Schwelmer Alt

Formerly brewed at Brauerei Schwelm
Style: Altbier
Schwelm, Germany

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

Dark amber brown color. Very small quickly diminishing head. Low carbonation and very watery in texture. First Altbier I have tried. Pretty bland. Small tinge of toasted caramel and brown sugar.

Pours a coppery-crimson color with a moderately full, off-white, pillowy head which settles quickly leaving a small frothy layer and sporatic lace. Nose is faint with toasted caramel, floral, light almonds, and faint overripe peaches. Flavor is nice with the same toasted caramel, toasted almonds, light molasses, moderately light bitterness, and a light acidity. Palate is light to medium, watery but round, and nearly lively. Finishes with the toasted notes becoming almost lightly roasted, still more sweet than bitter, and just a bit metallic. Nothing special about this one, just a simple alt with good drinkablilty and a nice balance of sweet, bitter, and toasted/lightly roasted notes.

Poured a very dark brown/red with a smaller white head. Aroma of malts, wheat, and syrup. Taste was mildly sweet with a little wheat flavor. Roasted dark fruit is the strongest flavor in the taste. A little too watery but smooth.

Half a liter ceramic top, best before 88 10 90. I drank this a little warm. Clear chestnut ale, smells of malt but not hop. Soft carbonation and very light bodied. Fair amount of flavor, though. Toasted malts, slight rasiny flavor, some hops at the end. Finish is of cola, but not sweet. Definitely something different.

11.2 oz. swingtop bottle. Pours cola colored with a moderate-thin, soapy, linen white head that was gone by the first sip. Very pleasant aroma of malt, brown sugar, maple syrup and a touch of soy sauce. The flavor is decidedly different from the aroma. None of the sweetness and richness that is present in the aroma is in the flavor, which is made up of malt, some mild smokiness, and a touch of soy sauce. Thin bodied to the point of being watery. If nothing else, this was an interesting beer, although it is probably not something I would re-visit.

Bottle, Edelweiss Restaurant, Greenville VA. Dark brown with tan head, really pretty beer. Aromas of sweet and sour fruit-- raisin, apple, plum-- and slightly toasty malt. Flavors of dark fruit, again sweet and sour, with a sweet, toasty malt throughout. Bitter enough to keep it from being candy-sweet, light but not thin on the palate. Went great with my sausages, tasty stuff.

Bottle. Aroma of earthy, roasted malt, overripe dark fruit. Flavor rich with the roasted malt. Very nice.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of raisin, dark fruits, some cardboard. Yep, this tastes like the other Schwelmer beers even though it’s a different style. Cardboard and stale wheat. Blech.