Estimation
Suarez Family Brewery

The #6 altbier in the world? No, no, no! It is a good new world alt, but the yeast is lacking and complex and more importantly dynamic nature that the style showcases. Otherwise the feel is toasty and malty with a slight dry middle though pretty clean. Taste is caramel malt, rustic bread yeast that is flatter, with pronounced earthiness. Nose is much the same with fall forest floor added and bread more crusty than rustic. Good? Yes. Enjoyable in fall especially? Yes. One of the best Altbiers I have had? No

 

08/14/24 can @ home

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a clear amber, minimal head formation but some streaky lacing; a bit surprised as usually Suarez beers have great head formation, so maybe I blame my glass. Nose is brown bread, light molasses, roasted malt, minerality, raisin, baking spice. Aromas open up significantly as it warms. Taste follows - sweet malt at the start, but bread and spice evolve through the palate. Clean, crisp flavors throughout. Mouthfeel is moderately full, but a crisp carb prevents it from becoming overly creamy. Lighter and less sweet than many altbiers I've tried, but eminently sessionable.

 

 

 

 

 

Can from the brewery in Livingston, NY. Pours a clear amber with two fingers of rocky off-white head that sticks around, nice lacing, smell is brown sourdough bread crust, malty barley and dark wheat, hint of roast and grassiness, taste is toasted brown sourdough bread, chocolatey malts, nice mild roast, earthy sour grains, mild grassy hop zip in the finish with some lingering roast character, feel is light, medium carbonation, semi-dry. A light and very drinkable malty treat with great balanced roast character.

Poured from a 16oz can stamped “CANNED ON 12.0.21 DRINK BY 4.6.22” (wew, just under the 4-day wire!) to a Pilsner glass at fridge temp.
This beer has a topographical map of a puffy head of multi sized bubbles that lasts and lasts. The body is a deep dark caramel yet some nucleation bubbles can be seen through this curtain. Aroma is malty and of freshly turned loam.
The taste brings that loamy aroma to the tongue and turns it to subtle caramel notes. Hops are not hidden by any of that, they shine through in the finish.
The mouth feel is medium with a hint of oiliness but good carbonation clears that out.
Overall a fine Alt beer and this particular can gave me no indication it was about to “expire”.

 

Dark clear amber with steady carpet of beige froth; pure fresh baked bread crust with hints of spice + roasted nuts; bread crust malts with touches of caramelized sugar, some mulchy leaf, and peppery hop finish; snappy, smooth, with long tight linger.

4 4 4.25 4 4

A one-two punch: rich melanoidin malts with clean, lingering bitter finish.
And the execution is on point: crisp, balanced, smooth - the brewing is superior.
What’s missing is, well, alt-ness:
The malts are not quite deep enough, nor is there any true nuance, especially cherry esters. The brewery gives a list of tasting notes that reads like a cologne ad, and some of those are there, but not in any significant way. This plays like simply good old Munich, and not enough of it.

Again, can’t argue with SFB technique, and it's a nice bit of pretzel crust, but they haven’t quite captured lightning in a bottle (erm, can) like they usually do.