Phil's Existential Alt (Brewer's Share) - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

UCLABrewN84

California

3.54/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, caramel, and grassy hop aromas. Taste is much the same with malt and herbal hop flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but there is a somewhat harsh hop bitterness in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 04:54:36 | More by UCLABrewN84

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured a finger of head on a dark amber colored body. Looks great.
It smells old (it is an altbier after all). Seriously, it has a good barnyard/hay and earth smell to it.
It's fairly complex for an alt with some mild maltiness to start, then some hop spice and finishes with a bit of burnt wood.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
I haven't tasted many, but this is the best altbier I've had.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:33:02 | More by Fatehunter

barczar

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear medium brown with copper highlights and a foamy one inch light khaki head that dissipates slowly, leaving lines of lacing.

Bready, lightly toasted malt a hint of citrus, and floral hops are initially evident in the aroma, with a bit of sweet caramel surfacing later.

Flavor is malt-dominant, with nuances of toasted breadcrust forming the backbone, and a touch of caramel sweetness lingering throughout. There's a back-palate note of lemon that adds intrigue into the lightly roasty, slightly bitter finish.

Body is moderate, if not a touch on the heavy side, with moderate carbonation, and a bit of a citrus bite.

Overall, a great, sessionable brew. Malt character is complex enough to be interesting. Expected a little more floral flavor from the hops, and perhaps not so much citrus.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 18:39:13 | More by barczar

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a fairly clear orange-red with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet bready and caramel malts with grains, lager yeast, light floral hops, and some light fruity esters.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet bready and caramel malts with some fruity esters and grains. Through the middle, some light floral hops come through with some biscuity malts and some lager yeast. The finish is a mix of sweet bready malts with some floral hops, fruity esters, and lager yeast.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice Altbier with good yeast character and smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:31:20 | More by ngeunit1

mactrail

California

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Dark amber with a modest foam. Lots of lacing along the glass. A pleasant sudsy mouthfeel.

Dark and bitterish flavors lurking. Tangy with hints of caramel. Seems more interesting with a few sips, but it ends up as a lightweight oddity. The Altbier style seems to be a tricky one. This is light, with a hint of butter, and a bitter aftertaste. In between it's a grainy brew that tastes like a Pale Ale with some rye. Some odd spoiled fruit and that bitterness without any hint of hops.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at Pinkie's in San Angelo, Texas. The "enjoy by" date is missing.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:57:09 | More by mactrail

KajII

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Kölsch/Altbier Glass]

The pour was a clear caramel brown with a large (2-3 finger) off white pillowy head that was mostly lasting, finally receding to a large cap with excellent streaky lacing.

The aroma was nice and enticing with a toasted sweet grain malt, light floral hops and a mild doughy yeast and had hints of caramel, honey and a slight fruity ester.

The taste was good and malty with a nice caramel sweetness in the beginning, and then took on a mild fruity hoppiness with a slight bitterness creeping in at the end. The flavor hung on for a good duration proceeding the swallow with a mild citrus peel bitterness lingering for a little while longer.

Mouthfeel was a few steps above light in body with a smooth creamy texture and a somewhat mild carbonation.

Overall probably the best Altbier I have tasted to date, it was malty-sweet with a good hoppiness and a great drinkability. There is not much more one could ask for within this style...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 15:22:53 | More by KajII

woemad

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased at Yoke’s on Foothills Drive in Spokane for $3.99. According to the label, this is best by June 16, 2012. Oops. Guess that’s why it was on sale.

Poured a very dark copper color, with a good-sized, bubbly beige head. When held up to light, the beer takes on a slightly reddish hue. Lots of lace left on the sides of nonic-style pint glass.

Nutty in the nose, along with a mild, floral hop scent. There’s some bready malts as well. Smells not unlike Alt’s I’ve had in Germany, which is not a bad thing at all.

At first it definitely seems like a more malty than hoppy tasting beer, which is what an Alt is supposed to taste like. It begins with a complimentary blend of sweet maltiness and mildly bitter hop flavor. The hop bitterness, although restrained enough to be in harmony with the malts, is greater than a typical German example of the style. In the fadeout the hops become a little more dominant, providing a subtly dry ending.

Medium bodied, with a very slightly oily yet prickly mouthfeel.

This tastes like a really great blend of Germany and America – a beer that is mainy German, stylistically, but brewed with a little bit more hoppiness on account of it being brewed by a brewery from the hop crazy Pacific Northwest. I hope to see this one brewed again, for although the age didn’t seem to harm this beer, I’d still like to try a fresh one.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 20:15:15 | More by woemad

patpbr

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle. The label has got a lot going on.
A nice dark copper color For altbier. The scent is both of carmeal and malts. Taste has a toasted character to it and mostly malt, somewhat nutty? . I found a bit of a hop taste. its light and easy to drink. Not a bad choice for 3.99

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 23:26:09 | More by patpbr

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a nonic pint glass on 9/4/12

Deep copper and rust hue with tobacco brown highlights. Smooth, one thumb head is long lasting. Overall retention is great. Lace, other other hand, if few and far between (probably because the foam keeps itself as mostly unified mass).

The aroma has a great deal of complexities: dark bread, caramel, figs, raisins, apple butter, herbal hops, leafy hops, orange marmalade and orange peel. Faint hints of cinnamon. This is a dense aroma for a beer with a modest abv.

A mild to modest hop presence of grass and herbal leaves leads of with a subtle bitterness on the peripheries. Candied fruits, caramel, spiced bread and tangy dark fruits fill out the flavor, pushing the hops along to the finish.

The feel is a slick, somewhat sticky medium and is largely left without intrusion of carbonation that is on the low side of the spectrum. Finishes dry with mild lingering residuals.

I'm glad I picked up a bottle of this. Strong throughout and enjoyable to sip on. Good bargain, too.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 06:00:10 | More by Ryan011235

Reidrover

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber from "Lifesource" Salem. $4.79 Nice deep amber/brown body with a slight haze,and a thick creamy quarter inch eggshell white head atop. Malty,bready,nutty slightly toasted aromas. All of the above inn the taste..plus a semi bitter after taste that works well. Nice rounded mouthfeel . Good drinkable beer

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 22:08:49 | More by Reidrover

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light fluffy 1/2 finger head with lots of sticky lacing, quite clear cranberry auburn reddish color.

Nose has some light reddish malts, little caramel and red candy, little toasty even, hint toffee. Hops bring a bit earthy hop, little grassy and slight herbal hops, slight ester like earthiness with some fruity aromas, little cherry apple like.

Taste starts with caramel reddish malts again, chewy reddish Munich like malts, some caramel and toffee, little sweetness. Then hops, little spicy, earthy, and quite herbal, and chewy hops. Bitterness is fairly strong but not overly. Slight phenols come through with a bit of fruit again. Finish is dry and quite bitter, long earthy spicy and slightly herbal lingering finish, little sticky sweet malts but mostly dry.

Mouth is med bod, decent carb.

Overall OK, not bad, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 03:20:49 | More by jlindros

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy brown color with a tan head. The aroma is full of toffee malt, with a hint of grass and some earth thrown in. The flavor similar. I get a lot of toffee notes, as well as some grass and ice-tea character. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. I am not a huge fan of altbiers, but this one was pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 23:53:58 | More by Mora2000

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle - $5.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clear, amber-hued body with a medium-small, wispy, ivory-hued head.

Smell: The nose leans a bit malty, with a note of toasted biscuit tops and suggestion of homemade caramel. Low hint of esters. Moderate degree of spicy-minded Continental hops.

Taste: Biscuity, toasty German malts with a little, sweetish nibble of burnt sugar. Slight fruitiness with a bit of green raisin showing. Spicy Noble hop bitterness gives a slight bite and a steady-as-she-goes dryness until the finish with a final zip of suds.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. A notch on the dial just above medium carbonation.

Overall: A solid, well-built alt.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 22:59:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bit above the glass gives this beer a medium sized tan head that settles into a pretty decent lacing above a clear reddish copper colored beer.

A light sweet malt aroma with some bread like qualities.

A lightly sweet yet darker roasted caramel malts taste blended together very well with a lighter floral hops but on the lighter side.

This medium bodied beer has a nice light dry roasted caramel malt aftertaste that stays with you.

This beer is has a easy drinking quality with some good tastes going on, I prefer more hops but I'm not everyone, if you like malty beers and Oktoberfest style beers, you like this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 00:17:16 | More by LXIXME

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into a CCB pub glass, formed a 1/2" beige head over the clear dark amber brew. Head lasts nicely, with built-to-last lacing. Aroma is worty with a bit of fruity tartness.

Taste follows the nose, sweet upfront, touch of tart in the middle, with a sedate bitterness to the close. Mouthfeel is soft over the tongue, and drinkability is easy. Nice representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 20:49:46 | More by ppoitras

videofrog

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a dimpled stein. There's a space for "Enjoy By", but nothing stamped in the space.

A: Deep reddish-copper color, off-white, 2 finger head. Minimal lacing down the glass. Edges are burnt orange when held up to the light.

S: Caramel and bready malts up front, fresh lager-like aroma, noble hops.

T: Balance tilts toward the bready and caramel malts, bitter hops come out more here. Slight nuttiness in the finish.

M: Clean and crisp like a lager, but I found it to be on the thin and watery side.

O: A solid Alt and worth the relatively low price tag. Easy-drinking and great for a weeknight.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:14:52 | More by videofrog

joecalderoni

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: A very nice dark copper color! nice white 2 finger head!

S: A very good Malt aroma, very bready taste with some hints of caramel

T: Super malty with a nice bready character, balanced with nice bitterness on the back

M: Medium body, some carbonation!

O: A very traditional alt! very nice example of the original style!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 02:52:25 | More by joecalderoni

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle pours a nicely clear copper color with a frothy tan head. Retention is average but the lacing is lovely. Good lookin brew.

Nose is toast and toffee with a leafy, herbal hop presence. Nice and fresh smelling brew with just a touch of nutty yeast. Smells 'Old World' with the hop varietal and malts used.

Taste is nice and smooth with some rich malty flavor...toast and maybe a light molasses sweetness. The hops are just about perfect and add a nice flavor and bittering balance. This is actually the second bottle of this I have bought. Good price point for a bomber and I think it is a damn fine altbier. The nutty yeast makes more of an impact as it warms and the mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium. However, there is enough going on to make this a nice, sessionable brew to share or drink alone. Versatile...thats the word Im looking for!

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 21:23:02 | More by twiggamortis420

allengarvin

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint mug, this is a dark amber beer with a dense head on top. The nose offers some solid malt character with a touch of caramel, proper for the style. The taste is excellent, mainly providing a wonderful malt profile with just right toasted malt notes, a little nutty, with light caramel. Hops are about right for an alt, giving a strong sweetness-offsetting bitterness but not much hop flavor. Moderate mouthfeel, neither creamy nor thin.

Very well done amber beer from Full Sail's quite decent IPO line.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 01:26:42 | More by allengarvin

scootpolute

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

P: 22oz bottle...Poured into a Tulip glass.

A: Caramel brown color. Not a ton of carbonation...Initially about a quarter of off white head. OK lacing...

S: Some nuttiness. Maltiness. Noble hops are there still after all this time. Maybe a touch of caramel hints. Those hops smell like grassy, grainy Euro hops.

T: VERY SWEET...Some hop bite initially. Then it's a light malty nutty flavored beer. It's very nicely balanced. Pleasantly surprised here. Finish is pretty clean.

M: Light to medium.

O: A bit too sweet, but that's pretty common with the type...Overall, good but not one I'd going looking for again anytime soon...Chasin' Cheers :~)

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:42:45 | More by scootpolute

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

22oz bottle. Enjoy by Date: 06/16/12, so just passed that.
Poured into a Russian River goblet.

A: Caramel brown color. Not a ton of carbonation. Very clear. Initially about a quarter of off white head. Lots of lacing bits.

S: Some nuttiness. Maltiness. Noble hops are there still after all this time. Maybe a touch of caramel hints. Those hops smell like grassy, grainy Euro hops.

T: I still get some hop bite initially. Then it's a light malty nutty flavored beer. It's very nicely balanced. Pleasantly surprised here. Finish is pretty clean.

M: Light to medium.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 14:26:14 | More by inlimbo77

HalfFull

California

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a slender 'pint' glass, a stange wannabe I guess Pours a clear copper amber with a full inch of slightly off white foam. Offers steady retention and good lace.

Aroma of nutty malts, touch of yeast and light citric hops. Nice yet a bit malty.

Flavor follows the nose with a well integrated malt profile, touch of nuttiness and slightly sweet in profile. Bit buttery at times with a coarse bready profile and just a hint of chocolate.

Offers a full feel yet with a light carbonation. Malt forward and reasonably complex with a touch of smoke even. Overall quite solid/complex/malty/interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 04:52:52 | More by HalfFull

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA.

Pours a really solid, slightly hazed bronze-brown colour, with a fine, if somewhat filmy head of white. The light-coloured head works well off the moderately dark body, highlighting it somewhat. Very little lace, but a solid enough weight to the body. Looks decent.

Nose is, yep, solidly in style: some light Munich malt characters coming through above a solid basis, with a touch of copper or dark herbs lingering over the top creating some structure. There's the hint of some estery by-products as well, with a little bubblegum, vanilla and banana notes. Interesting. And solid.

Taste is similar, although what was only a suggestion of copper on the nose is stronger here on the palate, giving a drying, slightly cloying character. Otherwise, it's still good: there's solid malt, a tingle of roast just on the back of the palate and more lashes of smooth vanilla and banana. Pleasant enough.

Feel is smooth and long, and relatively clear, with some heft to express the flavours.

Pretty decent brew. Stylistically competent, without being overwhelming or virtuosic.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:41:02 | More by lacqueredmouse

JayQue

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice mild, malty session-type beer. Pours a fairly clear amber color with a good size off white head. Head retention is good. Some marginal lacing.

Good simple malty aroma. Taste is slightly sweet maltiness...maybe some caramel and mild hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel is crisp, refreshing and light.

Overall a very pleasant beer. Good for a session, or a thirst quencher for a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:48:12 | More by JayQue

Bookseeb

Washington

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance has a dirty brown color supporting thin head and nil lace. Aroma has a clean sense of sweet malt and hop. Taste is grainy having a dark fruit note with the lightly sweet malt fallowed by the noble hops. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Nothing complex, just a good brew that seems to fallow the style fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 03:35:13 | More by Bookseeb