Original Schlüssel Alt - Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel

Liquoric3

Germany

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-14-2013 06:28:45 | More by Liquoric3

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

My second alt brewery visit on 4/11/2013. First of two served in a .2l stange. Pours a mahogany hue with a latte-like, half inch cream-colored head embedded with tiny craters. Nose smells primarily like wort. Taste follows nose - a bit thin and watery. Hops bittering comes out at the finish and is both earthy and subtle. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a carbonation just shy of lively, with a crisp, slightly dry finish. Overall, a nice altbier that is a bit less hoppy than Uerige's offering.

Serving type: cask

05-12-2013 14:44:29 | More by Jwale73

DoubleJ

California

3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Schlussel itself, on to the beer:

Here's an alt with a lighter cola brown color and an inch thick of head which retains itself well and leaves thicks rings of lace around. The aroma is filled with bread dough, bread crust, and a touch of vague fruit. Something different happens in the taste; sure, the crusty bread and toffee notes are common per style, but this one brings a noticable spicy hop note , making it hoppier than the other alts that I tried in Dusseldorf. It's medium bodied, with a modest crisp snap in the finish.

A little different, but still a damn good alt to cloth yourself from cold weather.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 15:16:57 | More by DoubleJ

braican

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%

04-08-2013 00:03:58 | More by braican

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-24-2013 22:48:18 | More by Sparky44

alugeris

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-12-2013 15:57:21 | More by alugeris

Dinkel

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-07-2013 03:48:03 | More by Dinkel

whatsgoody

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.2%

12-14-2012 13:41:31 | More by whatsgoody

jmn5082

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

11-06-2012 15:27:50 | More by jmn5082

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.7%

10-08-2012 14:37:06 | More by MattSweatshirt

crisis44

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

06-01-2012 22:48:15 | More by crisis44

pixieskid

France

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

04-17-2012 06:52:14 | More by pixieskid

bckayaalp

New York

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

03-03-2012 02:37:39 | More by bckayaalp

JCFinn

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%

12-09-2011 21:37:03 | More by JCFinn

mdillon86

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10%

11-26-2011 14:27:02 | More by mdillon86

mentaltraveller

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

11-15-2011 23:10:37 | More by mentaltraveller

whartontallboy

New York

5/5  rDev +22.2%

11-14-2011 23:21:17 | More by whartontallboy

foles

Australia

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed over and over again on the Dusseldorf Altstadt.

Light, rich munich maltiness, with a nice firm bitterness. Brown colour. Uniquely hoppy from spalt hops on he nose. Dry malty profile on the palate. Some graininess, and a touch of spalt flavour - however the balance of hop character appears to be in the aroma.

A true classic alt - but very unique amongst alts at the same time.

Serving type: cask

10-31-2011 11:18:06 | More by foles

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Often though of as an amber ale with German lager character, this hybrid of a beer has the smooth drinkability of well malted German lagers and with the toasty notes of a dunkel. But this beer balances toward hoppy bitterness like no other.

Pouring a deep amber, taking on rust-like colors, the beer shows near brilliant clarity, slightly off white foam that forms a delicate yet sturdy foam stance. Light on lace and moderate with retention, comparisons to lighter dunkels do come to mind.

Muted aromas of toast with faint caramel, grain, and malt deliver a clean and well attenuated scent that leaves the nose wanting more.

Flavors fare much more vividly. Bread crust, walnuts, scorched caramel, and a hint of date or fig come to mind before the initial flavors fall off and the hop bitterness sets in. With basically no hop aroma and faint herbal flavor, the bitterness seems remarkably high in the finish as the other malt flavors disipate, all leading to a very clean, crisp finish with mild grain and earthy bitterness.

Medium creaminess early is short lived, transcending the beer to a quick and abrupt bitterness with light grassy harshness and mild watering.

A very drinkable beer with a lot of character for a lighter beer especially up front. But the terse finish makes the beer clean yet tearse.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 18:32:54 | More by BEERchitect

AgentZero

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another Alt provided by Ethan.

A - Brownish color beer that you can see through. Has a white head that didn't stay for long and left some spots on the side.

S - Smells very malty, with some caramel notes and earthy tones. A little heavier than the other alts we have had.

T - A lot of malt, some caramel and spices, and a little earthy bitterness. There is a bit of a fruity sweetness to this.

M - Smooth, medium bodied, active carbonation.

O - Pretty solid, not as easy of a drinker as the other alts, but had a lot going on.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 03:24:32 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

50cl swingtop, again provided by Ethan. Served in a Hill Farmstead tulip. Best before July 8th, 2012.

A - Quick-dissolving off-white foam settles to a thin ring and a few stray bubbles. Very dark altbier, with more brown and less copper-amber, although still transparent.

S - This is more caramel heavy, although the toasted grains are still present in the periphery. Some fruity esters are imparted by the ale yeast, and there is a hint of nuttiness as well.

T - This is less sweet than the other alts we had next to it, and had more of a heavy bread flavor. It actually felt more bock-like in some ways to me. Again, nuts and toasted malt are also present.

M - Smooth texture, medium-light body, crisp medium-high carbonation. and a nice clean finish.

D - Even though it's only a tad more alcohol than the other alts the heavier flavor profile and higher carbonation made it a tad less easy to drink. It was definitely the most complex in flavor profile, but it least fits my preferences for the style. Still, well worth trying if you are in Düsseldorf and want to do a survey of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 18:49:08 | More by MasterSki

stcules

Italy

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Copper color, very clean and limpid. Two fingers of a beautiful foam, that left a lot of laces.
Malty smell, with a light caramel, and a bit of grassy hop.
Malty taste, too, and light caramel again, then the hop bitterness, not very long, but good.
Light body, great drinkability.

Serving type: cask

02-12-2011 18:55:59 | More by stcules

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one is a bit over the best before date but was quickly proven to be good nonetheless. 500 ml, BB 22.October 2010, into tulip. A vigorous pour creates deep amber to bronze body with good clarity, topped by thick firm off-white head with excellent retention that clings to the walls and, although slowly subsides, virtually never dies. The nose is rich malt with caramel and toasty notes, peppery spiciness that probably originates from noble hops, fruity esters of plum and raisins.
Flavor starts with prominent hoppy bitterness counterbalanced by crisp, well attenuated malt. Fruity esters are virtually absent, slightly nutty finish is quite dry allowing hoppy bitterness to persist into the aftertaste. Medium bodied, soft carbonated with slight astringency.

In short: a sessional lagered ale with assertive hoppy bitterness and a good dosage of attenuated malt.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 23:40:39 | More by crnipeter

dasenebler

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

.5L swing-top. Best by 1/14/11.

Pours a crystal clear dark copper with a great two-finger head. Retains with a thick ring and excellent lacing.

Aroma is muffled, but there are hints of hops, light fruit and yeast.

The flavor is solid, with a nice toasty and nutty malt complexity. Finish is lightly bitter and redolent of dark bread crusts. Hop flavor could be improved. Mouthfeel is medium-light, creamy and smoothly carbonated. A great session beer, but not nearly as drinkable as the on-tap version.

This is an very good altbier, but this bottle version (purchased at the brauhaus, I might add) is somehow inferior to the fresh, on-tap variety, which seemed more delicate and more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 18:40:36 | More by dasenebler

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this at the Schlüssel brewpub/restaurant in Dusseldorf, served in short glasses that magically replace as they empty. The beer is a light tan color, clear, with a few fingers of white foam. The aroma is fairly neutral, the dominant impression is of sweet malts, a little nutty or caramel. Same in the taste, I think this is a very approachable beer style for anybody, just not flavorful enough to make it too special for me.

This is a style that I've tried several times in the USA and always finished feeling underwhelmed. Similar to Kolsch in that aspect (although this is darker and maltier than Kolsch), it seems to be a subtle style. Maybe similar to Kolsch I'll one day really start to like it and identify it with the city it comes from.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2010 05:21:34 | More by TurdFurgison