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7B Altbier

Amber Bitter European Beer

2021 Guidelines
Overall Impression
A moderately colored, well-attenuated, bitter beer with a rich maltiness balancing a strong bitterness. Light and spicy hop character complements the malt. A dry beer with a firm body and smooth palate.
Aroma
Malty and rich with grainy characteristics like baked bread or nutty, toasted bread crusts. Should not have darker roasted or chocolate notes. Malt intensity is moderate to moderately-high. Moderate to low hops complement but do not dominate the malt, and often have a spicy, peppery, or floral character. Fermentation character is very clean. Low to medium-low esters optional.
Appearance
The color ranges from amber to deep copper, stopping short of brown; bronze-orange is most common. Brilliant clarity. Thick, creamy, long-lasting off-white head.Flavor
Flavor
Mouthfeel
Medium body. Smooth. Medium to medium-high carbonation. Astringency low to none.
Statistics
ABV 4.3% - 5.5%
IBU 25 - 50
SRM
9 - 17
Original Gravity (OG) 1.044 - 1.052
Final Gravity (FG) 1.008 - 1.014
Comments
Classic, traditional examples in the Altstadt (“old town”) section of Düsseldorf are served from casks.Most examples have a balanced (25-35 IBU) bitterness, not the aggressive hop character of the well-known Zum Uerige.Stronger sticke and doppelsticke beers should be entered in the 27 Historical Beer style instead.
History
Developed in the late 19th century in Düsseldorf to use lager techniques to compete with lager. Older German styles were brewed in the area but there is no linkage to modern Altbier.
Characteristic Ingredients
Grists vary, but usually consist of German base malts (usually Pils, sometimes Munich) with small amounts of crystal, chocolate, or black malts.May include some wheat, including roasted wheat. Spalt hops are traditional, but other traditional German or Czech hops can be used. Clean, highly attenuative ale yeast. A step mash program is traditional. Fermented at cool ale temperatures, then cold conditioned.
Style Comparison
More bitter and malty than International Amber Lagers. Somewhat similar to California Common, both in production technique and finished flavor and color, though not in ingredients. Less alcohol, less malty richness, and more bitterness than a Dunkles Bock. Drier, richer, and more bitter than a Vienna Lager.
Commercial Examples
Bolten Alt
Diebels Alt
Füchschen Alt
Original Schlüssel Alt
Schlösser Alt
Schumacher Alt
Uerige Altbier
Beer Styles