Altbier
Dovetail Brewery

.3L stange at the brewery. This is an impressive take on the style which is so hard to find in the US. I was in Düsseldorf a few weeks ago so this is perfect timing to compare to all the versions I had there. Rich, flavorful Altbier with a stellar malt profile. Sweet without being cloying. Body is approachable and so drinkable. Can easily be consumed in large quantities as it’s meant to be in Düsseldorf. Bravo!

 

 

 

 

Canned 10/13/21; drank 12/3/21 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy brown/orange appearance.

A rough pour yielded a big khaki head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lace.

Caramel, light smoke, candy corn, dry wheat & faint smoke notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium mouthfeel.

Caramel, cream, smoke & dry yeast flavors; a balanced, substantial but easy-to-drink lager.

I'd have another!!

 

 

 

Canned on 11/14/20; consumed on 1/30/21

Pours a foggy, ultra-pale auburn body with dulles orange hues and topped with multiple fingers of thick, uniform, off-white foam; good head retention leaves ¾ of a finger of fluffy cap, a substantial, frothy collar, and a comprehensive walling of thin, soapy lacing caked tightly around the walls of the glass.

Aroma begins with a steady build of floral spice accented with woody earth tones, with a tinge of grassy hops before a steadily mineralic progression over the middle; brown bread crust is more defined on the back end of the bouquet, while interwoven caramels phase perfectly into the backdrop over time.

Taste brings a floral spice with touches of sandalwood as a mossy earth character turns toward a pillowy minerality; doughy bread progresses past the mid-palate into a back end highlighting hints of peppery black bread crusts on the finish.

Mouthfeel features a medium-light body with a steady, moderate carbonation swiftly offering a fluffy prickle before fading through the mid-palate; consistently textured and with minimal heft developing, an airy bitterness appears subtly and eases across the back end to a snappy, light finish.

Level and collected, this Altbier eskews the traditionally more brazen, toasty spice notes, instead opting for a more softened approach to the overall profile (in tandem with the lighter ABV); maybe a touch too light to let the robustness of the style's earthier qualities pronounce and shine through, though the beer is highly sessionable and nicely composed nonetheless.

drank from a 16oz can. Can states 4.2% ABV
Look: odd colored body. a murky/cloudy/hazy brown body. but under light it's more of a dark amber color. I take it this beer is unfiltered. A nice head that's tall fine and leaves some lacing.
Smell: mostly bread
Taste: bread, hop spice. The hop spice is rather complex, mostly herbal, plus earth, floral and citrus. Fruit too. has sweet notes but is slightly bitter overall.

Odd beer worth trying out. 3.91/5

Pours a ruddy brown/amber, translucent with a full finger of head. Bready yeast on the nose with some light spice. Balanced hop bitterness on the palate with mild florals. Orange notes, a touch of clove, some apple and a balanced maltiness. Very clean with a bright finish.

 

 

 

Pours a somewhat cloudy, but by no means opaque, ruddy brown color. Thin off-white head dissipates pretty quickly leaving just a thin ring of bubbly foam along the outside of the beer and a splotch of foam in the center.

Aroma is rather mild overall, but has some light notes of lightly toasted bready malts, a touch of like a rustic whole grain type of bread. There is an earthy spiciness from the hops which are quite noticeable in the nose.

The taste follows the nose for the most part - you get a rustic bready malt flavor up front with a touch of fruity almost floral notes followed by a spicy hop bite on the back end. I do not get any graininess or nuttiness from the malt in this one which is very nice. The hops are surprisingly dominant compared to the versions I've had from Germany - but I think that is largely a by-product of the age of the imports I've had.

Feel is light, crisp and really drinkable. I cruised through the 16 oz can of this while reviewing it almost without even realizing it. Bright carbonation really prickles the mouth and the finish is quite dry.

Overall this was quite delicious - another great beer from Dovetail and probably the best American brewed Alt I have had to date.

16oz can served in a nonic glass. Canned on 03/20/20.

L- Hazy medium mahogany color. Nice foamy light khaki head with great retention. Moderate lacing and carbonation streams as it sits.

S- Caramel malt, cherry and citrus, light floral and spicy hop notes.

T- Caramel malt sweetness, fruity citrus and cherry, a bit of nuttiness, slight toasted dark bread, light spice notes.

F- Medium bodied, fairly crisp with a slight bitterness in the finish, well carbonated.

O- I haven't had many altbiers but this is really solid.

From a can (3.12.20 looks like) - shipped to CO, one day of settling
L - Murky unfiltered dark wheat look; appropriate to the style.
S - Fantastic light woodsy smoke, dough, yeast, cracker - rolled in German forest floor. Spot on.
T - Where this version of the style shines: More campfire (not smoky), meets bakery, and where the hybrid ale meets lager character really comes through. Tastes like a hoppy malty wheat lager. Just fantastic. A stroll through Dusseldorf... FOR YOUR MOUTH.
F - Perfect carbonation - great balance, good foam, nice brief lacing, but at 4.7% dissipates. Just another super clean beer.
O - One of the better (to style) beers from Dovetail I've had. Just wonderful. GET IT.

16oz tallboy can poured into Dovetail Stange. Proper glassware for the style.

Appearance: light copper brown bodied beer with large off white colored head. Great head retention.

Smell: toasted and caramel malt sweet aromas. fruity lager yeast. very clean aroma.

Taste: Lots of toasted grains. Caramel malt notes. Bready / doughy malt sweetness. Hint of fruity lager yeast. Finish is lightly bitter with spicy, earthy, and floral hop notes.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Very smooth drinking beer. The finish has a decent amount of dryness from the hops which provides a little more substantial feeling to this malty german beer.

Overall: Another beer from the limited run of Dovetail cans. Dovetail "wheelhouse" / core beers are old world and rustic. Each beer they brew is a benchmark for the respective style. This Alt is no exception. Its just plain incredible.

Had on tap. Classic copper brown body with a beige head. Toasted caramel, roasted nuts, malts o plenty, and a kiss of herbal hops. Taste is right on, has more depth than the smell, but has the same players, add some dough, earth touches mixed in some sips as it warms. Feels like I'm back in germany, malty, bready yet caramelized feeling, great balance. Dovetail's hot streak continues