Altbier
Mad Fox Brewing Company

 

 

The beer pours some light white head that dissipates very quickly since there is barely any fizz. The beer is decent but doesn't really impress but still leaves an okay impression. The beer itself is a clear amber brown that looks nice but won't leave you wowed.

The smell is decent. The beer has a nice roasty and slightly caramel notes that mix well with a good floral hop note. The notes tend to be very well balanced.

The taste is good. It has the same notes as the smell but the hop comes out slightly more bitter and the taste is sweeter with a slight caramel note and a roasty malt along with a sweet wheat note.

The feel is decent. It has a light body and a very smooth and slightly creamy feel to it. The beer has some carbonation but only enough to give it a tiny bit of texture that doesn't ruin how smooth it is.

Overall, this is a decent beer and would be perfect during the summer or with a well cooked warm burger. It might not be as sweet as other ones but I'd recommend it.

On tap at brewpub:
Pours a little lighter than the style guidelines indicate, a dark, dull golden to brass color. Loads of streaming bubbles support a frothy if thin head.

Nose is a medium dark bread, specifically wheat comes out. A lightly floral noble hop note is also in the mix.

Taste follows the nose on the malt side. The feel is nicely buoyed by the light carbonation, and is smooth. Hops are a little stronger than expected, floral and grassy and noble.

A nice refreshing beer with a decent strength of bready and hoppy flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered this on tap at the brewpub served in a pilsner glass.

A: Crystal clear copper, or even burgundy color, with about a one finger creamy head that withered away to a formation of large, thick bubbles. The lacing was substantial.

S: Very faint, but I got a whiff of sweet, bready, and slightly spicy malts. Nice!

T: Sweeter than most Altbiers that I've had, but part of its charm was that it wasn't just a mere classical, tired take on the style. It had a very wheaty and yeasty character, and a substantial amount of hops.

M: Fairly thick and sweet, but not too. The prickly carbonation added to the ensemble to form a well-balanced brew.

D: Mild overall, smooth, and highly drinkable. I'm glad I ordered this one to go with my pretzel appetizer.

Recently, I made my first visit to Bill Madden's Mad Fox Brewing Company. (See Review) To greet me were several glistening tanks of stainless steel, from which came (the previous day) this malty concoction. Having just drank the kolsch-style, I continued up the Rhine to Dusseldorf (in my mind) and ordered Bill's newly-tapped altbier.

Served in a pilsner glass, it possessed a thin head crowning a body of deep copper hue and offered a subtle nose of brown sugar and candy apple. Like the kolsch, this one also retains a chewy mouthfeel with a mild hop finish. It is smooth and malty - an adequate, but not exceptional, altbier.

On tap at the brewpub. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate brown color with a thin off white head. Nose is fairly tame, with the only things I detect being a bick of roasted grain and a slight nutty character. The taste is grainy with a bit of nut and caramel. Feel is nice and dry with a good level of carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good; a nice, easy sipper.

Had at a small Dc tasting.

a - Pours a dark brown color with one inch of white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of toasted and caramel malts, pale malts, and wheat.

t - Tastes of faded wheat and bready malts, and caramel malts.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - An ok alt, but nothing special. Wouldn't seek out again.

d -

Served in a flared pilsner glass.

This was my last call. It pours a clear dark (I'd say blackened) copper topped by a finger of ecru micro-foam. The nose is very faint, comprising light toffee and caramel and some very light florals. The taste is similar, but thankfully stronger: notes of toasted caramel, biscuits, orange peel, a hint of honey, and some broad citrus hops. The body is a light medium, with a light carbonation and an almost chewy feel. Overall, a decent alt, but something is a bit off. I think it's the added citrus...it's just out of place. Something like that.

Amber to light brown color with a off-white to light tan head.

Aromas of sulfur and caramel - almost like a big soft pretzel at times.

The flavor was lightly nutty malt that was firm and dry.

Medium body with a little bitter finish - only the sensation of bitterness from the hops, no flavor/ aroma.

It was hard to taste much of anything at first until the beer warmed up a little. Don't drink it too fast.