Schwelmer Alt

Formerly brewed at Brauerei Schwelm
Style: Altbier
Schwelm, Germany

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

Pours a three finger off-white white head that vanishes quickly to a ring leaving traces of lace. Cloudy amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Sweet toffee nose. Flavor is sweet toffee that is balanced by the hops. Clean finish. $1.90 for a 330ml swing-top bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Wells, ME.

Dan H. brought this to the Islands ’07’. No head to speak of. Redish brown in color. Aroma of sweet malt. Flavor of toasted malt with nuts and some hops. Slightly bitter ending. It was ok.

Half liter swing-top bottle from brewfiend. Pours a very deep copper to brown color, darker than most alts, head weaker than most, lacing very weak for the style. The aroma is malty, caramel, molasses, somewhat bready. The flavor was off-malts, caramel, molasses, fruity (cherry-ish), roasty (beyond the normal and style-appropriate nutty-toasty flavor), finishing with an ample herbal / grassy hoppiness that made it drinkable. Too bad these things don’t travel better across the pond. Mouthfeel was moderate, a little slick, in need of more carbonation. Thanks, Brad, for yet another alt to add to my alt resume!

Pours chestnut brown with a somewhat fizzy tan head. The aroma has dry nuts, paper, dark caramel and very toasted malt. Medium / thin body that’s a bit harsh with some more harshness from the carbonation on the finish. The flavor is quite oxidized and has light brown sugar, hazelnuts and toasted sweet malt. The finish has more sweetness then there is a lingering of tree bark. A fair beer ~ nothing to go out of your way to obtain.

Dark brown color with no head. Grainy aroma with a bit of oak. Very sweet grain taste, coupled with a dusty hop finish. Nothing fancy, but definitely enjoyable.

Bottle courtesy of Plucier: Poured a clear deep brown color alt with a small foamy head with limited retention. Aroma of light roasted malt with some light toffee. Taste is also dominated by some light roasted toffee notes. Body is really average with some medium carbonation. I’m not sure I am totally getting the style since I don’t encounter it often enough but I thought this example was generally boring.

POurs a medium brown with an small head. The aroma of yeast , caramel, and toffee show of the malts. You get the grains on the mouthfeel giving you nice toast notes. finish is firm with some nut like nuances.

Sampled during Cellar’s Friday evening beer tasting. Pours a hazy dark brown brew with a fast dissolving beige head that leaves behind an-off-white ring. Aroma of light multi-grain bread, caramel, some toffee and grassy hops. Taste is medium bodied, dry, lightly carbonated with flavors of dry toasted malt, roasted nute, some dried pitted dark fruit and a touch of rye. Finish is slightly dry, little bitterness with some roasted nut flavor. This will be interesting to compare to other alts when I visit Dusseldorf next year.