Valkyrie German Style Amber

Valkyrie is a German Style Amber, a style known in Germany as an Altbier. It is brewed following the traditions of one of the oldest beer styles in Germany - alt literally means "old" in German. However our version is a little stronger, maltier and darker than most of its German counterparts. Brewed with dark munich and pilsner malts imported from Germany, Valkyrie has a smooth toasty and caramel taste with hints of chocolate and sweetness balanced by a hefty dose of German Nobel hops.

MALT

• German Pilsner
• German Munich Dark
• CaraMunich III
• Chocolate Wheat
• Melanoidin Malt

HOPS

• Hallertauer
• Mt. Hood

• Grilled Red Meats
• BBQ
• Sausages
• Jagerschnitzel

• Stange
• Mug/Stein

Our German Amber is an altbier-style ale. The name Altbier means Old Beer in German - referring to the old style of pre-lager beer. To learn about this style in detail, one must first have an understanding of brewers yeast. There are two primary strains of yeast brewers use to make beer, ale yeast and lager yeast. Ale yeast is generally fermented warm (70 dF), ferments at the top of the fermentor, and produces more fruity/estery characteristics. Lager yeast ferments cold (50 dF), ferments at the bottom of the fermentor, and produces a more clean/crisp flavor.

Prior to lager brewing which started in the 1400's, all beer was brewed with Ale yeast. As most brewers started switching over to lager yeast, some breweries in Germany, mostly centralized up north around Dusseldorf and Cologne, continued to use Ale yeast. Over time they started brewing it colder and colder to more mimic the lager style. And then in 1838 the term Altbier was coined by the Schumacher brewery who wanted to give tribute to the old style.