8. KOELSCH AND ALTBIER
8C. Northern German Altbier
Aroma: Little aroma; malt should dominate to the extent that any aroma is discernible.
Appearance: Copper to brown color; very clear. Good head retention.
Flavor: Assertively bitter yet balanced. Munich malt-derived flavor, along with a chocolate-like malt aspect, supports the bitterness. Esters are restrained, and hop flavor should be low to medium.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, with an overall balanced impression.
Overall Impression: A very clean and relatively bitter beer, balanced by Munich malt character. Less intense than the Duesseldorf version of Altbier.
Comments: Most Altbiers produced outside of Duesseldorf are of the Northern German style. Many are simply moderately bitter brown lagers.
Ingredients: Typically made with a Pils base and colored with roasted malt or some dark color syrup. May include Munich malt. Hops are traditionally Spalt, though other German varieties may be substituted.
| Vital Statistics: | OG: 1.040-1.055 |
| IBUs: 25-40 | FG: 1.012-1.019 |
| SRM: 11-19 | ABV: 5-5.5% |
Commercial Examples: DAB Dark, Diebels Alt, Alaskan Amber, Grolsch Autumn Amber.
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