Fordham Fuggley Alt

[MeridianFC]

Who: MeridianFC, baby
What: Fordham Brewing Fuggley Alt
abv unknown
Cask (gravity dispense)
Why: It's what I do
Where: The Reef (Washington, DC)
When: 22 January 2004; 2130-0000

Well it was a bitch of day at work but I made it. The crowd was light at the Reef, which was nice. There were actually quite a few people drinking the cask, which was also nice. The wife was there as well as a few friends. Brian (the owner) had been talking this one up for a while. He's pretty tight with some folks at Fordham and keeps their Helles on as the permenant happy hour beer. $2.50/pint is not bad.

To the matter at hand. The beer is a German Alt style ale that has had, if I understand it correctly, several dry hoppings with Fuggles. There was some mention made that someone from the brewery kept coming by to do the cellaring and it seems like there might have been some issue with it. The beer poured cloudy (uh oh) with a golden yellowish hue. The head had large soapy bubbles (good sign) which dissapated fairly quickly. The nose had a faint hint of yeast, then malt & hop. My first thought is the beer has not dropped completely bright and could use another 12-24 hours. Now is no time to be timid though, forward into the breech! Nice mouthfeel and a wonderful restrained hopiness with light pleasing malt. The taste is spot on. In fact it's delicious. Several of us thought, as far as taste, that it is one of the best the Reef has offered. There's not a lot of fruit in the flavor, but I think that might be more appropriate for an Alt. The lace in the glass was unusually heavy. Again I can't help but think it might have stillaged a bit longer but just for appearances sake. I'm not familiar with the regular Copperhead Ale, which this indeed is the cask version of (nice call Chazwicke), so I'm not sure if it's normally cloudy, but somehow I don't think so. Still the taste trumps all and it was a mighty satisfying brew. I worked my way through a few of 'em and while the abv was not known, I'd guess it's bubbling somewhere in the 4.5-5% zone. A most agreeable session drink.

A fellow from a new local distribution company came by and we all picked the poor fellow's brain clean. I can't remember the company's name, but there portfolio includes Chimay, DeGroens, Youngs, Belhaven, and several others I can't recall (curse you Fuggley Alt!)

Next week, lock up your children it's the Dominion Millennium. Might do to take Friday off........

[newportstorm]

A golden-yellowish Alt? Huh? I'm no Altbier expert, though I do appreciate a good one when it's available. But amongst the 7-8 different Altbier brands I've tasted, they all share a quality in common - a nice copper/amber to brown color. Golden-yellowish just sounds awfully light to me.

Again, I'm no expert. Any brewers want to weigh in on this one? At least it was tasty...

Cheers!

[steveh]

Interesting, sort of an Ale/Alt hybrid. Sometimes brewers will cold lager their Alts in the traditional German manner. Do you suppose that Fordham has used this method? Based on the cloudiness, maybe not.

Why do you see the lacing on the glass as a bad sign for the beer? Many beers, of all category, will produce a nice "Belgian Lace," as it's called. It's also a good sign of a clean glass!

S.

[MeridianFC]

Oh, I love a good Brussels Lace (that's how I've always heard it called, not that it makes that big a difference), what better way to mark your progress through the pint? This was significantly more lace than usual. I think it was just another indication that the beer had not fully settled out.

The beer was golden yellowish with the barest hint of amber. It did not look like any Alt I have ever had.

[steveh]

Originally posted by newportstorm
A golden-yellowish Alt?

More toward a Kolsch style - which is also an "Alt" beer in the definition of the word; German for old - meaning brewed in the old, top fermented process. Alts and Kolsches are usually judged in the same category at beer coompetitions as well.

S.

[MeridianFC]

Don't let anyone from Koln or Dussledorf hear you compare the two! To be fair even though they're both top fermenting they're pretty distinct.

[steveh]

Oh yeah, I know the whole protocol (feud?), but I'm the type who uses Bavarian greetings while visiting Berlin! ;)

S.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by steveh
More toward a Kolsch style - which is also an "Alt" beer in the definition of the word; German for old - meaning brewed in the old, top fermented process. Alts and Kolsches are usually judged in the same category at beer coompetitions as well.

S.

The Capitol City Brewing Company (of several DC area locations) also makes a nice Kolsch. In fact I think it is one of their better beers. I usually hit the one near Union Station because I pick my son up and drop him off at the train station every other weekend. Some of the other Cap City beer are less memorable.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
Who: MeridianFC, baby
What: Fordham Brewing Fuggley Alt
abv unknown
Cask (gravity dispense)
Why: It's what I do
Where: The Reef (Washington, DC)
When: 22 January 2004; 2130-0000

Well it was a bitch of day at work but I made it. The crowd was light at the Reef, which was nice. There were actually quite a few people drinking the cask, which was also nice. The wife was there as well as a few friends. Brian (the owner) had been talking this one up for a while. He's pretty tight with some folks at Fordham and keeps their Helles on as the permenant happy hour beer. $2.50/pint is not bad.

To the matter at hand. The beer is a German Alt style ale that has had, if I understand it correctly, several dry hoppings with Fuggles. There was some mention made that someone from the brewery kept coming by to do the cellaring and it seems like there might have been some issue with it. The beer poured cloudy (uh oh) with a golden yellowish hue. The head had large soapy bubbles (good sign) which dissapated fairly quickly. The nose had a faint hint of yeast, then malt & hop. My first thought is the beer has not dropped completely bright and could use another 12-24 hours. Now is no time to be timid though, forward into the breech! Nice mouthfeel and a wonderful restrained hopiness with light pleasing malt. The taste is spot on. In fact it's delicious. Several of us thought, as far as taste, that it is one of the best the Reef has offered. There's not a lot of fruit in the flavor, but I think that might be more appropriate for an Alt. The lace in the glass was unusually heavy. Again I can't help but think it might have stillaged a bit longer but just for appearances sake. I'm not familiar with the regular Copperhead Ale, which this indeed is the cask version of (nice call Chazwicke), so I'm not sure if it's normally cloudy, but somehow I don't think so. Still the taste trumps all and it was a mighty satisfying brew. I worked my way through a few of 'em and while the abv was not known, I'd guess it's bubbling somewhere in the 4.5-5% zone. A most agreeable session drink.

A fellow from a new local distribution company came by and we all picked the poor fellow's brain clean. I can't remember the company's name, but there portfolio includes Chimay, DeGroens, Youngs, Belhaven, and several others I can't recall (curse you Fuggley Alt!)

Next week, lock up your children it's the Dominion Millennium. Might do to take Friday off........


I am saddened that I did not make it there for this one. Your review makes it sound wonderful. The Millenium......Uh Oh!