Uerige Altbier (Classic) - Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei GmbH / Zum Uerige

superdedooperboy

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Attractive 11.2 oz. flip-top bottle poured into a Stange. "Bottled on 01.09" clearly printed on the neck label, with "Code 01.10" printed as well. Ingredients are listed: Wasser, Gerstenmalz, Caramelmalz, Röstmalz, Doldenhopfen, and Uerige-Hefe. Alcohol content stated at 4.7% by volume.

A nice pop from the release of the cap; pours a slightly hazed deep copper hue, giving rise to a one-fingered head of creamy beige foam, showing moderate retention, fading to a thick cap that leaves behind thick rings of lace on the walls of the slender glass.

Aroma is nicely complex, showing a very clean mix of rich, caramel sweetness, a mild essence of juicy sweet plum, and a kiss of noble hop perfume.

Fairly light in body with a nice cleansing carbonated mouthfeel. Toasty, biscuit-like malt lays underneath a wildly assertive bitter hop presence, somewhat grass-like and extremely dry, carrying things over into a bone-dry, slightly nutty, earthy, mildly mineral-like and quite bitter finish that lingers for ages.

A perfect quaffer if ever there was one, with such a wonderful complexity not found in lagers but with that clean, crisp lager character thanks to the lagering period involved. A top-notch Altbier, and one of the exemplars of the style; I can't wait to someday try this vom Fass at the source in the Düsseldorfer Altstadt. Delicious, drinkable, and delectable. I want another.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 02:30:35 | More by superdedooperboy

rtepiak

Poland

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a very drinkable and elaborate alt. dark amber with a mild head. clean with consistent bubbles coming up. nose is malty brown sugar with a smoky quality. palate is that with a bold bitter leather quality that is a bit sour smoky. this could be a big turn off seeing as this one doesn't seem as malty as others. not particularly sweet going down but earthy bitter with a oily resin quality in the malt. i don't know if the crisp quality does the style justice. the sweetness seemed to hide the bitter smoke before. this is well. just as drinkable but in a different manner. very flavorful but very light weight. dry and oily too. walnut. apple and a pilsner bitter finish. a must for the style. a great 'lighter' beer to go with must food... particularly seasoned poultry.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2009 05:43:54 | More by rtepiak

DigitalHype

Arizona

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml
Bottled 03.09.

Nice pop on the hinged cork. Dark amber to copper color. Producing 1cm creamy off-white head, that quicky faded to modest covering. Slight bit of lacing. Small amount of sediment present in the pour.

Floral hops with bright citrus, and overall fruity, refreshing nose.

Well balanced hop bitterness. Bit of sour apple. Mild yeast and bread malts.

Carbonation is moderately heavy. Making it a little bit crisp and refreshing.

Overall, this is very good, and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 01:08:52 | More by DigitalHype

beerorRIP

New Jersey

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

poured from a swing-top to a clear stange: yields a fluffy off-white head. actually poured a bit too aggressive and needed to settle a bit before i could get the rest in. the body is a nice deep copper color, with some sediment rocking around from the bubbles streaming to the top. some lacing is evident.

smells like some bready and crisp malt. not too much in the nose for hops. a touch of caramel or honey (some sweet type of smell) is there, subtle yet nice.

the taste is interesting. the initial malt and caramel, which is not too sweet, is then followed by ample hop bitterness. a nice dry finish to it as well. it's simple in it's purpose, but well balanced.

the mouthfeel is medium to nearly light body. the carbonation is nice and tingly. keeps things moving and a feeling of refreshment.

i could drink this kind of beer in a session without much issue. if only it weren't so pricey... and more available.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 00:18:30 | More by beerorRIP

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First altbier evar, let's see how it goes. Sweet looking swing top bottle, poured into the closest thing I have to a stange, an imperial pint glass.

A: Clear medium brown maybe with a touch of vermilion highlights, not much of a head to speak of sort of loose and soapy that sticks around in a cap but leaves behind no lacing whatsoever.

S: Interesting aroma and one that I am not all that familiar with, toasty, slightly woody, almost dusty mustiness, nutty, not much hop aroma that I can detect, or at least that I am familiar with, I mean there is a touch of fruitiness here, but very faded at that.

T/MF: Bitterness is here in terms of feel but not really in terms of hop flavor, I can feel the bitterness constricting the back of my tongue, roasty almost charred malts, very nutty/woody. A little bit of warmth brings out some more complexity. The floral aspects of this beer become more apparent now mixing with the incredibly toasted malts that makes for a very involved drinking experience.

D: We are getting into some seriously sessionable terms here, big on complexity, big flavor and feel and little on ABV adds up to some pretty impressive drinkablility. If only I were in Germany this beer might be a little more reasonable to have a massive supply of.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 01:55:51 | More by bluemoonswoon

DIPAbrewer

Delaware

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great big fluffy off white head drops very slowly to reveal good lacing. Healthy brown color with a slight haze, this one is bottle conditioned so I'll let it slide.

Crisp malty aroma, faint spicy hops in the nose, subdued fruity esters.

Sharp clean bitterness up front followed by a clean dry cracker like malt profile. Super dry middle with subtle spicy hops. Faintly fruity but very clean at the end.

Very well carbonated, very drinkable and well balanced. Great example of the alt style and I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2009 23:07:36 | More by DIPAbrewer

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Brick Store Pub. A rare treat. Pours chestnut brown with a nice fluffy head and sticky lacing. Smells like a freshly cleaned stable. Sweet hay and a touch of earth and wood as well as fresh grains. Some light malt throughout as well. The taste is similar, with predominant notes of hay and cereal grains as well as some light malt. Smooth, toasty, and malty, quite dry and easy to drink. Nice to try this on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2009 01:13:15 | More by Georgiabeer

Jimbo87

Virginia

1.68/5  rDev -57.8%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

I didn't notice this until after I drank it. But it says bottled on 05.03. Regarless of whether that is month then year, day then month, etc, this is old. But if either of those stands for year, then this is insanely old, and that could explain my experience. Here is what I wrote as I drank this:

"Dark but somewhat clear. Smells of sweet chocolate, grain. Smells very sweet.

Taste is surprisingly dry. Not sweet. Can taste chocolate note. Followed by a medicinal, bitterness. Bitterness nearly unpleasant. Medicinal aftertaste lingers in a bad way. It almost seems like something is wrong with it.

As I sip on, I'm realizing I hate this. It's making me nauseous. I understand that drain pouring seems wrong, but I feel like I'm drinking poison. Such a bitter aftertaste but not from hops. Now I feel it smells overwhelmingly of a sickly sweetlike smell that I hate. Nauseating. But honestly, I might be hating the smell now just because I'm associating it with this awful taste.

OK, I think I've settled down. I'm not going to die. This is probably not dangerous to drink, but I have an extremely strong feeling that this is not what this is supposed to taste like. I feel like this beer went bad. But it's not skunked. The "skunked" taste is delicious next to this nasty poison aftertaste."

That was a few hours ago. I was actually worried that some crazy person poured snake venom or something into this and that I might die. The only reason I don't really think that's possible is that there was such a fresh pop sound as I opened the bottle. The bottle is awesome, by the way.

I really wanted to like this. Honestly. I almost ordered an altbier glass just for this. I was looking forward to tasting a new style. But this ended up being the worst beer experience I've ever had, by far. This must have gotten infected or something. Or maybe age just makes this beer revolting.

I don't think many people will ever have this experience. It wasn't like "I hate the taste of this beer because it's too hoppy/sweet/sour/etc," it was truly "I'm not sure if this is toxic or not."

I'll try it fresh one day. But I'll be extremely nervous when I do.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2009 04:48:54 | More by Jimbo87

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dated 25.11 on the bottle

A - Hazy, raisin, chectnut color with a thin tan head the fades immediately.

S - Robust aroma, caramel and grainy malts, nutty, raisins, figs and a hint of honey.

T - Caramel malt with a herbal quality, slightly nutty, fruity, hint of grapes.

M - Somewhat thin and tea like but it works well. Balanced with a dry finish.

D - I liked this one the best of the 3 and found it the most complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 03:51:46 | More by brewcrew76

nhudson

Alabama

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I will preface this review with this, I have never had an Altbier before and also this is my first BA review. So with that said, I had this wonderful beer at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur GA yesterday. It was served to me in proper glassware a .2L glass with the breweries name printed on it. Small was of sweet malt which is something I normally don't like. I would also say that I was almost put off cause it had a hint of skunkyness to it. Once I tasted it thought the thought of that was quickly gone. It had a very nice caramel taste with just enough bitterness to round it out. The aftertaste was something I can't put my finger on, some kind of warm fruit that's just not distinguishable to me. Overall a wonderful beer that I will be wanting again soon. I might have to find a homebrew recipe for this, so I can always have some on the shelf!

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2009 22:27:50 | More by nhudson

glid02

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta.

Pours a hazy rustic copper color with a one-finger pitted white head. The head eventually settles into a thin layer of bubbles on top and a medium-sized ring around the glass. Lacing is good.

Smells of lightly toasted caramel malt with hints of light fruits and bitterness.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The toasted caramel malts are front and center and cover up other flavors a bit too much until the beer warms, then light fruit flavors come out a bit more. There's a solid bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good for such a low ABV. Good thickness and creamy carbonation make this go down easily.

Drinkability is good. The flavors take a short while to get accustomed to, but I finished my glass with no problem.

Overall I was impressed - I believe this is only my second Altbier and the first wasn't as true to the style as this. Definitely give this one a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2009 05:48:34 | More by glid02

KI9A

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Cloudy, dark, dunkel color. Thin head, OK lacing.

S: Sweet, malty, almost skunky.

T: Sweet malts, surprising hit of bitter hops! Raisens, prunes, apple?

M: Coats the mouth, bitterness sticks around a bit.

D: Low ABV, good taste makes this a winner in my book!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 04:02:06 | More by KI9A

JBogan

Nevada

3.13/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a medium/dark brown with a beautiful creamy one finger head which leaves moderate lacing. Nice looking beer.

The aroma was hard to define. Some malt sweetness and spice, but in a very mild way. Nothing really stood out.

Like the smell, the taste was very subdued. I had a hard time picking anything out really. It's not that it had bad taste, it's just that there wasn't much at all. Maybe some mild spices and again sweet malts, but I really had to strain to even make mention of those. Honestly, I can't recall a beer that tasted so "flat". Not carbonation-wise, but it's just that there was nothing that really stood out here.

The mouthfeel was thin bodied and prickly. Plenty of carbonation which was nice.

Overall I was expecting a bit more from this beer. A definite letdown in that it just didn't have much, if any, character. This was not a terrible beer or anything like that, but it's just not worth another visit.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 00:49:40 | More by JBogan

Nickls

District of Columbia

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

A - Poured with a nice near finger of an off-white head. Deep brown-copper color, and no way of seeing through the brew.

A- Sweet malt, light prune, and some herbal/medicinal aromas

T - Pretty interesting stuff here. Definite maltiness, but by no means the dominant characteristic. Dry spices in flavor, and finished with just a touch of hop bitterness

M - Thinner MF, with nice tight carbonation that was appropriate for the style.

D - Very drinkable given the lighter body and complexity of taste. Pretty balanced and sample went very quickly.

Overall, this was a pretty damn good brew. I will definitely pick it up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2008 01:03:40 | More by Nickls

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the unique swingtop bottle that IS 'Uerige', a 0.33L/11.2 oz. pour into a Kulmbacher stange. Label on the neck offers: Bottled on 05.03; Code 04 06.

A: An auburn-tinged chestnut brown, faint light penetrating. Thin streams of carbonation wriggle upwards through a murky fog of suspended yeasty bits. Head builds to nearly two fingers of ivory foam, leaves banding lace. Not quite sure if this is intended to look so unfiltered (my first time to try this particular beer)...

S: An herbal/minty hopping fills the nose, dry earthen malts. Almost 'clay'-like - so dusty; slight woodsy smokiness. Hints of apple skin and nutmeg.

T: Dark bread crusts, toasted and dusted with raw cinnamon shavings. Burnt bitterness atop, a grassy/herbal hopping. A little 'black tea'-like at times, with hints of dried dark fruit. Vague touches of brown sugar and honey. Ends mostly bitter, chalky and mineral-like.

M: Lip-smacking maltiness, sharp and drying across the tongue. Medium mouthfeel (borderline 'thin'), lively carbonation. Lasting char/smoke, yet somehow sweetness keeps sneaking in.

D: Nice hop/malt balance. Had some bratwurst and spätzle earlier in the evening; I'll bet this would have made a great pairing - next time... Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 03:35:25 | More by msubulldog25

philipquarles

Louisiana

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On gravity at the brewery. Pours a coppery brown--probably the darkest of the alts. Thick white head that has fair retention and fantastic lacing.

Smells of hops, malt, and a slight sweetness. This continues in the taste, with hops dominating and slight sugars becoming more evident later on. Other interesting 'artificial' tastes-a bit metallic-come through as well. Pretty complex for an Alt.

Mouthfeel is pretty good for the style; there's a bit of substance, but still on the watery side. Overall, a very good Alt that lives up to its reputation.

Serving type: cask

08-04-2008 18:37:27 | More by philipquarles

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottled on 05.03.?? (didn't check to compare other bottles to see if there was supposed to be another number)

code "04 06"

poured into shaped pint glass.

dull brown w orange/amber hue. slight haze. great head, retains well. consistent patches of splotchy lacing.

noble hop aroma w slight metallic hint. caramel malts. whiff of phenols.

gentle toasted malts w caramel hint. prominent but not overly aggressive hop bitterness. has grassy, noble hop character, melding with all other flavors. trace of estery fruitiness. clean finish with hint again of caramelized malt.

not thin. smooth. some tannic astringency. lively carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2008 23:44:25 | More by tai4ji2x

Gmann

New York

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice chestnut brown color with a nice dense cream colored head that left some insane lacing on the glass. The aroma is of a rich nutty malt, a bit buttery and a hint of steel. The taste is very malty. Chocolate and roasted malts prevail, some mineral water, and a light but noticable hoppy bitterness towards the end. Perhaps a very very light fruitiness as well. The feel is light and almost watery, fairly soft carbonation and finishes bitter from the malt and hops. A great looking Altbier with a nice roasty malt taste. The feel was a bit thin but that is the only real negative.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 03:23:28 | More by Gmann

Gamemako

France

2.25/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

From a cask at the Uerige building and umbrella area in Düsseldorf.

Absolutely the worst of the Düsseldorf altbiers I tried today. The nose isn't so bad. Doesn't exactly explode at you, but the subtle malt and hops also doesn't particularly disappoint.

Its fatal flaw is that it is just far, far, far too bitter. Some beer lovers may look right past this (judging by the previous reviews, they most certainly have), but the first taste really gives this one away. You first taste, start sorting the flavours, and then get blasted into oblivion with mouth-puckering bitterness. It is incredibly undrinkable. It is among the most bitter beers I have ever tasted. I am not particularly bothered by a bit of bitterness at the end. Adds character, most of the time, and can be beneficial to the overall feel of the beer. However, this is just far too much of a kinda-sometimes-good thing. The flavours are more or less what you'd expect from an altbier. To be honest, it reminds quite thoroughly of the Schlösser for a brief moment before you lose track of any flavour at all.

For mouthfeel, it's not too carbonated and not too watery, but it's relatively unimpressive.

Recommended for those who like chewing lemon rinds.

Serving type: cask

06-21-2008 20:51:45 | More by Gamemako

BeerSox

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

33cl bottle into pint glass

Cloudy chesnut hue with a pillowy and dense two finger head. The head rises quickly with even a gentle pour. Sticky lacing on the glass. As the beer descends between gulps, the fluffy head remains intact.

Light roasty grain with some flowery organic yeast aromas that give it a fruity scent.

The flavor is light, mostly walnut flavors. Not much bitterness to speak of, except for a little balancing hop flavor at the end. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Some burnt flavors mix in as well. The finish is the walnut flavors.

What an enjoyable beer. I bet this beer is incredible fresh. It's easy to drink a good session ale. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2008 18:01:03 | More by BeerSox

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

0.25L gravity serving at the Uerige Brauhaus in the Duesseldorf altstadt

A- Very dark, darker than most other alts, mahogany, with a creamy head and good retention

S- Malty, toffee, bread, a hint of banana

T- More roasted flavours than other Alts ive come across, toffee and fresh breads, nutty in the finish.

M- Low carbonation, creamy mouthfeel

D- Its very good no doubt, but i feel im fuchschen just shades in the taste and mouthfeel dept.

Serving type: cask

02-26-2008 17:52:04 | More by seanyfo

Vancer

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The old beer pours a deep, semi-hazy oaken brown, with a frothy rock chalk head of ivory.

This may be a German beer, but the aroma reminds me of an English bitter - woody, doughy and plenty of resins. Quaff has an odd off-taste of woody wet cardboard, plus the bready backbone.

Not a bad beer, nothing great, but with the import price this is one I'd overlook the next time around.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 01:25:48 | More by Vancer

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a cloudy dark amber with a hint of ruby. Nose is a mix of old fruit skins. Slightly sweet in a mature fashion. Flavor is tangy. A touch of kick from spice on the tongue. Overall it seems a bit like grapefruit skins, tamer though. Feel is nice. Good level of bubble. Definitely drinkable. Very smooth. Just don’t know how to compare it to other altbiers since this is my first.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 21:47:48 | More by RblWthACoz

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from an 11.2oz swing-top bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light brown color with a thin off-white head that leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of robust, smoky, caramelized malts along with some nuts and spice and a decent background of hops.

T: The taste is nicely balanced with flavors of caramel, nuts, spices, some smokiness and good hearty malt character. The hops presence is mild but it exactly at the level it should be for the style. The after-taste is bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is very clean.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, excellent representation of style, mild kick, this is a very good beer in a style that many brewers seem either reluctant to do or unable to do well. If I want a beer with some substance that isn’t going to be overpowering, this is an excellent choice. Too bad it’s such an expensive one.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2007 02:07:46 | More by TheManiacalOne

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured to a hazy orange-red color, with thin off-white head that lingered ahwile and then dissipated to little lacing. Aroma was a pleasant blend of malty roasted nuts and floral hops. Mouthfeel was pleasant, though nothing particularly stood out. Flavor was a muted version of the nose, and the finish was slightly dry, slightly sweet.

A well balanced beer that was pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 12:10:36 | More by kimcgolf