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Beer Styles - Continental Ales

Styles & Seasonals July 4, 2005      
Written by Oakes


Richmond, CANADA -

Altbier



Though the name literally means “old beer” and figuratively means “old-style beer”, the term Altbier connotes a specific style, native to Düsseldorf but also found occasionally in other parts of northern Germany. That the brewers in Düsseldorf stuck with top-fermented dark ale as the rest of Germany moved towards pale lagers is admirable. Confusingly, there is at least one well-known product in the area, Pinkus Munster Alt, that uses the term not to reference the Düsseldorfer style, but in the figurative meaning of “old-style”, a reference to top-fermentation.



Altbier is a copper-coloured ale of moderate to above-moderate strength (4.5-7%). The malt character should be chewy, toffeeish, caramelly, maybe a little earthy. It is a balanced beer, and the hops should be evident in the bitterness and dryness. Hop flavour and aroma, however, will tend to be subdued. A distinct characteristic of altbier is that it is traditionally given the same cold-conditioning that lagers receive. This tends to round out the aromatic components of the hops and reign in some of the more volatile esters. The flavours meld together, yielding what should be (though not always is) a refined mid-strength beer with a malt accent but measured nuances of hop and yeast.



A special variety of altbier is called sticke. Originally a specialty item produced at the four Düsseldorf brewpubs (one of them called it Latzenbier, not Sticke), this has become more widely available as a couple of US micros have made the style and the Uerige brewhosue has bottled it for the American market. Sticke is a stronger, hoppier, more robust version of altbier.



Most popular examples: Alaskan Amber (USA), Diebels Alt (Germany), Frankenheim Alt (Germany), Otter Creek Copper Ale (USA), Feldschlosschen Duckstein (Germany)



Some of my favourites: Im Füchschen Alt (Germany), Long Trail Double Bag (USA), Bolten Alt (Germany), Heavyweight Stickenjab (USA), Schlüssel Alt (Germany)



Colour: 2.25 – 3.5

Flavour: 1.5 – 4.25

Sweetness: 2.25 – 3.5



Kölsch



The word Kölsch refers to the beer of Cologne (Köln), Germany. At one point, it was strictly an appellation of origin. In the 1960’s, however, the brewers of that city got together and hammered out a definition for the style of beer from Cologne. Thus, Kölsch became not only an appellation of origin, but a set beer style as well.



It is one of the most narrowly-defined beer styles, and is easily misunderstood. Strictly speaking, a Kölsch is a golden ale of slightly less than 5% alcohol, with a relatively even balance between distinct bready malt notes and distinct hop notes. Bitterness should be in the moderate range, though some examples fall short of this. There should be some yeast fruitiness, but only of a delicate sort.



Part of the delicate nature of the beer comes from the fact that, like Altbier, it is lagered. This brings the flavours together, and rounds out the rough edges of the hops and yeast. Kölsch is effervescent, and should finish moderately dry. Hops should be a German variety, the yeast distinctive but unassertive.



This definition is tighter than with most styles, and this has led to some confusion as foreign microbrewers attempt to emulate the style. There isn’t really room for deviance, so adjustments to gravity, hop type, lagering, even to the malt-hop balance (which should be fairly even) will take a beer out of the style. Regrettably, many of these foreign brewers insist on calling any old golden ale “Kölsch” to take advantage of a sexy name and to lend Old World relevance to beers that have none.



Most popular examples: Flying Dog Tire Biter (USA), Reissdorf Kölsch (Germany), Goose Island Summertime (USA), Gaffel Kölsch (Germany), Früh Kölsch (Germany)



Some of my favourites: Früh Kölsch (Germany), Gaffel Kölsch (Germany), Garde Kölsch (Germany), Reissdorf Kölsch (Germany), Sion Kölsch (Germany)



Colour: 0.25 – 1.5

Flavour: 1 – 3.25

Sweetness: 1 - 3



Bière de Garde



This is a term that the French use to refer to the farmhouse brews of northern France. These beers may not, of course, be brewed in a farmhouse but should at least emulate the farmhouse way of brewing. That is to say, making strong, yeasty beers with abundant house character and aging them over the course of the summer for release in the fall.



In practice, there are too many disparate beers for Bière de Garde to be considered anything more than a catch-all category for funky French beer. While all examples boast above average strength, above average yeastiness and a malty accent, there is very little else to bind examples, as colour ranges from straw to deep amber, the flavours from breezy and winey to rich and caramelly.



Most popular examples: Jenlain Ambrée (France), 3 Monts (France), Two Brothers Domaine DuPage (USA), La Bavaisienne (France), Ch’Ti Blonde (France)



Some of my favourites: 3 Monts (France), La Bavaisienne (France), La Choulette Ambrée (France), Two Brothers Domaine DuPage (USA), Zannekin Wiche (France)



Colour: 1 – 3.5

Flavour: 2.25 – 3.75

Sweetness: 2 – 4.25

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