Uerige Doppelsticke Alt
Review Date 3/30/2010 By John Staradumsky
Saturday, March 27th 2010. March 27th is always an occasion for remembrance chez Bruguru, because it's the birthday of English beer writer Michael Jackson, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Jackson, of course, championed the cause of beers most of us had never heard of before, which prompted me to tip a glass of Uerige Doppelsticke Alt in his honor. Germany's Uerige Brewery specializes in a style of beer that's extremely rare in Germany: Ale. Germans brew lagers almost exclusively, and indeed Uerige's brews are all what the Germans consider to be "Alt" (or old) beer. That moniker comes from the fact that beers brewed in the "old" style are top-fermented ales rather than bottom fermented lagers.
If you're lucky, you might come across Uerige Alt in your travels, perhaps at the brew house in Düsseldorf. If you're really lucky, you might chance upon their "sticke" (secret Alt, which is a little stronger and more assertive. And if you're really, really lucky you might just wind up with a bottle of Uerige Doppelsticke, a beer brewed especially for the American market.
This is a massive beer by any account, with an alcohol content of 8.5% by volume. It's sold in swingtop 11.2 ounce bottles and I for one have rarely seen it, though the importer, B. United, says it has been imported since 2005. Uerige's slogan, "dat leckere Dröppke" (that delicious drop) is especially appropriate here, and you will want to savor every last drop of this one.
Uerige says:
Since 2005, Uerige has also been brewing a special strong beer for the American market. Our Doppelsticke has a remarkable 8.5% abv and yet tastes unmistakable: it truly is the yummy droplet!
After the initial herbal aroma of hops, which tends to surprise the palate, there follows a firework of flavor sensations ranging from caramelized sugar, malts, and herbs to rich touches of dark chocolate and rum, only to eventually fade gently and lustrously.
True aficionados tend to simply ignore our recommended minimum shelf life of eight weeks – rather, they swear by storing their Doppelsticke in the cellars for an entire year first.
Uerige Doppelsticke Dusseldorfer Altbier pours to a muddy chestnut color with a thick and creamy head formation and a sweet nutty malt nose. When I popped the swingtop, I got a little "poof!" of vapor coming from the bottle, and the liquid that I then poured into my glass was rather viscous looking. That impression holds true when I take a sip, and the beer has a full, rich mouthfeel.
The palate here is very complex, reminiscent of a doppelbock ale, it's nutty and dark malty but with more fruit than I've ever got from a German beer. Plums and raisins, prunes and a hint of toffee, bready malt and spice cake, all rounded out by a gentle but minty hop bitterness and warming alcohol in the finish. A lot like a barleywine, too, this is simply one phenomenal beer, and worth every penny of the $5.99 I paid for it.
Not to be missed, and a good candidate for laying down as the assertive hops and strong alcohol should preserve the beer and allow it to mellow for a year or two.
Glad I tried it?
T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft