Shiner Old-Time Alt

Brewed by Spoetzl Brewery (Gambrinus Company)
Style: Altbier
Shiner, Texas USA

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

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A really nice coppery color, malty grass aromas, nice blend of malt and hop on the tongue, and the traditional dry finish for an Alt. I’ll be having this again.

12 ounce bottle, one of the 6 beers in Shiner’s Family Reunion 6-pack. Served in a Stange/Altbier glass, the beer pours a clear orange/amber color with an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is mostly toasted malt, along with some caramel and hops. The aroma is nice, but it’s also weak. The brew tastes just like the aroma (but stronger), it’s mostly toasted malt but also some caramel and hops are noticable. There’s a nice lingering bitter grassy hop finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s a little bit slick and is well carbonated. Drinkability is good, it sure goes down easy enough. I thought this brew was a pleasant surprise, I liked it.

From notes, 4/25/11: Poured from 12 oz bottle from Shiner Family Reunion 6-pack into a stange. Aroma: Aromas were very subtle. Citrusy hops with faint malts and dark fruits. Appearance: Poured a nicely carbonated amberish-burnt orange color. Head was about 2 finger and stayed fairly stable down the glass with sporadic lacing. Taste: Caramel malts outweigh the hops while maintaining a good balance; didn’t get the metallic aftertaste other Shiner brews sometimes suffer from, instead I really enjoyed the fruity/citrusy aftertaste; toasted grains common to Shiner also present. Palate: Smooth, medium-body mouthfeel. Very sessionable. Overall: Pleasantly surprised at the quality of this brew; was only disappointed in the lack of aroma.

Pours clear auburn with a fluffy off-white head. Smells of both malts and hops, a little bit earthy even. Tastes bitter, with earthy tones, and of non-descrip malts; not very impressive, but decent. Medium-bodied with a slick texture and present mouth-carbonation, Shiner Old-Time Alt has a dry finish.

12oz bottle from Shiner family reunion variety pack into a pint glass. Pours a clear copper with a decent one finger head. Pretty good head retention and lacing. Aroma is flowery hops along with caramel and toffee. The taste is flower hops along with some caramel malt. Bitterness is moderate and lasts throughout. The caramel and toffee flavors really come out towards the finish. Overall this is a pretty good beer. I am very pleased that Shiner has come out with this and if offered in six packs I would definitely buy.

Bottle. The dictionary of beer picture of alt looks just like this -- solid, rusty amber with a nice sticky, thick head. The aroma is old-school beery; nice. This drinks with a solid caramel base and tangy bite. Altbier was my first favorite style when I grew up in Germany; this is an excellent throwback for me. (#4140, 6/19/2011)

Appearance: Pours a clear, amber-hued body with a foaming, near white head. Smell: Nutty, biscuity aroma with fleeting traces of spice and herbs and caramel. Taste: Lightly nutty, lightly toasty malts with a hint of dry, stale biscuits in there as well. Lightly sweet with some slight caramel. Sip of still mineral water. Lightly hopped, with light touches of spice and grassiness to it. Crisp, drying, clean finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation. Overall: A bit mild, as expected, but pretty decent. I drank it down. No, really, I did!

12 ounce bottle from Harris Teeter Barracks Road Charlottesville, VA opened 5/1/11. Pours a clear copper color with a medium fizzy tan head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel, grainy notes and a bit of raisin. The taste is toasted malts, grain, caramel and a bit of raisin in the finish. Medium bodied. Decent beer.

A surprise find in the fridge at Rick’s place! Medium copper amber, clear, decent head. Slightly sweet, straightforward malts, and a dry bitterness on the finish. Not really anything in the way of hop flavor, but appropriate for the style. Really not bad.

I was actually quite surprised with this, never really being a Shiner fan, this was actually pretty good .. . simple aspects of molasses, bark cocoa, light toasted malt, and nuts .. . an easy drinker .. . I quit my job at the helium factory ..i will not be spoken to in that tone of voice.