They say…

Des de Moor
Best beer and travel writing award 2015, 2011 -- British Guild of Beer Writers Awards
Accredited Beer Sommelier
Writer of "Probably the best book about beer in London" - Londonist
"A necessity if you're a beer geek travelling to London town" - Beer Advocate
"A joy to read" - Roger Protz
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"One of the top beer writers in the UK" - Mark Dredge.
"A beer guru" - Popbitch.
Des de Moor

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From the cellar: Sailerbräu Altenmünster Brauer Bier urig würzig

Allgäuer Altenmünster Brauer Bier urig würzig

Altenmünster Brauer Bier urig würzig

ABV: 5.3%
Origin: Altenmünster, Bayern, Germany
Website: www.altenmuenster-brauerbier.de
First published: 5 February 2001

Another review from the  written for the pioneering Oxford Database (OBBD). I’ve left it uncorrected — so please read it in that historical spirit, especially as in this case I guessed horribly wrong about the beer’s origins.

Altenmünster has nothing to do with Münster in Nordrein-Westfalen: it’s in Schwaben (Swabia) in Bavaria. The beer is a lager, not an Alt or style. The beer is still around in its stoppered bottle, though in 2002 the original brewery was taken over and closed, and the brand is now based at in Kempten, now part of the /Radeberger group. The strength has been reduced to 4.9%.

I picked this up from Bottles in east London, knowing little about it but perhaps attracted by the chunky -style swing-top bottle.  I then tried to find background references to it, but ended up having to go to the company’s website.  It’s a bit of an oddity – it’s broadly in a or  style, a golden beer brewed with ale yeast but lagered, though it’s not from the classic region. Perhaps as the name suggests it’s from close to Münster where Pinkus Müller brews an Alt.

Whatever its origin, it’s an excellent brew.  It’s a beautiful pale blond, pouring with a fine, lively mousse and some head.  The aroma is rich, honeyed and malty with a flowery, citrus-peel character that suggests Styrian hops.  The taste is lovely and clean, slightly honeyed with melon notes and a developing, exquisitely delicate flowery hoppiness.

The hops take on a lime-like character in the pleasant finish, receding beneath the crisp malt for a while, then returning for a late burst of citric bitterness way back in the throat.  Well worth looking out for.

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