Alemannia
Strange Land Brewery

RB transfer

 

 

 

 

On-draught at the brewery. Old style altbier.

B- / WORTHY

 

 

 

 

 

Poured at 48°F from a 12oz can (batch #7, no date) into a stange. Consumed on 14Jul16.
SMELL: Strong aromas of figs, red grapes, prunes, raspberry jam, and plums are supported by mild aromas of tree nuts, caramel, white bread, and molasses along with subtle aromas of smoked goodness and bitter hops.
TASTE: The taste theatrical opens with a mild fruity goodness of raspberry jam, fig, prunes, red grapes, and plums. Mild smoked goodness immediately brings balance to the sweetness as mild caramel flavors enhance it. A malt balance develops as mild white bread and tree nut flavors flow in mid-palate. Subtle flavors of bittersweet molasses and bitter hops finish off the taste as all previous flavors persist.
NOTE: This is only my third experience with this style. The smell was wonderful with the colossal, nearly unbalanced fruit aromas. I was expecting this same from the taste. I was not disappointed with the the overall taste, but rather surprised by the incredible quality of the balance. I highly recommend this beer for anybody that is curious of the style.

 

 

The flip-top bottles of authentic Altbier from Germany are usually quite flat by the time they reach North American shores. This Texan example, however, had bubbles actually burst out of the can. And for a style that's normally clear this one's excessively murky; its amber glow is smothered by sediment.

Wowza! Houston (err, Austen) we have a problem! Altbiers, while fermented with ale yeast, are lagered for extended periods to remove the very same spicy phenols, fruit esters, and volatile alcohol compounds that define this aroma. Black licorice, rotten fruit and ethanol should never be associated with this style.

I know enough about brewing to be sure something went wrong at some point. As a general policy, I don't review infected or otherwise 'off' beers. A dilemma arises, however, when it's not a question of bad bottle, but bad batch; I'm not the only one on the internet to note over-carbonation and funky smells.

Not to mention, there's only so much room in a suitcase and Texas has no shortage of microbrews to chose from. This one - unfortunately, as it turns out - made the cut. And since real money was used to pay for it, and real customs officials were lied to at the border, I'm writing a real review.

The flavour has such strong notes of clove, anise, and festered apple that detecting any of that toasty, nutty, nutrient-rich malt - you know, the stuff that defines the style - is simply not possible. The finish is especially accosting and leaves an aftertaste seemingly inspired by an ashtray.

It's not easy for New World brewers to match the Germans in terms of the finesse of their recipes, which is understandable given Deutschland had several centuries of a head start. But quality control is an area where there's no excuse. Something like this simply would not make it to the shelf in Germany.

A bit over-carbed and a funky smell for an Alt. Not bad over all but not something I want to drink regularly.