“Altbier is the traditional beer of the German city Dusseldorf. A copper coloured, smooth and well-balanced ale. It is fermented at cooler temperatures than typical ales to give it a cleaner finish. Altbier is rarely seen outside of Dusseldorf, yet inside many of the city’s pubs it is the only beer served.”

Glassware: Half Stein.

Appearance: Somewhat of a blend between copper and amber with a humongous 3.5 inch head which almost erupts out of the glass. It quickly reduced and left an absolute smattering of lace in its wake.

Aroma: Yummo. It instantly reminds us of a top shelf ESB with its big bready and sweet honey and caramel overtones. Exquisitely balanced by those gorgeous Noble hops which provide herbal, spicy, citrus and floral accents and blends back into the sweet malts harmoniously. Hints of toast and fruity esters – banana and orchard fruits like apples and pear…but more caramelised. Really good depth to it.

Flavour: It comes on quite sweet i.e lots of honey, caramel and toffee but the dry and bready qualities pull it into line immediately. A delicious toasty-ness escalates around the mid and peppery spice, floral and herbal hop notes come along for the ride. It all hits a lightly roasted note late in the piece then finishes sweet yet toasty with good length on it.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth. Offers just enough to chew on. Medium body, mild-moderate Co2. The 5% ABV slots in nicely.

Overall: Another impressive offering from Slow Lane. For us they’re fast becoming another go-to brewery for European styles. Keep em coming lads!