Frankenheim Alt

Brewed by Privatbrauerei Frankenheim (Warsteiner)
Style: Altbier
Düsseldorf, Germany

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

Draught at the Brewery Tap in Dussledorf. Very dark—medium brown with amber. Malty aroma. Caramel, chocolate, and roasted malt flavor. Not much hops—but well roasted dryness to balance the slight sweetness. Slightly biscuity, with some fruit and cardboard. Dry roasted finish. Nice enough, and different to the others, but relatively bland.

bottle - clear amber brownish beer with a beige head. Some bread and malt in the aroma. Flavour is very smooth. Light bitterness meets a discreet sweetness. Medium carbonation.

50cl Bottle at In de Wildeman. Clear deep amber to brown colour, dense beige head. Aroma of toasted malts, some caramel. Flavour is toasted malts, a bit of caramel/toffee, light smoke and coffee note in the hoppy bitter finish. Prickly mouthfeel, light to medium bodied. Nice.

Draught at Düsseldorf Altbierfest (special event at Distillery District in Toronto, October 2009). Altbier is a style that I’m pretty unfamiliar with, as it’s pretty rare in Ontario, with no locally brewed versions and a scarcity of imported ones. According to BJCP, Alts are supposed to have a “deep copper colour”, a “clean yet robust and complex aroma of rich malt, noble hops and restrained fruity esters”, and a flavour that features an “assertive hop bitterness well balanced by a sturdy yet clean and crisp malt character.” All of which I found in Frankenheim Alt, so I guess it’s a good one. I certainly had no problem throwing back a few traditional 200 ml glasses alongside some hearty German sausage, sauerkraut and soft pretzels.

a classic Dusseldorf Alt. Sort of sweet, browncolored and not very pleasant smelling. Taste is mild with a hint of strawberry.

Sampled from can@RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Low beige head. Clear, dark amber colored body. Aroma of dark, fresh bread. Some butter notes, and whiff of caramel. Taste sweet grainy. Sweet in a pleasant way, with caramel notes and hint of pepper. Mid-bodied. Dries up lot in the finish. Lack some hops, overall a reliable Altbier.

500 ml can sampled@RBNAG 2009, Vatlandsvåg. Clear amber body with a thin off-white head. Aroma of bread, malt, caramel and grain. Flavor is sweetish malt, bread, caramel and a decent bitterness. Nice balanced, maybe a bit sweet, clean malt impression, and a bitter finish that compensate for the sweetness. Not bad at all.

Bottle, 4,8% ABV, RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Cognac to deep amber colour, moderate off-white head. Distinct aroma of wort, malts and rye bread. The flavour is dominant malty with notes of brown bread, low bitterness. Nice.