Beer Pick of the Week - Uerige Doppelsticke

Double Altbier
Uerige Obergarige Hausbrauererie
Dusseldorf, Germany
8.5% ABV

Brewed specifically for the U.S. market, Doppelsticke represents a sort of triple altbier, or “old bier,” the traditional German ale that is the specialty of Dusseldorf breweries. Uerige brews Sticke (shtick-uh), a twice-a-year special version of altbier with extra malt and hops that has a 6% ABV that is considered a strong beer by German standards. The Doppelsticke weighs in at a heafty 8.5% and lies somewhere between a doppelbock and a barleywine. Chestnut brown with great clarity and a rocky, beige head that holds nicely all the way down, this is an exquisitely crafted beer. Malt and hops are present in abundant profusion, from the initial whiff of brown sugar and citrus, through the soft, mouth-coating burnt caramel and dark fruit sweetness of raisins, dates, and cherries braced with spruce and wintery spices, to the grapefruit bitterness and drying alcohol of the finish. Indulgence in a glass and a perfect fireside sipper with a plate of chocolates and a loved one this Valentine’s Day.