Westfalia

Altbier | Year-Round | United States

By Michael Heniff

Judges Rating: 85
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 36
Mouthfeel: 7
Overall Impression: 16

Inspired by the brewer’s trip to Nuremberg, Germany, this deep amber (almost brown) ale is an homage to a wide range of specialty malt aromas and flavors. The aroma and flavor are dominated by the malt with chocolaty, nutty, bready, grainy and caramel elements coming tthrough without any hops or esters to interfere with the plethora of malt.  The body sits slightly sweet and almost full; the beer finishes just lightly bitter with a heft of rich and complex malt lingering on the palate. The malt character is wonderful, but the big body and lack of balance make this beer more suitable for a cold night by the fireplace than as a summer refresher.