. Mouthfeel is light to medium and frothy with a quick finish. Flavors of roasted malt, dark fruit, raisins, tobacco, with a significant hop presence throughout. Overall: excellent flavor.
Jul 01, 2021Reviewed by Singlefinpin from North Carolina
4.17/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Drinking this at home.
Poured from a 16 ounce can into a pint glass.
Appears a light copper, with a nice foamy slightly tannish head that lasted.
Smells malty, caramel and floral.
Taste follows the nose very nicely with enough spiciness to keep my interest.
Mouth feel is medium for the style.
Overall I love Altbiers whenever I can find them, this is a great example of the style and I would definitely drink again and look forward to drinking this fresh at the brewery one day.
Dec 16, 2020Poured from a 16 ounce can into a pint glass.
Appears a light copper, with a nice foamy slightly tannish head that lasted.
Smells malty, caramel and floral.
Taste follows the nose very nicely with enough spiciness to keep my interest.
Mouth feel is medium for the style.
Overall I love Altbiers whenever I can find them, this is a great example of the style and I would definitely drink again and look forward to drinking this fresh at the brewery one day.
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana
4.5/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a gorgeous copper color, nearly clear, with a beautiful tan head. Rye bread and biscuity malt aromas are most prominent on the nose, and there’s a subtle caramel aroma as well.
The rye bread presents itself first on the taste, and the biscuity malt and caramel flavors are on point, but there is a noble hop flavor that steals the show. So smooth and SO flavorful, yet perfectly balanced. Wow.
I could drink this until it came out my ears. World-class, IMHO.
Nov 12, 2020The rye bread presents itself first on the taste, and the biscuity malt and caramel flavors are on point, but there is a noble hop flavor that steals the show. So smooth and SO flavorful, yet perfectly balanced. Wow.
I could drink this until it came out my ears. World-class, IMHO.
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin
3.93/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a plastic cup. Pours copper red orange with a small white head. Smells of caramelized roasted grain, slight fruitiness. Tastes of caramelized grain, sweet yet not overly, and slight fruitiness. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Sep 11, 2020Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati
3.52/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to NC41 for this one. 16oz can (dated 5/28/20) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a clean, clear dark copper color with over an inch of just off-white head that had very good retention and lacing.
Grainy, earthy malts had the front of the nose, with some gentle grassy and floral hops in the background.
Very much the same on the tongue; smooth enjoyable malts, balanced out with slightly spicy hops that leaves a bit of a tingle at the back end.
The body was light-medium, smooth, clean, and had a medium finish that leaned a bit towards sweet.
Drinkability was very good, I could see having this as a nice summer crusher.
Overall, a nicely made example of the style. Certainly worth a shot if you see it.
Jun 27, 2020Grainy, earthy malts had the front of the nose, with some gentle grassy and floral hops in the background.
Very much the same on the tongue; smooth enjoyable malts, balanced out with slightly spicy hops that leaves a bit of a tingle at the back end.
The body was light-medium, smooth, clean, and had a medium finish that leaned a bit towards sweet.
Drinkability was very good, I could see having this as a nice summer crusher.
Overall, a nicely made example of the style. Certainly worth a shot if you see it.
Reviewed by makanihula from North Carolina
4.55/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.55/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Very very good. They've out-German'd the Germans. This is the most balanced and delicious Alt I've ever had I believe. The malt is smooth and medium, the hops are very Tettnang or Spalt, but not as heavy as Red Oak's 'authentic' German beer. Tettnang, to me, taste like the bottom of a damp log in the forest (or at least that's what I think of) and I mean that as a compliment. Woody, earthy, not spice. But too much and it seems to lose any crispness. I really love this beer. If you are a German beer conissour (or however its spelt) you can appreciate this beer...it truly is a 10 for that style.
Jan 23, 2020Reviewed by Skywave from Oklahoma
4.14/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.14/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance
On draft at CLT airport. Clear copper, minimal head retention and lacing (could be bar's fault)
Aroma
Clean, crisp and slightly honey/fruity sweet malts with low soft floral herb/spice noble hops.
Flavor
Moderate rich caramelized malt perfectly countered by a soft, easy alpha acid layer on the tongue. Finishes crisp and lager-clean. Hop aromas carry over to taste.
Mouthfeel
Medium to light, nominal CO2 and no harshness. Feels good going down and not too gassy.
Overall
Has the bright, round and slightly fruity tang of an ale with the crisp and curt finish of a lager. Almost a session beer because it drinks too easy.
Sep 03, 2019On draft at CLT airport. Clear copper, minimal head retention and lacing (could be bar's fault)
Aroma
Clean, crisp and slightly honey/fruity sweet malts with low soft floral herb/spice noble hops.
Flavor
Moderate rich caramelized malt perfectly countered by a soft, easy alpha acid layer on the tongue. Finishes crisp and lager-clean. Hop aromas carry over to taste.
Mouthfeel
Medium to light, nominal CO2 and no harshness. Feels good going down and not too gassy.
Overall
Has the bright, round and slightly fruity tang of an ale with the crisp and curt finish of a lager. Almost a session beer because it drinks too easy.
Reviewed by hottenot from North Carolina
4.66/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.66/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
The thing I like about OMB is the fact they adhere to the Reinheitsgebot.
They also use German ingredients Bavarian Hops for instance.
Which means for all intents and purposes, this is a German beer.
As such the Bud Lite crowd will never appreciate the flavor of the Olde Country.
Jun 09, 2019They also use German ingredients Bavarian Hops for instance.
Which means for all intents and purposes, this is a German beer.
As such the Bud Lite crowd will never appreciate the flavor of the Olde Country.
Rated by Mozza59 from Australia
4.29/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Full flavoured smooth with body.
Apr 06, 2019
Copper from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
462 ratings
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