Urhahn Helles Alt
Auerhahn Bräu Schlitz GmbH

Urhahn Helles AltUrhahn Helles Alt
Beer Geek Stats
From:
Auerhahn Bräu Schlitz GmbH
 
Germany
Style:
Altbier
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 20.88%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
4
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 10, 2020
Added:
Mar 05, 2004
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Our completely unique speciality with the singular taste of a top-fermented beer. Brewed in the old Rheinland way since 1964, it convinces true beer connoisseurs with its fine ale character, fruity and tangy flavors, and golden color.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by bros:

  None found.

Photo of boddhitree
Reviewed by boddhitree from Germany

4.59/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Super delicious! A wow beer for me. It had a rich caramelly malt flavor, more in the melanoiden malt direction. Lots of Münchner malt with light Noble hops in the back and a bit of fruit aroma in the nose. It had a lovely balance of rich sweetness but not overly so, with some flavor leaning into brown sugar territory. Overall, a wow beer and I'd love to taste the Bütten Alt, which looks like a Düsseldorfer Altbier on the website.
WOW. Will be buying more of this from my local kiosk in Frankfurt.
Jul 10, 2020
More User Ratings:
Photo of jmcress
Reviewed by jmcress from Missouri

4.15/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.75
I spent several weeks in a Gasthaus in Schiltz while doing some surveying operations. Every night I would have a few of these in draft. A couple of years ago a friend got me a cartoon of these in bottles. Because of the very nice experience I had staying in the Gasthaus and the excellence of this product, the gift was all the more special. Several years later I traveled to Germany again as a guest of the MOD. En route across the country my escorts asked me if there was a German product that I was fond of and I mentioned Auerhahn. They made a phone call and about an hour later we stopped at a small shop and purchased a couple of cartons. Then about five years ago someone gave me a cartoon as a present. The beir didn't last but I have kept one of the bottles as a fond memory of hospitality and an excellent product.
Feb 07, 2017
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.11/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Waxed orange with a modest reddish blush when backlit. The three finger French vanilla head is a looker and sticks around long enough for that to matter. Delicate lace-like lace ends up on the glass when the foam drops low enough and looks as though it'll be there in the end. This is a good looking alt.

I've never really gotten a handle on how beer of this style should smell. Regardless, this one doesn't smell all that wonderful. Equal parts pale malt and musty hops is about the size of it. I know that alt means 'old', but that doesn't mean the beer actually has to smell old, does it?

Unfortunately, it tastes just about like it smells. I hate to keep referencing German translations, but helles means bright and there's nothing bright about Urhahn Helles Alt. It isn't bright looking, it isn't bright smelling, it isn't bright tasting and it isn't bright in the mouth. Zero for four. Balance is only worth so much.

Lightly toasted pale malt is the focal point, but it's fuzzy and indistinct rather than laser beam sharp. In fact, Helles Alt is nothing if not muddled on the palate. The hops are even less enjoyable now and there's a definite metallic vibe, especially on the finish. I'm giving this beer every chance in the world, but it isn't meeting me halfway.

The body/mouthfeel seems about right for an altbier. It's neither too light nor too heavy and neither under- nor over-carbonated. Something about it strikes me as a tad better than the aroma and the flavor, but I couldn't say exactly what. I'm tired of putting UHA under the microscope; there just isn't anything interesting to discover.

Like so many other German beers of the low-ABV variety, I get the feeling that Urhahn Helles Alt is a pretty tasty treat when fresh. Trouble is, it's nearly impossible to find them in that state in this country. For the gazillionth time, some sort of dating would be invaluable (but would probably result in a huge reduction in sales since people would be able to see exactly what they were buying).
Sep 04, 2006
Photo of Boilermaker88
Reviewed by Boilermaker88 from California

2.7/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Spotted this among a long line of German brews at a local store last weekend. On the label is a bird with "Since 1538" athwart its head. Also noted on the label is the statement that this beer conforms to the German Purity Laws re: brewing. No %ABV was listed. Hopefully, my pic of the bottle will be accepted.
Released from its 500ml prison and confined to my glass, this beer had a hazy wet straw color and a modest frothy white head that quickly faded down to a skim, leaving no discernible lacing. The nose had a fruity sweetness and a mild bready malt note. Some hints of citrus were also picked up on but were clearly secondary to the sweetness. It actually was pretty inviting.
Too bad the positives stopped there. Medium-bodied and slightly creamy thanks to the finely effervescent carbonation, the sweet maltiness that was present up front was rudely swept aside by a herbal flavor that transitioned into a rank metallic bitterness in the finish. Long afterward, I couldn't get that metallic taste off the back of my tongue. Very unpleasant.
Overall, I was torn by this brew, ultimately ending up disappointed. The appearance, aroma and feel were decent but the harshly metallic bite ruined it for me in the end.
Mar 05, 2004
Urhahn Helles Alt from Auerhahn Bräu Schlitz GmbH
Beer rating: 3.64 out of 5 with 4 ratings