Shiner Old-Time Alt - Spoetzl Brewery

Bung

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. Light amber/orange pour. Finger of white head, actually retains pretty well.

Aroma, Just about non-existent. A little caramelly malt, some hay, and light grain.

Taste, some pale malt and herbal hops. A little grainy, but not too bad. A little bread in the middle. Finish just a faint bit of hops.

Lively, easy drinking thinner bodied brew. Maybe a tad watery, but comparable to the others I've had in the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 01:59:25 | More by Bung

mattgreger

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle from Shiner Family Reunion 6-pack that I aquired from my brother-in-law Mike.

This brew poured a nice burnt orange/ color. It was nicely carbonated, and had a nice light/brown mocha colored head. It had half decent retention and had some nice lacing throughout the drink.

The aroma on this brew was pretty subtle. There was some citrusy hops, a touch of malts and a just a hint of some dark fruit notes at then end.

Though the aroma of the hops were at the front, the caramel malts balance the brew out pretty well. It it has a nice roasted malt flavor with a touch of lemon. It also a nice bready taste as well. It has a great, dry citrus like finish with a hint of toasted grains. Great flavor!

It was a great medium bodied brew. It was smooth with a nice dry finish. Nice clean, crisp carbonation. A great session brew.

I continue to be suprised by the brews from this brewery. They are simple yet have some great aspects that help them shine. This brew was excellent, only improvement would be the aroma, which neededs just a bit more to help close it out. Everything else makes this a great session beer for the warmer months.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 18:31:06 | More by mattgreger

ElCommodoro

Texas

2.38/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured a red-orange colour with a small tannish head. The smell was fairly insignificant. It smelled a little hoppy and a bit like fruit pits. Very faint smell, though.
The taste was somewhat faint as well. It tasted like it smelled: like fruity hops, but very light in flavour. It was high in carbonation and light in body. Lighter than I was expecting this style of beer to be, anyway. I did not really enjoy it as a result.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 19:50:40 | More by ElCommodoro

jwc215

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tasted over three months ago - reviewed from notes.

Pours copper with a thin off-white head that descends to a thin wispy cover. Some lacing sticks.

The smell is of carmalized grain. Inoffensive, but not very aromatic.

The taste is of caramel, nuts (almonds) with a slight hop-touch that gives it a dry-ish finish.

It is on the light side and rather fizzy.

It's a beer with a nice balance and easy enough to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 15:58:59 | More by jwc215

deaconoflove

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ap. Copper gold color w/ an okay head at first and a nice big fine head on the second pour. Nice.
Sm. Not too much. Caramel at first and some veggie?
Ta. A bit of malt and caramel and slow developing bitterness for the finish. A little bit of sweetness in there, too.
Mf. Light and a bit frothy.
Dr. A decent beer; I would not object to another.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:04:39 | More by deaconoflove

lawlerj

Nebraska

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A - pours a tawny amber, fairly clear. With an aggressive pour, yields a massive head. Very nice. Sudsy lacing. Appears to be moderately carbonated as far as I can tell. Nice looking brew.

S - sweet bready malt dominates on the nose followed by with some floral and fruity aromas in there as well. Caramel maybe?

T - definitely strong malt flavored balanced w/ caramel and a bit of floralish hops on the finish. Very tasty.

M - medium bodied w/ moderate carbonation. A bit of dry feeling on the finish. Very nice.

O - overall, a very nice beer. This is my first foray into the altbier style, and if the rest can measure up to this guy, I'll be back for more.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 22:30:34 | More by lawlerj

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review # 61
Served On: 9/11/2011
Glassware: Pint Glass

Another one from the 2011 Shiner Family Reunion mixed 6 pack. Also I believe this is a limited offering.

Look: Poured an amber color with random carbonation bubbles rising. Head was a 1 finger kaki color. Head retention was not great as it reduced to a thin coating rather quickly. This is a trait I’ve noticed with most of Shiner’s beers.

Smell: Biscuity dark fruits. Some clean spicy hop notes and a roasted malt in the background.

Taste: Initial dark fruits like plum or raisin. Roasted malts kicked in somewhere in the middle. A fresh hop bitterness made the finish with roasted and biscuity malts in the aftertaste. I started to get some booze towards the end as the beer warmed up.

Overall this was a basic Altbier. It had all the notes that I was expecting. As usual, it was a very drinkable beer with a freshness that is characteristic to all Shiner offerings.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 17:05:57 | More by CraftBeerTastic

aval89

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: copper color with clear body.. half finger of slightly off white head.. some active carbonation..

s: wow, salt water taffy is initially what i get... sweet malts pretty much.. some caramel.

t: upfront i get a slight hop bitterness & toasty malts.. middle of the tongue is sweet with caramel/toffee maltiness.. backend has some cereal grain.. finish is a bit spicy with more toasty malts.. also a bit of earthiness..

mf: light to medium body with good carbonation.. semi dry finish

o: a very well balanced brew.. hop & malt bill make for a good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 09:07:11 | More by aval89

DCon

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pulled a 12 FL. OZ. bottle out of a Spoetzl Mix Pack I bought @ Shop N' Save in Valley Park, MO for $15.99. Poured from the Brewer's Pride Selection/OLD-TIME Alt bottle with no Freshness Date into a Samuel Adams Imperial Pint Glass.

Aroma- Nice, malty, and sweet aroma. Ver lager like and clean. At the finish, has a brown and roasty aroma.

Appearance- Has less than 1 finger of head. A nice, dark copper body is in store that is very clear. Great lacing on the glass.

Flavor:- Has a perfect altbier taste! Bit of hop and good caramel note. Smooth, lager like at times but almost exactly like the Schlafly Enlgish Pale Ale. Has a nice noble hop flavor and then finishes with almost no bitterness. Easy Weezy.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, Smooth, and leaves good malt on the palate.

Overall Impression- My second favorite from Shiner (Spoetzel) so far! Great! Has a nice clean and easy drinking taste but then has a good amount of character to it! Roastiness and caramel flavors come out big time at the finish of each drink. Recommend this one too!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 05:12:11 | More by DCon

mralphabet

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from mix pack poured into pint glass

A: Pours copper colored with a good 2 fingers worth of head, that settles to a nice layer with great lacing from top to bottom. Great looking beer.

S: Sweet malt and a grassy hops.

T: Sweet malt right up front.... little biscuit like with a hint of caramel.... then a earthy hops kicks in mid palate... finish and aftertaste is on the bitter side.... also a little on the dry side.

M: Med bodied with a mild carbonation... Little heavier than I was expecting..

O: Overall a well balanced brew.... Sweet malt and hops come out pretty even and make for a pretty complex beer with a low ABV, so you could drink a few of these... not a bad session beer.. to bad it only comes as a single in the Shiner Family pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 00:28:35 | More by mralphabet

ReyG006

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Poured amber with a small head which always stayed on top of the beer. Bubbly

S- Smelled bready with a slighty nutty smell.

T- Caramel is the dominant flavor but it is not overbearing. It seems to linger in the aftertaste as well. Very lighty hopped. Very well balanced and very easy to drink.

O- I enjoyed this more than any other shiner I've ever had. Its a very smooth beer and could be a great session beer and one to recommended to the bmc crowd. Although this was my first alt beer I would recommend checking this one out. I've been drinking a lot of big beers lately, at 4.2% its good to drink a small beer again with solid flavor.

First review!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 10:17:01 | More by ReyG006

wesbrownyeah

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shiner Old-Time Alt beer 4.2% alcohol poured for 12oz. glass to a Spaten Strange.

A- Pours a amber- brown fluid with a light tan half inch head that lingers the whole beer. Lacing is patchy and consistant.

S- Rich caramel malts upfront with a slight hint of earthy yeast in the back of the nose.

T-M- Sweet caramel and chocolate flavored malts upfront with mildly bitter citrus and grassy hops following. Mouthfeel is smooth with a medium high carbonation dancing on the buds leaving a sweet malty film on the tongue.

Great Alt beer from Shiner! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 22:08:52 | More by wesbrownyeah

2xHops

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It had a copper color and the foaming head hung around for a while before fizzing down.

The taste was interesting. I'm not sure what to make of it, yet. It hit you with flavors but dies as you swallow.

The beer isn't as "thick" as I thought it would be. It just felt a bit thin.

Overall, it's not a bad beer, but it's nothing to write home about. To be honest, it's not a favorite style for me, and I think I actually preferred 512's Alt over this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 02:55:43 | More by 2xHops

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The Shiner Family Reunion is nearing its close. I am really glad that I picked up this mixed-six pack while in DC and I would encourage others to try it.

From the bottle: "Brewed in Shiner, Born in Dusseldorf"; "Every drop of Shiner beer is brewed in Shiner"; "True to Tradition Since 1909"; "The Shiner Brewing Association (pictured) and original brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzl began an old world brewing tradition that continues today in hiner, Texas. This copper-colored, medium to full-bodied Dusseldorf-style alt features a balance of malts and hops. A long-lasting, creamy head. And a dry, smooth finish. This small batch brew is out first Brewer's Pride selection, and we hope you savor every sip. Prosit!"; "Brewers pride in every drop."

I got a finger-and-a-half of rocky, light-tan head with good retention from my pour. Color was a deep-copper with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Nose was very biscuit malty with hints of dark fruit. Mouthfeel was very full, creamy and smooth. The initial taste was of fresh bread, followed by a molasses tartness and then a gentle grassy hoppiness. This was as pleasant a drink as I have had in a while and I could easily see why they would take pride in it. Finish was semi-dry with an emphasis on the biscuit malt interacting with the grassy hops. More, please!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 17:12:56 | More by woodychandler

claspada

New Jersey

2.4/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear, amber body with a foaming, near white head.

Aromas are mildly nutty, biscuity with fleeting traces of spice and caramel.

The tastes begin with lightly nutty, lightly toasty malts with a hint of dry, stale biscuits in there as well. Lightly sweet with some slight caramel. Pretty watered-down in overall flavor profile to be honest. Lightly hopped, with light touches of spice and grassiness to it.

The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with medium-plus carbonation. Crisp, drying, clean finish.

Overall this is a bit mild, as expected, but even more bland than I expected. I drank it down. Pass, next, much better around to offer esepcially in this category. Spend the extra few bucks for some quality.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 14:18:19 | More by claspada

kkoz

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance & Aroma: It’s clear, and copper brown in color, with plenty of carbonation. There’s a decent, very creamy, cream-colored head on it, which left some decent lacing on the glass as I drank the beer. It’s got a good, caramelly, and slightly bready, Oktoberfest-like aroma.

Taste & Feel: The body is light, with a little bit of creaminess in the mouth feel, and a tinge of carbonation upfront. There were some nice bready and caramel malt like flavors in the middle, complemented by the creaminess. It finished very clean and light with a hint of bitterness masked by the caramel malt flavor.

Food Pairing: I would definitely have this with a thick, juicy burger, because of the bready and caramel flavors, but it would also go nicely with wienerschnitzel or other heavy German dish as it would add to the flavorfulness, but would also help to wash it down.

Overall Impression: I found this be be very drinkable, even in this summer heat. However, I think I would enjoy this a whole lot more in the fall, as I really enjoyed the bready and caramel malt flavors. This one only comes a single beer at a time in the Shiner mixed six pack, so put this one in the fridge and save it for a nice October evening.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 03:12:55 | More by kkoz

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-dirty gold with a thick and foamy cream colored head

S-smells like molasses. very malty. some cinnamon. possibly some gingerbread

T-comes in with a very smooth and diluted taste of gingerbread. i like it, the quality isn't there, but the refreshness is. the after-taste is matching. this isn't too bad!

M-medium carbonation with a watery finish

O-no matter what the score reveals, i enjoyed this beer. it was quite different and enjoyable. i'm sure there are better alts out there but this is a fair example. i wouldn't mind having more.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 01:19:19 | More by AdamBear

tdm168

North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice amber color with 1/4" of head that quickly fades. Smells of sweet malt with a very light hop aroma. Taste is malty but with a welcomed hop bitterness in the finish. Moderately carbonated and light to medium bodied.

Rather weak flavor profile and a little thin. Nothing really stands out here.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 00:28:40 | More by tdm168

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2.5 fingers of foamy off-white head over a reddish-amber body. Laces pretty well.

Nose is grainy, slightly corny... not an 'alt' smell.

Taste is mild, hops and malt in a balance... tastes more British than German, to be frank. In that sense, tastes like an ale, but there's some faint acrid taste that keeps this alt from hitting home.

Mouthfeel has some out-of place harsh carbonation... without which it would just be watery. A no-go.

This might qualify as a slightly hoppy British style, but I'm not buying the 'alt', and I'm not sold on it on the whole. Not bad, but not good either.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 04:23:57 | More by zaphodchak

schmidtn

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Part of a variety 6 pack purchased today that Spoetzl sends out.

Poured into a wine glass. Amber colored. A decent head that still lingers as I type. Seems about the right color for an alt. Maybe a little less red colored than I see in Deutschland.

A balanced smell of malts and hops.

Carbonated a bit strong for the style. Burp. Flavor is smoother that the alt ales of Germany.

A nice brew, I like the beer, but not the best alt, and not the best by Spoetzl.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 02:52:59 | More by schmidtn

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a crystal clear copper color with a dense cap of cream colored head. Nice retention and lacing, really a good looking brew here.

Nose is interesting - burnt caramel, toast and hay. Mild fruit and bread declare the yeast presence. Some sweetness, but not overly so.

Toasty, wet grain is bold and lends a burnt quality to it. Somewhat like a cross between an Anchor Steam Beer and a bock. Earthy and some sulfurous lager flavors as it warms. I am not sure I would want to drink alot of this, but it was a fun brew to drink and makes you think a bit, lots of subtle complexities here.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 18:44:12 | More by twiggamortis420

cagocubs

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: On the spectrum for altbiers, this one was lighter. It poured a dark copper with a 1.5 finger bone-white fluffy head. The head lingered and laced. Good active carbonation arising from the bottom. A great looking pour.

S: Hops, malts, sweet caramel, some citrus. Real balanced smells, reminded me of a red ale.

T: The roasted malts can be sensed right away. The sip gets sweet with the caramel and bitter with the hops/citrus. A somewhat bready finish.

M: Medium-bodied, creamy, good aftertaste and great carbonation.

O: This was the first beer I have had from Shiner where I took a sip, shifted eyes, took another sip, put the beer down and simply said, "There it is". A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 00:50:20 | More by cagocubs

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shiner Old-Time Alt is quite appropriate coming out of the old Spoetzl brewery down in Texas. Kosmos would be proud!

It's got the traditional dark-copper colored body and a short head of off-white foam. The head retention could be better, and the lacing is limited to minor spots and streaks, but it's still a good looking glass of ale.

The nose is clean, and it offers a nice combination of darkly-caramelish malt and spicy, grassy, and almost minty hops. It's fresh and welcoming.

The flavor follows suit, and you find a bit of yeasty character to it, but not the clear fruitiness of some of the better examples from Dusseldorf. Still, it's nicely rounded, and it's got a pretty good amount of malt and hop flavor to it. A solid bitterness balances it, and it finishes drying with some residual malt, and then hops, in the lingering finish.

It's a solid offering, and a solid beer coming out of a brewery that produces a lot of fairly mainstream products. They've been trying to produce some more interesting and flavorful beers recently and this one certainly fits the bill. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 15:49:41 | More by NeroFiddled

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Old Time Alt was part of the Shiner family reunion six pack and is by far the best of the six.

It pours a gorgeous copper color, formed a big head and left some lacing on the sides of my pint glass.

It has a sweet malty taste with almost no bitterness. This beer did not have the weird card board taste some of the other shiners had.

I hope this becomes a regular offering from Shiner. I would buy this all the time.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 02:39:49 | More by JohnFatAss

goldbot

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice to finally see something from Shiner on the shelf that's not the Bock. This pours a copper to amber color with plenty of carbonation and ample white head. Good head retention. Aroma is nice and malty with lots of caramel sweetness. Hops are well-hidden. A very drinkable beer - smooth, toasted malts; sweet but with a nice touch of bitterness. A solid, well-balanced beer. Shiner should sell this one in its own six pack.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 21:40:44 | More by goldbot