Visited: October 3, 2022

Opened: 1862

Annual Production: 20,000 hl

U.S. Importer: B. United International

Contributor: Mario Kornmesser

Ever since I started keeping beer notes back in 1992, people have been asking me what my favorite beer is. I've always hemmed and hawed, saying there's too many to pick from, and it depends on what I'm thirsty for, etc etc etc. Well, no more. I've found the perfect beer, and it's Uerige Alt. The only catch is, you have to go to Düsseldorf to get it, which in my opinion is a very small price to pay.

I got to try three Uerige beers side-by-each in October 2005, now that B. United is importing them.

Updated: November 26, 2022

• 2016-01-22: Uerige gibt es jetzt auch in Jrön (RP Online)
• 2015-06-24: Uerige DoppelSticke Edition 1862: Hammer-Alt zur Jubelfeier (Feiner Hopfen)

• 
  Alt
  German-Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf-Style Altbier
  4.70% abv.
  • Date: October 31, 2005 (#5786)
    Package: bottled
    Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR
    Score: 18½ points
    Appearance (3)
    Red-brown. Slight haze. Big dense head.
    Aroma (4)
    Toasty malt. Spicy hops.
    Mouthfeel (9)
    Medium body. Low carbonation. Rich maltiness underlies a big clean spicy bitterness that lingers very nicely.
    Overall Impression (2½)
    There's some oxidation here, but overall it's still a very well-balanced, very hoppy and bitter beer, and it's still my favorite. Bottled "03.09".
  • Date: April 1, 2003 (#4800)
    Package: cask-conditioned
    Place: at the brewery
    Score: 20 points
    Overall Impression (3)
    Very slightly darker brown than the Füchschen and the Schlüssel, with a big creamy head. Fairly toasty aroma...but it's hard to tell because they've just finished today's brew! Medium body. Lots of sweet toasty malt, and lots of noble hop flavor and bitterness. This is the beer I've been expecting.
  • Date: February 2, 2002 (#4158)
    Package: bottled
    Place: Green Bay Rackers, Green Bay WI
    Score: 17½ points
    Overall Impression (3)
    Bright amber-brown, high carbonation, big creamy head. HUGE Munich malt aroma and EVEN HUGER Spalt hops. Medium-light body, big toasty mildly sweet Munich malt flavor. Rather bitter with lots of Spalt flavor, giving the lie to the idea that authentic Düsseldorfer Altbiers are trending toward lower bitterness. Oddly pleasant but inappropriate hints of banana in the finish detract from this outstanding archetypical Altbier. "Bottled January 7, best before February 6." Thanks to Briess' Mary Anne Gruber for procuring the bottle, and to Matt Arnold for sharing it!