Série Signature Sticke Alt - Les Trois Mousquetaires

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A slow pour reveals deep shades of copper, mahogany and gold capped by a thick, billowy head of white foam that just won't quit. The lacing and retention are world class.

Bright pears dominate the aroma at first, but as things die down lemony floral notes reveal themselves as does some malt and nuttiness.

Steely herbal bitterness meets a wash of fruity caramel sweetness, all the while having something of a Czech pilsner meets a Vienna lager thing going on in terms of hops and malt, respectively. There are some great hop flavors here without being overly bitter. Bready malts. Just a tinge of lemon rind lingers in the finish. Full flavored without going overboard. Very nice.

There's ample carbonation, and good body. No complaints here.

Another winner in a long line of winner from Les Trois Mousquetaires. These guys have German styles down pat.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 00:01:35 | More by MeisterBurger

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

corked&caged bottle:

Decanted a deep reddish-brown hazey ale into the stein. Wonderful billowy 3 finger sticky cap that lasts and laces

Aroma: Wunderbar! Almonds, bread, woody earthyness, a light musty-sweetness.

Profile: Toasty, nutty, rich thick malts..full bodied and a rich mouth feel...like liquid toasted walnut bread smeard with a leafy herbal-woody marzipan...totally non cloying...finishes with the ample noble hops drying the flavor out with a sharp wet birch wood bark tone as the dark malts leave a light pucker...bready herbal after taste.

Rich, deeply flavorful, satisfying and outrageously drinkable...perhaps that is the secret of this "Sticke" Probably this brewer's best effort ..an Alt to die for...hope it's available again...I'll buy cases next time.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 17:49:07 | More by pootz

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle: "dominated by a gripping bitterness" let's see!

A- Thick, airy, tan head. Dark amber easing on brown. There's a little lacing.

S- Smells very peculiar but this is my first Sticke Alt. Smells like wet orange-y hops. Fruity malt. Alcohol is present in the back. Smells kind of musty. A bit like a soggy candied orange. Now don't get me wrong, this smells good but you know how some smells remind you of some places... this reminds me of the dirty/sleazy bar next to my office. Cork (Might be because of the actual cork but was upright in the store and in my beerfridge). As it warmed it lost quite a bit of the dirty smell.

T- Lots to taste in here. It IS bitter. I like it. The woody biterness is dominant as I'm having a hard time tasting the malt. Guess that's what they meant by gripping. Wish I knew what hops were used. I'd seek them out to give more oomph to a homebrewed IPA. This isn't easy to describe. A floral, woody bitterness. There.

M- Almost full mouthfeel. The liquid could maybe feel just a bit more thick and I'd probably be more satisfied but I can't really complain. Medium carbonation.

D- Very good. Give me a pint of this on tap! I do feel that little 6% creeping up pretty quickly though. I'm rating drinkability high not because it's easy to drink. I'm rating it high because the bitterness is powerful but well calculated. Every sip leaves you pretty satisfied but still wanting more. This is a good drink.

Certainly tuned me in to Sticke Alts. Obviously a quality product. I want more.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 06:30:54 | More by Yoonisaykul

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Eric was very generous in sharing this bottle with me, so big thanks due to him. Trois Mousquetaires make some pretty damn fine ales and lagers, and their ability to put together some great German-style beers is outstanding.

Rich amber pour with a finger of yellow-tinged off-white head that had some good legs and put down some lace spots. Floral, fruity aroma has that children's rubber ducky feel to it that's obviously something that I can't describe properly or even understand. The ducks in the flavour too, but that's not a bad thing - its just the combination of floral and fruity notes bring it to mind. I really should check out the individual ingredients in these beers and isolate it. Some decent breadiness provides body, and there's a good citric bite, which isn't so strong as to detract from the beers drinkability. Some mineral and eggshell too. Medium body and carbonation.

On first sip I really wasn't sure whether I liked this, but the beer grew immensely on me and probably ended up my favourite of the evening. Its certainly a very fine rendition of an alt, and continues in the trend of this brewery's excellent pedigree.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 16:04:39 | More by bobsy

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A complex brew with a real live rustic feel to it that seems to be a constant for the Signature series from Les Trois Mousquetaires. The beer is full of nuances including a real interplay from the hops and malt in the finish. The mouthfeel is full and makes the beer feel like a higher ABV . Great beer of a style not often seen outside Dusseldorf

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 18:22:36 | More by canucklehead

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 375ml. bottle, bottled 06/2012.

Appearance: A hazy copper body with a thick bubbly head that really clings to the glass ans has a gorgeous cascading effect as it's poured.

Smell: Resiny hops a bit with a nutty overtone and some herbs.

Taste: Mix of nuts, caramel, dry leaves and a light earthy bitterness. Raw hops that is not overdone and a tingle of spiciness on the tongue after the sip. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel: Starts out gentle then segues into a low-lying bitterness.

Overall: Really enjoyed this one. Worth your time for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 11:10:03 | More by papat444

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Listening to Hank williams III..

Into my pint, pours a very nice reddish amber,luminous beer, 1 finger offwhite foam head,medium carbonation

Smell hop and citrus,malt

First, theres a fine citrus freshness fruity and acid kind of..and then a stronger and sharper bitterness, long after taste follow. its malty and hoppy

mouthfeel: medium carbonation, fine texture,similar to an ipa.

drinkability is good, if you like hop, its fine and bitter

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 01:26:51 | More by Otterburn

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750ml corked and caged from a trade with eat, thanks for bringing this back from Montreal for me!

Pours a crystal clear amber with a couple fingers of head on top which has some decent retention and a little lacing.

Floral, fruity malt base mixes with a nice piney, grassy bitterness, just a hint of citrus and nuts.

Quite a fruity malt base, some nice caramel, nut, bread, just a hint of mineral dryness, then a pleasant burst of bittering hops with a hint of pine and citrus, not the 'gripping' bitterness that the bottle proclaims but enough to dry the cheeks and make it a pleasant quaff. A little thin, but makes it down easy.

Superbly drinkable, nice balance between the malt and the hops, lots of flavor. Would go well with lots of food, nice drinker. Thanks Colin!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 20:16:34 | More by ritzkiss

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber color beer with some reddish notes too. The head is thick and made of big bubbles. It also sticks well to the glass. The aroma is floral and earthy. Same for the tasting. Very bitter and dry in the mouth. The bitterness is overpowering but this is not unbalanced. Carbonation is present in the mouth too. The mouthfeel is medium body. Yeah the bitterness hits you hard right when the beer enters the mouth and then it intensify.

You have to like bitter beer to like this one, and I'm not talking IIPA bitterness here. Not for everybody.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 00:41:12 | More by ZorPrime

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle poured into Unibroue glass mar15 2010

A very hazy deep reddish amber, hazy enough that I can't see the carbonation. a giant beige head has decent retention and leaves several partial rings of lace

S a little orange peel, toffee and some woody earthiness

T again it's very earthy with a little citrus and perhaps even some prune? a very interesting flavor going on here I like it but I'm having trouble trying to think of something to compare it to. like the bottle says its bitter and there's a little sweetness to go with it

M good feel, the carbonation that wasn't visible due to the haze is quite mild in the mouth and it's leaning towards full bodied. this beer has great length, I knew I was drinking a beer because I could taste it for while after swallowing it

I will admit I hate reviewing styles I know little about. this is a great beer and it may be even better then I'm giving it credit for when reviewing for style. that being said you should try this one if you ever get the chance

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 02:27:57 | More by wordemupg

kirkbodnar

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I lived in Dusseldorf, Germany for 4 years, and as such, I have had a fair amount of Alt. Most exciting of all, though, is the Sticke Alt from Uerige which is only produced on two different days during the year - very rare and very interesting stuff - which, as I understand, is the primary inspiration for this beer from Les Trois Mousquetaires. This beer was very interesting, and although not exactly like Dusseldorf's original example, not all too far off.

A - Dark amber with a ton of head that sticks around for a while. Held up to my expectations based on my experiences in Dusseldorf

S - This brought back fond memories - fairly authentic. Caramel - and lots of nuttiness - maybe even pine.

T - Pleasantly hoppy, fruity, and nutty with lots of caramel. Not too far off from the original.

M - pleasant, though quite dry.

D - Alt as a style, should be very drinkable - as it is traditionally sold in small 200ml glasses, and pounded back. This example did not dissapoint, though after getting through the 750ml bottle, the woody elements (nuttiness perhaps) got to be a bit much - though this may be due to my pairing it with rather crappy pizza.

I enjoyed this beer a lot - and I will definitely drink it again.

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 16:34:52 | More by kirkbodnar

flipper2gv

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Nice darkish armber color. Fully translucent. Head has good volume, is beige and is foamy. Head retention is ok, lacing is a bit less than average.

S: Some big caramel and toffee are in this. There is also a nice level of earthy and herbal hops. Wood and leather and a hint of vanilla are present in the smell. Light smoke.

T: Much more hops than anticipated. Mostly earthy and herbal hops are there. Smoke is definitely part of it too. Some light dark fruits like dark cherries and raisins. Again, caramel, toffee, wood, leather, vanilla are still in there. Quite interesting tasting brew.

M: It's ok. Medium to low body with medium to high carbonation. Nothing to get too excited from but works well.

D: Well, it is balanced, not much alcohol, so nothing to stop me.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 05:36:35 | More by flipper2gv

nighthawk

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL corked and caged bottle with no freshness date poured into pint glass. Purchased at Marche Cosmopolitan in Montreal's Centre-ville.

Pours a bright, clear amber with red hues. Head is a cream yellow, a bit foamy, and leaves chunks and lacing on the glass as it slowly settles. Good retention. Clarity of the beer shows lots of fine bubbles streaming up the glass.

Toasted caramel, fruit esters, and a bit of lemon and bright floral hops on the nose.

Lots of smooth, toasty malt flavours here; bready, caramel, touch of cereal grain, then some almost dark-fruit esters, giving way to the lemony and earthy hops and a slightly bittersweet finish.

Mouthfeel is light, smooth, and creamy with a nice bit of ebullient, fine carbonation to keep things lively and well away from cloying sweetness.

Overall, I'm really digging this beer. Flavours mesh well together, and find a nice balance. Mid range of complexity, and nothing overdone.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 18:28:21 | More by nighthawk

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml caged and corked brown bottle. Pours out a hazed yet still translucent chestnut brown hue, tall creamy and frothy off-white head with good retention.

Clean toasted, nutty and sweet caramel notes in the aroma, similar to a Vienna Red, also clover and grassy notes.

Distinct clean flavour, crisp dry grains, some toasted and nutty notes, from the middle to the end it's hop time with leafy, musty, spicy, herbal characteristics, aftertaste of dandelion greens.

Medium-full body, silky smooth and clean mouthfeel, moderate carbonation with a little zip on the finish, quite impressive.

A German version of an English ESB produced in Quebec, that's how I connect the dots with this one, and it's one tasty picture. I'm not the biggest fan of such high amounts of Continental hops personal palate-wise, but it's still an impressive and enjoyable ale all the same, and LTM sticks to their guns by producing fine versions of traditional German styles.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 05:18:32 | More by IronDjinn

eat

Quebec (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This seems to be fairly new and was being sampled at Peluso in Montreal when I happened to stop by (along with the Imperial weizen, which in my opinion is almost sickeningly sweet...the stuff just about cloyed my face off). A small sample was inspiring enough to pick up this 750ml bomber, corked and caged like all their Serie Signature.

Almost-clear and a beautiful ruby-copper colour. It's the colour of the darkest, reddest honey you could imagine being naturally possible; made from some kind of flower with ruby-red pollen. Great rocky off-white head leaves chunks of lacing stuck to the sides of the glass. Careful pouring this one, the head is explosive. The clarity is off-putting somehow for such a dark red/brown beer. Also, retention could definitely be improved upon. Otherwise it looks awesome, the colour is spectacular.

Smells mostly of wheat and earthy European hops. Some half-cooked Brussels sprouts and sweet malt. Good but could be stronger.

Tons of earthy European hops. I don't know hops well enough to say which they are but they aren't any of those floral/piny/citrusy hops found in American-style brews. These taste like plants and soil and they used a lot of them in brewing this stuff. Fairly forward malt presence as well, though hops come out on top of everything. This is not a complex beer but the hops are so tasty that it doesn't need to be. The beer guy at Peluso described it as a German IPA...I like that description! Dry, bitter hoppy finish, no alcohol present.

Medium body and carbonation. Good but nothing special here.

For me this is too bitter to drink much of. I find all of Les Trois Mousquetaires brews to have this quality: while they definitely know what they're doing, they're all too intensely *something* to drink much of. I always struggle to finish off a bomber to myself, not because it's bad but because it's too intense. Drinkable enough to really enjoy a pint, but that's it. The label states that this beer is, "...dominated by a gripping bitterness." I agree. None of the Serie Signature are sessionable in my experience so far.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 03:42:59 | More by eat

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Warning: Aggressive pour WILL = beer on your counter top. If this is a strong German brown ale then kudos to Deutschland as this is one good looking ale. Reddish brown, kinda looks like old blood.cloudy, with amazing head formation and retention and lacing you could build carpet from.

Nice floral sweetness, touch of honey and spice,
Started out as a 3-3.5 on taste because I noted a lack of balance. Yes, it could be more balanced, but the flavours that are there are well done and the roller coster ride between cinnamon bready malt, citrus hop, more intense cinnamon bready malt, and then that neat ( Jeff nailed it) dandelion herbal bitterness that closes the show down, yet makes you take another sip

Liked the smooth, mid-full body.

This brewer is like that box o' chocolates...always as surprise...good and average. This one falls under good/very good depending on if you like beer that finishes bitter

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 01:16:32 | More by Shadman

BarrelSelect

Quebec (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color copper-orange with a nice foam when poured. Aroma of bread, cereal, and nuts. Hops aromas resin with a little floral. Medium bodied with a good hops attack. Taste cereal, little caramel, toasted malt. Bitter finish. Like all Signature Serie product from Trois Mousquetaires, it's a really good creation.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 21:19:48 | More by BarrelSelect

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy but very pleasant red brown colour, with a full and thick head of creamy white foam. Looks very pleasant and refined. I particularly like the colour.

Really nice nose. Some peach character, with a refined slightly musty phenolic character. Light grain notes add a little sweetness. Almost a light baked beans note to it. It's very subtle, but very pleasant.

Lovely nutty characters on the palate, with some nice sharp phenolic characters on the front. Some sharpness on the very back, which really clears out the palate very nicely. It's very well done and nicely balanced. Very refined and pleasant.

I do like altbiers, and this is a pretty good one. I love the refined, slightly subtle characters on it, and the nutty palate. It's quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 09:20:56 | More by lacqueredmouse

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle

Appearance - Hazy orange colour with an above average size frothy beige coloured head. I can't really tell how much carbonation there is due to the haziness and there is some really fantastic lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it began to dissipate.

Smell - malts, caramel, floral/herbs, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and the beer feels slightly creamy on the tongue. The beer has a very sweet flavour consisting of malts, caramel, and some hops. It has lot of herbal/floral notes to it. It finishes with a sticky sweet floral hop aftertaste.

Overall - This one reminded me a lot of their Kellerbier; which I also enjoyed. The Sticke Alt has a touch more sweetness however. This is a solid beer; I'm happy with my purchase.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 18:30:10 | More by spinrsx

dgilks

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sweet, malty aroma with a slight nutty note.

Hazy, deep amber colour with a big, fluffy yellow head. Nice head retention. Great.

Good, malty flavour with a slightly toasty note. Not too sweet with a nice dryness and a big bitterness. The bitterness is very high for the style but not unexpected given the brewer's intention.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

A tasty beer. I love the unusual bitterness here with the complex, tasty, dry maltiness. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 09:52:01 | More by dgilks

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've been eyeing this one up for some time and finally decided to splurge.

A - Pours a hazy copper colour with an amber hue, two solid fingers of big bubbled beige head with solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Metallic caramel, some leafy hops, very earthy.

T - Very unique flavour, strong bitterness off the top that lingers. The hops are very earthy and sour, reminiscent of fresh lime rind. A caramel malt backbone is undermined by the hops.

M - Medium bodied ale that goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

O - This beer is bold, and certainly not for the faint of heart. It packs a strong bitter punch and catches you off guard. Certainly more hoppy than I expected, and the bitterness was quite memorable. I'm glad I tried it, but I'm not certain I would run out for another bottle in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 04:37:30 | More by andrenaline

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.84/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy brownish amber in color with light amounts of visible carbonation and some deeper red highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Upfront there are light amounts of toasted malts with a hint of sweetness. Light to moderate amounts of herbal hops towards the finish.

T: Upfront there is a light flavor of toasted caramel and grainy malts with a very light hint of sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of herbal and floral hops that contribute a light amount of lingering bitternes.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Interesting in that this beer is slightly more hoppy than I have come to expect for the altbier style (especially having spent a couple of weeks in Dusseldorf). The flavors are a little more bitter and more complex than others in the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 21:52:36 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy amber brown in color. It poured with a quarter finger high tan head that died down a bit, leaving a thi head covering the surface, a collar around the edge of the glass, and some lacing on one side.
S: Light aromas of toasted malts and herbal hops are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has flavors toasted malts and herbal hops with a light amount of bitterness. Hints of raisins are also noticeable.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather bitter for the style but is interesting nonetheless and quite complex to other altbiers.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 21:48:53 | More by metter98

notdan

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A translucent mahogany pour with lots of billowy off-white head. Dies down after a minute or two, but leaves lots of pretty lacing and a pillow of foam on top of the beer. Very attractive.

Dark malts were the first thing that hit me with this one, combining both caramel/toffee and dark fruit flavours. Some earthy/woody hop presence is definitely there too. Smells promising, though could be a bit more powerful.

In the taste, fruity dark malts (mostly cherry for me) and caramel flavours are balanced out with earthy/herbal hops. A very dry, bitter finish keeps me going for more and more sips.

Nice full mouthfeel with plenty of carbonation.

This isn't a style I generally seek out, but I enjoyed this more than the altbiers I've had in the past. The distinct bitterness made for an interesting drink, even if it was a bit too dry for me in the finish. Regardless, I'll have no problems finishing off the 750.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 23:48:38 | More by notdan

Parrotshake

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The only other Altbier I've ever had is Schlösser, which was OK, but this is completely different so far so I might have a hard time rating to style.

Pours a reddish brown with a finger and a bit of tan head. Tons of lacing on the sipping side of the glass. The Schlösser was darker but I don't remember it looking this good. Hazelnut, toffee, malted milk and green woody hop aromas jump out of the glass.

Doesn't taste as overwhelmingly malty as the nose suggests. Nutty with peppery and boozy phenols, dark fruit and a bitter and slightly metallic finish. An undertone of sweetness from the malts which is hard to pin down. Something like bubblegum or possibly a scented eraser. A lot of flavor.

Full mouthfeel with just a hint of tingly carbonation. This beer has a lot going for it but the flavors are all a bit too prominent - it never really gels - which is fine for one or two but I couldn't drink more of it. Very nice in small doses, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 06:48:46 | More by Parrotshake