Frankenheim Alt

It seems that the most widely available Altbier in Wuppertal is Frankenheim Alt (4.8% abv) and as far as Alt's go it is very good. Not as good as Uerige Alt which is my favourite, but certainly a good representative of the style. Still in the Kornmuller restaurant, I ordered this is an attempt to deliberately offend my Cologne dwelling colleague! Sadly my German friend actually had a sense of humour and my desired effect was not realised.

Frankenheim is not brewed in the Altstadt like most Alt biers, but is brewed in nearby Neuss by an old-established independent family brewery. It's a pale bronze colour with a good bubbly head, and richly earthy aroma with a touch of hop sharpness. The palate is very clean, light and biscuity with some sweetness and a splash of citric fruit, and a Weetbix-dry hoppiness develops in the finish, where nicely tangy, peppery and slightly nutty notes linger. Slightly lackluster compared to interpretations of the style by other breweries in Düsseldorf.

http://www.frankenheim.de/

You may have noticed that I have used the term weetbix rather than weetabix. that is because I am Australian and weetbix is the brand for this popular cereal down under. Weetabix are just try hard UK knock offs, just as Marmite is a poor mans Vegemite.

Gaffel Kolsch

As I have said previously Wuppertal lies in the vicinity of both Cologne and Düsseldorf and as my German colleague resides in Cologne he insisted that we get a few Gaffel Kolsch's (4.8% abv) down our neck whilst visiting a nice traditional restaurant called Kornmuller (which happens to be in an old 18th century corn mill).

Like all good Kolsch's it maintains a crisp bitter taste, while delivering a soft fruity aroma. I really am not a big fan of the style. I think if you are going to go to the effort of brewing one, you may as well as brew a nice German Pilsner, but then since Kolsch style beers have been brewed in Cologne since the 11th century (ok they were slightly darker back then), who am I to argue? http://www.gaffel.de/