Rhine Heights
Vintage Brewing Co.
- From:
- Vintage Brewing Co.
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Altbier
Ranked #66 - ABV:
- 5.7%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #25,771 - Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 8.71%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 19, 2022
- Added:
- Jul 18, 2011
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
1.054 OG
43 IBUS
43 IBUS
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Reviewed by WastingFreetime from Wisconsin
4.02/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Looks like Vintage Brewing has got themselves an Altbier!
The info blurb in the beer menu states:
1.054 OG 43 IBU 5.7%ABV
"A throwback German Amber Alt with refined noble hop presence and a smooth mellow character."
Well, I'd better find out if this brew behaves as promised.
Ordered on tap, it was served to me in a tall slender glass that was sort of halfway between the taper of a pilsner glass and the traditional columnar shape of a stange. Appears on the darker brownish side of the amber color spectrum, no visible haze and a one and a half finger white head that receded to a thin foam slick in about five minutes without leaving lacing behind.
Sure enough, I smell the classic peppery spice sprinkled on a moist earthern basement floor that noble hops bring to the table. As it warms up, it gains a pleasing smokey haze to the scent and a mild overtone of alcohol booziness.
The taste follows the nose, with the addition of some mild floral hop zing that I didn't detect in the nose for some odd reason. The biscuity and toffee malts are pleasantly sweet to my tongue, yet well grounded by the high levels of earthy-toned noble hops. The hops and malts do indeed fit well with the Altbier stlye.
I'm not sure what to think of the mouthfeel. One the one hand, I find myself wanting to award bonus points for the extremely silky smooth and well carbonated medium-bodied character of the texture, but on the other hand, I also find myself having to subtract points for an annoying greasy oiliness that accumulated up gradually as I worked my way through the glass. Its...mildly buttery in texture is the best way I can describe it. And that is very much a double-edged sword. If only the beer had the heavier body, the higher gravity malt and hops bill of a "sticke" styled Altbier I would have called the oiliness completely appropriate. But as is, it comes across as distracting. And it is worth emphasizing that this oiliness is the ONLY thing I could really find a fault with in this beer, and I'm being sort of nitpicky about it. Everything else about this brew is quite well done.
Jul 18, 2011The info blurb in the beer menu states:
1.054 OG 43 IBU 5.7%ABV
"A throwback German Amber Alt with refined noble hop presence and a smooth mellow character."
Well, I'd better find out if this brew behaves as promised.
Ordered on tap, it was served to me in a tall slender glass that was sort of halfway between the taper of a pilsner glass and the traditional columnar shape of a stange. Appears on the darker brownish side of the amber color spectrum, no visible haze and a one and a half finger white head that receded to a thin foam slick in about five minutes without leaving lacing behind.
Sure enough, I smell the classic peppery spice sprinkled on a moist earthern basement floor that noble hops bring to the table. As it warms up, it gains a pleasing smokey haze to the scent and a mild overtone of alcohol booziness.
The taste follows the nose, with the addition of some mild floral hop zing that I didn't detect in the nose for some odd reason. The biscuity and toffee malts are pleasantly sweet to my tongue, yet well grounded by the high levels of earthy-toned noble hops. The hops and malts do indeed fit well with the Altbier stlye.
I'm not sure what to think of the mouthfeel. One the one hand, I find myself wanting to award bonus points for the extremely silky smooth and well carbonated medium-bodied character of the texture, but on the other hand, I also find myself having to subtract points for an annoying greasy oiliness that accumulated up gradually as I worked my way through the glass. Its...mildly buttery in texture is the best way I can describe it. And that is very much a double-edged sword. If only the beer had the heavier body, the higher gravity malt and hops bill of a "sticke" styled Altbier I would have called the oiliness completely appropriate. But as is, it comes across as distracting. And it is worth emphasizing that this oiliness is the ONLY thing I could really find a fault with in this beer, and I'm being sort of nitpicky about it. Everything else about this brew is quite well done.
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