Organic Münster Alt - Brauerei Pinkus Mueller

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Lightly milky lemony gold that appears to clear only with bright backlighting. The head is a half shade darker than pure white and stays at two fingers long enough for me to appreciate its tight-bubbled, abundantly pitting nature. So-so lace in thick random scraps.

Munster Alt has an austere nose of flowers and fruit--pear blossoms and pear skins--that is delicate yet substantive. That's a good description of the flavor as well. There's less fruit on the palate (some peachiness now), but orchard fruit peels still come to mind. The floweriness takes on more of an herbal character, although what herb is hard to say. The relatively light body/mouthfeel hangs on long enough to provide a gentle, lingeringly sweet finish.

Pinkus Munster Alt is an easy drinking beer that has as much flavor and body as it needs to have and no more. It's a well-crafted package that is impressively quaffable and it 'alt' to go well with a multitude of foods, as long as they aren't strongly spiced or flavored. I don't see much wrong with this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2004 19:47:32 | More by BuckeyeNation

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Great looking beer! Pours a cloudy straw color with a puffy white head that hangs around for quite a while and leaves plenty of lacing along the side of the glass

Smell: Very Germanic nose, with plenty of tangy fruit, and touches of floral herbaciousness; perhaps a whiff of vanilla, too

Taste: As you would expect from an alt, the malts are quite pronounced and, after laying down a light toffee base, the bitter lemon hops start to kick in through to the finish; I was expecting something a bit darker and more pronounced on both fronts, but this was not bad

Mouthfeel: Starts out medium-bodied, but thins out toward the finish; well-carbonated

Drinkability: I've had better alts but this is more like a cross between a Munich Helles and an Alt; certainly drinkable, but I wouldn't seek it out everyday

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2005 23:00:39 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Though it is a good beer, I don't think that it fits the style. I expected a deep copper - amber color. Instead, I got a hazy golden - copper hue. Has good head retention and lacing. Aromas are beady and citrusy. Thought I expect mild fruit aromas, I don't expect the tart citrus notes. Flavors are the same. the lemon-ey character over-rides the medium malt profile. The hops add a spiciness the the beer that is not expected. Though I like hop bittering in an Alt, I don't go for the spices here. The yeasty flavors take on a Belgian 'twang' , leaving the beer less clean than in most alts. The body is medim and a tad bit astringent. Finishes far too dry for an Alt, but crisp and fairly clean. Again, good beer, but not an Alt.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2005 13:38:31 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A real light-colored alt style.Great rocky head nice soft/subtle toasted grain,and leafy hop taste.Very drinkable malt acented beer in my opinion,just enough green hop.Probably my first organic beer I have tried,not that it matters that much really I think.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2002 08:09:33 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful label designed by Charlie Finkel.

The Pinkus Muller Munster Alt is certainly different than the altbiers common to Dusseldorf. It's yellow-gold in color; with a frothy head of bright-white foam that holds quite well, slowly drops to a creamy cap, and leaves wide rings of sticky lace about the glass with each sip.

The nose offers fresh, sweet, and grainy malt.

In the mouth its gently effervescent carbonation bristles the tongue before it warms to become somewhat creamy, displaying its medium body.

The flavor is much as the nose suggests, with its lightly sweetish and very subtly tart malt dominating. Some hops and a bit of very low key yeasty fruitiness come into play; and it's grassy, slightly doughy, and very mildly bitter with an underlying acidity that also helps to balance it.

This is a great, easy drinking, refreshing, and mildly complex beer that would be perfect in a wide variety of situations; and one that would pair easily with an even greater selection of foods. Quite nice!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2005 13:48:50 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: clear, bright golden color, high carbonation, fat, fuzzy, slowly settling, snow white head.
Aroma: yeasty, softly citric, lemony, and clean, rather spare, actually.
Taste: brief, not quite bitter hop appearance leads the way on the palate, a quick spritz, then it's more emptiness, with just a touch of malt, and a hint of sweetness. Body is light, finish rather blase', and all 'round it's a forgettable affair. You've got to applaud the organic angle, though, and it's drinkable, and tasty, but too simplistic for me to get excited over.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2004 08:02:24 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a cloudy gold color with a thick frothy white head. The aroma is decent. It is a bit musty with a lemony zest. It boasts of pale malts and yeast. The taste is fine. It is light and pale with a yeasty finish. It is dry and a bit musty. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a low bodied beer with a little too much carbonation. It drinks a little above average, but this is nothing special. Yeah, yeah it's organic. That's cool, but what's the use if the beer is sub-par.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2004 22:15:08 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into an arrogant bastard glass. Beer is dark yellow / light brown. Smell is wheaty but no hop character. Carbonation / head was large to begin with and fell away quickly, carbonation persists through the life of the beer. Taste is great, wheaty, nice, not hoppy. Mouthfeel is full, drinkability is high. Pinkus is a great brewery and they produce excellent beers. This is one of the best they produce. Check it out if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 00:50:40 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a golden color with a hint of orange. Had a white, pillowy, two-finger head. Left good lacing.

S - Smelled of berries, wheat and grains.

T - It tasted of wheat and was quite sweet. Also, had a yeasty flavor.

M - It was very crisp and sharp. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This was a very nice beer. Another good German brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 00:56:40 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer poured hazy golden yellow in color with a thin white head that quickly dissipated, leaving a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and some lacy patterns in the center. A light amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are aromas of bread and caramel malts in the nose, along with some notes of apples.
T: Unlike the smell, the malty flavors are not as pronounced in the taste and only lend some hints of sweetness. Fruity flavors are more apparent in the finish; apples and lemons stand out in particular.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit watery on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
D: The light-bodied nature of this beer makes it go down rather easily.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 02:00:11 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

2.63/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours easily with an almost three-finger thick, pale, just barely tanned, off-white colored head. The beer is a murky gold color that shows an only lightly hazed, bright, pale gold color when held up to the light. The aroma is noticeable spicy as I pour this, though it seems to be a bit more grassy / hay like with grain notes upon deeper inspection. This is definitely interesting smelling, spicy & grain-like, but somehow in a stale grain sort of way. It almost has a savory herbal note to it, somewhat earthy and definitely reminiscent of funky whole grain notes. I am not sure I really dig the aroma of this beer, but I wouldn't say I dislike it either.

Spicy and a bit peppery from a decent carbonation. The beer is very thin bodied, so much so that it almost seems to develop a tartness. This finishes with a light bitterness and graininess that is both grassy as well as a bit like stale crackers. Other flavors of earthy herbs, perhaps a touch of DMS and some green apple like flavors (especially towards the finish). There is not a whole lot of complexity to this beer and for some reason even the flavors I have mentioned have bee hard to pull out.

Really not a very good beer, it might be a bit past its prime, but many of the flavors don't really seem attributable to oxidation; a bottle date would have been really nice as I just bought this. This really just seems poorly constructed.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2008 02:35:38 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a short white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of light caramelized malts, honey and a little bit of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of honey and caramel. Then there is some breadiness from a hearty but not too heavy malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

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

D: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, not the best representation of style, this is a decent beer that it worth drinking for a while but there are others in the style that I would pick first.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 01:23:54 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Pours hazy golden ( I wish I remember what color it was when I drank this in N. Germany, but that was late into the night in Hamelin (sp??)) Not a traditional alt color to my understanding. Thick white head fades to a sight film. below average lacing

Smell: Sweetness/malt and not much else

Taste: Sweetness, some tartness, not much (hints) grainy toasty (none) notes I look for in an alt. Will be interested to see what other reviewers stateside think of this. dryness and some bitterenss in the finish. Reminds me of a golden ale. Not a slave to style but gotta knock it down some for straying this far IMHO. I'd rate this much higher as a golden ale, probably at least .5 more on the overall. I've tryed about 5 German & 3 American alts and this just seems out of whack for the style

MF: Slight prickly but otherwise balanced

Actually quite drinkable, just not in the style box. If you want that, find some Diebels!!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2006 04:00:17 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.35/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 mL bottle,

A: Pours a cloudy yellow with a light white head, no real lace, looks like a hefeweizen.

S: Classic German malt smell, bock like a 180 from what I was expected due to the colour. Smells like Alt. Nice minerality.

T: Pilsner malt, with a nice tartness bringing notes of lemon and hard water. Nice flavour, unique for the style.

M: Crisp mouthfeel with carbonation that just dances on the palate makes this beer very refreshing, in this aspect it reminds me a bit of Berliner Weisse.

D: Pinkus has brought a smorgasboard of German beer styles together and created a fantastic ale. This would make a great beer for the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 21:25:50 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: pours a hazy pale yellow color with a 2" head. The head quickly falls to a thick surface foam. Some mild lacing paints the glass.

Smell: grassy - no more like a freshly mowed lawn after a spring rain.

Taste: biscuity and grainy, with loads of grass tones and lemon / grapefruit citrus. Very dry.

Mouthfeel: crisp at the start and finish. The dryness is most noticeable by the tongue. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: not the altbier I expected. Average drinkability as this is too grassy and dry. This is an example that organic may not always be the better choice.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2006 23:07:25 | More by Gavage

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a slightly hazy light golden colour, with a few fingers of thin creamy white head, that melts away readily, leaving patchy lace in its wake. There are steady streams of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass, like sparkling wine. It smells of spicy dried fruit, with a bit of yeast, and some mild citrus. The taste is bready grains, light citrus - lemon, mostly, a bit of that banana wheatiness, and some fruity spice. The carbonation is of the bracing, mouth-filling sort, somewhat obscuring the so-so weighted body, that nonetheless retains a bit of fruity mealiness. It finishes dry and crisp, that spiciness lingering. A refreshing summer quaff, once the bubbles settle - I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 22:24:46 | More by biboergosum

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Looks more like a pils than their ur pils does. This one is a straw slightly hazed, but no yeast sediment in the bottle. Vibrant golden with a nice brilliant white head to match, fine lacing billowing head beauty in a glass. Aroma has a nice honey malt fruit notes/tart citrus/tropical tones with herbal grassiness going strong this smells excellent. Strong tart cereal notes hints of citrus/tropical mango fruits/a touch of pineapple. Very nice expression of malt and German yeast strains, nothing like the brown versions found in Dusseldorf this is a pale Munster alt, totally different version. Carbonation is natural smooth light to medium bodied never heavy/light perfect crisp fruity qualities blend on the palate. Drinkability overall was killer, a beer I remember trying before I started writing reviews. I'm glad I decided to revisit these beers, each one is more interesting than the next. Next up the dunkel...

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 02:56:01 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Cloudy, straw color. Decent head (pure white), a little lace on the glass.

Grainy, thin smelling--rather similar to N/A beers.

Thin bodied and surprisingly similar to a pilsner. Very high carbonation. A touch of citrus. Very low hop level--could this be the German version of Bud?

This is not what I expected. I'm used to something closer to a British Mild. This is a weak expression of an Alt.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2006 22:32:58 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clean/clean golden pale yellow color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger foamy white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, slightly hoppy, spice, and caramel. The taste is malty, slight hop note, spicey, with some caramel. Light-Medium body. Drinkable, not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 23:07:14 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.68/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours with a two-fingered white head that fades slowly and leaves some lace. Low carbonation. Slightly cloudy amber color but no chunky bits. Nose is slightly hoppy. Starts with a hoppy dryness and leaves with an aftertaste that has a slight bitterness. To be honest I find it boring. Light bodied. $3.89 for a 500ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2004 23:36:51 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

( Served in an Imperial pint glass)

A- This beer pours has a hazy golden orange body with creamy white head that last and last. The carbonation is a slow gentle note of tiny bubbles.

S- The notes of dry pale malt with a slightly sweet caramel malt note. No real note of hops. As it warms the smell of fresh malt and a slight earthiness comes through.

T- This beer has a dry pale malt and biscuit note that is soon followed by a bright fruity almost orange note. The finish has a slight green noble hops bitterness. As it warms the orange note has a slight nutty quality to it.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a slightly thick texture that is note really creamy and not really watery.

D- This is not what I was expecting in an alt. The bright fruit notes are nice and adds more depth. The malt flavors are light but complex with fresh grain qualities that are refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2006 01:09:10 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Sleek brown euro style 17 oz bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Puffy cloud like white head floats on top of a hazy pale golden brew.

Smell: A bit raw and earthy with yeast, grain and a mild tartness in the nose.

Taste: Medium bodied with a crisp and chewy malt mouth feel. Lots of malt on the tongue with a very rounded grainy undertone. Hop bitterness is slightly assertive leaving a sweet herbal flavour in its path. Mild tart twang from the hops and yeast in the background from start to finish. More sweet grain and a long lasting grain taste make up the finish.

Notes: Brewed in the classic Alt style, lighter in colour though still retaining a sturdy malt backbone.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2002 21:56:14 | More by Jason

Zorro

California

4.33/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden brew.

Smell is light and very fruity; fruity to the point that it approaches the level of a Belgian brew. There is an apples and peaches scent to this.

Taste is mild malts and fruit, with some husky grain thrown in. The hops in this create a mild almost tea tannin level bitter finish that is quite nice.

Mouthfeel is good.

A super drinkable brew, I like Alt Biers, this is the best one I have had yet.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2004 03:59:00 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.55/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Hazy straw golden. A little beige head provides minimal lace. The aroma is quite bready. And yeasty. And mildly fruity. This beer seems slippery on the tongue. Quite slick and not too enjoyable. There's a trace tart quality that really isn't appropriate. Lemony as well. Some bready malts and german hops noted as well. Probably my least favorite alt to date.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 04:26:51 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

1.4/5  rDev -61.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Pours a very hazy, dark golden yellow color with a one finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic chunks of lacing left behind. Much lighter in color than expected for the style.

The aroma of this beer is extremely bland with some bready yeast, subtle pale malt and a very faint earthy hop presence. There's really not much else going on and it's hard to pick up anything except the yeast and faint grassy hops.

On the lighter end of medium bodied with an odd combination of bready yeast, grassy hops, citrus and astringent metal. Really weird and off style with a very watered down mineral like flavor. Some zesty spice, bready yeast, citrus peel and rusted tin. Bland and very unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 05:50:20 | More by corby112