Copper Altbier | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Brewed by:
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
North Carolina, United States
oldemeckbrew.com
Style: Altbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.80%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Formerly Copper Amber Ale
Added by AlexJ on 04-29-2009
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 387 | Reviews: 86
4.84/5 rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Olde Mecklenburg Copper Altbier
A: This alt pours a crystal-clear, light bronze/copper (true to its name), with flecks of orange in the thinner regions of the glass. It is topped by a thick, off-white head of about a finger-and-a-half, which sticks around for an impressively long time. Carbonation is very good. Lacing is equally awesome, covering the glass in swaths. This is perfect per style. 5/5
A: Melanoidin-rich toasted bread and toasted nuts are the primary aromatics. Sweet breadiness like pretzels lays just beyond the toasted notes, adding further richness. Finally, spicy, floral, perfumey hops and an underlying hint of biscuit round out a complex and subtle aroma. This reads like the BJCP guidelines for Altbier, meaning it needs high marks, but perhaps it is just a hair too subtle. 4.75/5
T: While it follows up on the aroma very thoroughly, the sheer depth of flavor here is incredible to behold. It still remains restrained, but not as much so as the nose suggested. Rich bready malts, toast, almond paste, walnut, and pretzel all work perfectly in concert with earthy, spicy hops and just a hint of floral qualities. Bitterness is medium-light and is accompanied by similarly soft minerality and a last suggestion of dry, toasted bread. The aftertaste has that biscuity, sugar cookie richness that only comes from lager brewers that really knows their stuff. Amazing. The only drawback is a lack of any noticeable esters (this is a lagered ale after all), but that can be forgiven as it is certainly not a requirement. 4.75/5
M: The feel of each sip is a thing of beauty. It is medium-full, creamy, and somehow crisp and light on the finish. It is dry enough to keep you drinking yet refreshing enough to make each sip something to savor. A study in opposites combining to create perfection. 5/5
O: Olde Mecklenburg is unquestionably one of the best lager producers in the country. Doing an Altbier and making it a mainstay in the lineup should be suicide in the current ale-heavy craft beer scene, but when you do it this well, it does not really matter what the masses are clamoring for. This is beautiful, subtle, complex, crushable, savorable, and everything else a truly great beer should be. The things I would do to have OMB distribute anywhere near me are unthinkable. North Carolina is lucky to have such an amazing brewery, and they should really be hyping this stuff up a lot more. Pair with The Hotelier's amazing and comparatively subtle "Goodness." 5/5
2,492 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Olde Mecklenburg Copper Altbier
A: This alt pours a crystal-clear, light bronze/copper (true to its name), with flecks of orange in the thinner regions of the glass. It is topped by a thick, off-white head of about a finger-and-a-half, which sticks around for an impressively long time. Carbonation is very good. Lacing is equally awesome, covering the glass in swaths. This is perfect per style. 5/5
A: Melanoidin-rich toasted bread and toasted nuts are the primary aromatics. Sweet breadiness like pretzels lays just beyond the toasted notes, adding further richness. Finally, spicy, floral, perfumey hops and an underlying hint of biscuit round out a complex and subtle aroma. This reads like the BJCP guidelines for Altbier, meaning it needs high marks, but perhaps it is just a hair too subtle. 4.75/5
T: While it follows up on the aroma very thoroughly, the sheer depth of flavor here is incredible to behold. It still remains restrained, but not as much so as the nose suggested. Rich bready malts, toast, almond paste, walnut, and pretzel all work perfectly in concert with earthy, spicy hops and just a hint of floral qualities. Bitterness is medium-light and is accompanied by similarly soft minerality and a last suggestion of dry, toasted bread. The aftertaste has that biscuity, sugar cookie richness that only comes from lager brewers that really knows their stuff. Amazing. The only drawback is a lack of any noticeable esters (this is a lagered ale after all), but that can be forgiven as it is certainly not a requirement. 4.75/5
M: The feel of each sip is a thing of beauty. It is medium-full, creamy, and somehow crisp and light on the finish. It is dry enough to keep you drinking yet refreshing enough to make each sip something to savor. A study in opposites combining to create perfection. 5/5
O: Olde Mecklenburg is unquestionably one of the best lager producers in the country. Doing an Altbier and making it a mainstay in the lineup should be suicide in the current ale-heavy craft beer scene, but when you do it this well, it does not really matter what the masses are clamoring for. This is beautiful, subtle, complex, crushable, savorable, and everything else a truly great beer should be. The things I would do to have OMB distribute anywhere near me are unthinkable. North Carolina is lucky to have such an amazing brewery, and they should really be hyping this stuff up a lot more. Pair with The Hotelier's amazing and comparatively subtle "Goodness." 5/5
2,492 characters
4.83/5 rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.79/5 rDev +17.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Excellent. Few hops, no wheat. Great start to finish
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look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Excellent. Few hops, no wheat. Great start to finish
52 characters
4.75/5 rDev +16.7%
Good beer for a standby when the selection is limited. Very tasty
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Good beer for a standby when the selection is limited. Very tasty
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4.71/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Absolutely one the best brews ever recreated. If you live anywhere near Charlotte, you must come try OMB Copper.
Just returned from the brewery with one growler of Mecklenburger, one Copper, and one Dunkel !
The Copper pours a nut brown color with a stiff head that sticks to your glass. Presents caramel biscuits with underlying notes of dates/raisins.
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look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Absolutely one the best brews ever recreated. If you live anywhere near Charlotte, you must come try OMB Copper.
Just returned from the brewery with one growler of Mecklenburger, one Copper, and one Dunkel !
The Copper pours a nut brown color with a stiff head that sticks to your glass. Presents caramel biscuits with underlying notes of dates/raisins.
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4.7/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
The appearance is a perfect, crisp clear copper; smell is of toasty Munich and bready, biscuity pilsner malts. The taste is, again, a perfect balance of crisp cleanliness, toasty malts mellowing into a mild caramel, treacly sweetness, with a perfect balance of noble German hops. Extremely well done.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
The appearance is a perfect, crisp clear copper; smell is of toasty Munich and bready, biscuity pilsner malts. The taste is, again, a perfect balance of crisp cleanliness, toasty malts mellowing into a mild caramel, treacly sweetness, with a perfect balance of noble German hops. Extremely well done.
300 characters
4.7/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Nice copper color with a creamy white head that laces down the glass as it is consumed.
S - Nice malty aroma with a hint of bittering hops.
T - Can I just say awsome. It does vary from week to week when I get my growlers refilled but it is a great symbol of the style. The bitterness is not at the extreme end of the style guideline but is a perfect balance with the malt flavors that come thru.
M - Clean and crisp. Nice lager like qualities.
D - Need I say more? I go back week after week for growler refills. Very drinkable.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Nice copper color with a creamy white head that laces down the glass as it is consumed.
S - Nice malty aroma with a hint of bittering hops.
T - Can I just say awsome. It does vary from week to week when I get my growlers refilled but it is a great symbol of the style. The bitterness is not at the extreme end of the style guideline but is a perfect balance with the malt flavors that come thru.
M - Clean and crisp. Nice lager like qualities.
D - Need I say more? I go back week after week for growler refills. Very drinkable.
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4.68/5 rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is truly a great beer. Charlotte has a lot of German businesses located there--and on any weekend, you will find a few Germans at the Old Meck brew-pub...it's that good. Well balanced, malt to hops, with a clean finish. I've had Düsseldorf natives tell me its exactly right for the style, and I believe it.
The American CEO and head brewer is a water purification expert, and spent 4 years living in Germany...and his plant was set up by a German brewer. They also have a high-tech growler-filling machine--which makes their growlers last for weeks and weeks....
Anyway, if you want to know good German beer, try anything by Old Meck!
642 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is truly a great beer. Charlotte has a lot of German businesses located there--and on any weekend, you will find a few Germans at the Old Meck brew-pub...it's that good. Well balanced, malt to hops, with a clean finish. I've had Düsseldorf natives tell me its exactly right for the style, and I believe it.
The American CEO and head brewer is a water purification expert, and spent 4 years living in Germany...and his plant was set up by a German brewer. They also have a high-tech growler-filling machine--which makes their growlers last for weeks and weeks....
Anyway, if you want to know good German beer, try anything by Old Meck!
642 characters
4.6/5 rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Copper Altbier from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
4.07
out of 5
based on 387 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A: Pour revealed a clear medium copper colored beer, with a nice off-white long lasting head.
S: Aroma brought forth a nice combination of malt sweetness and light hop aroma, that invites you take a taste, or three.
T: Firm upfront bitterness that's followed by a balanced malt sweetness, then ending with a lingering palette pleasing dry bitterness. It's not the most bitter Alt I've tasted, but most people have a odd view that Düsseldorf Alt's must be brutally bitter. If you've ever been to Düsseldorf, you know this is not the case.
M: Medium light mouth feel that dances on your tongue, which is clean and crisp, displaying the qualities expected from this type of beer.
Overall impression: I perfect example of the style. The combination of hop bitterness and malt sweetness would please even the most demanding resident of Düsseldorf. Great job OMB! I wonder why I'm a weekly visitor?
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