Uerige Alt

Uerige AltThat’s right: Uerige Alt, the classic Düsseldorf Altbier that I’ve been dreaming about for years… I found this at John’s Marketplace in Portland during the Brewfest trip, and was blown away. It came in the very cool flip-top bottle you see in the picture there and I pretty much had to have it. There was no question.

I don’t think I’ve anticipated opening a beer as much as this one. I don’t have a Stange glass, though, so I poured it into a narrow-ish Oktoberfest mug.

Appearance: Very cool skinny flip-top bottle, I’ve not seen one like it. Poured a murky brown with a fizzy white head.

Smell: Hops and caramel malts. A hint of something sweet, like licorice. Hops have a spicy character to them in the background.

Taste: Although not pronouncedly bitter (like some of the green hop monsters being brewed in the States in recent years), there’s a big oily hop character here—it’s spicy and sharp and a little bit woody and herbal. Malty with a fruitiness to it, a bit of roasted grains, dark toast. A little astringent. Hops throughout.

Mouthfeel: A little on the light side of medium-bodied, a little dry; the hops leave a slick in the mouth.

Overall: Intensely hoppy without being too overwhelming and bitter… this is what it’s about. Now I just need to get to Düsseldorf…

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 88 out of 100 with 99% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.48 out of 5 and is in their 82nd percentile.

2 comments

  1. I drank this at the brewery itself in Dusseldorf and loved it. There are bottles of it at a local beer store in town here but I believe they’ve been there for about a year. You think it ages well?

  2. Honestly, I have no idea how it ages… I didn’t see any problem with the bottle I had, but I didn’t look for a date on it, either, so I have no idea how old it could have been… I’ll check when I get a chance.

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