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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Belgian and Continental Style Ales

Alt

Put simply, an altbier has the smoothness of a classic lager with the flavors of an ale. A more rigorous definition must take history into account. Ale brewing in Germany predates the now predominant lager production. As the lager process spread from Bohemia, some brewers retained the top-fermenting ale process but adopted the cold maturation associated with lager—hence the name “old beer” (alt means old in German). Altbier is associated with Düsseldorf, Munster and Hanover. This style of ale is light- to medium-bodied, less fruity, less yeasty, and has lower acidity than a traditional English ale. In the United States, some amber ales are actually in the alt style.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

89 Samuel Adams Boston Ale, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.1% ABV (4/08)
Amber color. Bread crust-like nose with notes of caramel and sweet nougat. Soft and frothy on the palate. Malt notes of nougat, nuts and fresh baked dark rye bread. Balances nicely against the clean slightly citrus kiss from the hops. A well put together session beer to try with grilled sausages and peppers.

88 Tsuyama Draft, Tago Brewery Co. (Japan). 5% ABV (2/07)
Hazy amber color. Tangy cocoa and dried apricot aromas. A silky entry leads to a dryish medium body of golden raisins, dry caramel and toasted nut bread flavors. Finishes with a long, tangy citrus and caramel apple fade with dusty earthy hops. A round and very tasty beer.

87 Eugene City Alt Beer, Eugene City Brewery (OR). 5.5% ABV (5/06)
Dark copper color with a faint head. Nutty aromas with a hint of mocha follow though to a medium-bodied, roasted malt palate with roasted nuts, citrus peel and dark toast flavors. Finishes with a roasted nut and lemon zest fade. Even and balanced in flavor, but could use a little more carbonation.

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