New Glarus Alt

New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus, Wisconsin

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep bronze color. Crisp, clean. Cream head, big bubbles, fades quickly.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Sweet aroma–fruity, raisin/prune nose. Minimal hop. Some woody notes.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: All malt. Prune, brown sugar, dates. Oaky notes. No real hop flavor (could use some).
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Bitterness at end, a sour bounce on the tongue, too. Raisin, licorice, even some subtle coconut flavors.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Alcohol up front. Taste moves from front to back. Really big–complex, lots of different flavors going on.

OVERALL: 2/3: Definitely not a session beer. Complex and unique, not the typical crisp, dry, German Alt style.

TOTAL: 14.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Huge for an Alt, lots of alcohol. Not a bad beer, just not an Altbier.
Ben: Not dry nor crisp finish, as an Alt should be. More like a Belgian double–misses the mark on style.