Arbeiter Roggen Stickum

Arbeiter Roggen Stickum. Sticke Alt with Rye. 

8.5 % ABV.  53 IBU. Contains Wheat. Canned 05.31.21. Arbeiter Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Thoroughly opaque, dark brown coloration, slim beige head, leaving some lace. 

In the nose: Caramel and toffee hits first, with minor hops. Mostly malty. Rye pops up and the spice spreads. Bready and beautiful. 

In the mouth: Cocoa, rye malt, peppery spices, toasted caramel, pumpernickel, all of it popping on the palate. Rich, slightly sweet, and undeniably delicious. Toasty, and tasty, and a lot of fun. Sweetness and spice and everything nice. This is flat out delectable. A peerless creation. 

This is testament to why a brewery like Arbeiter is important. Who else is making beers like this? In a scene full of tired old gimmicks, cliches, and riding fads til they die, I'm glad there is a brewery like Arbeiter making some truly remarkable, original creations, but rooted in tradition and led by experience and expertise. 

I've certainly never had a roggen sticke before, and now that I have, I have to wonder why not? 

Roggenbier is a German bier made with a high percentage of rye.

Sticke Alt is a stronger, maltier, hoppier version of an Altbier

The “Sticke Alt” was originally born from an accident. A brewer once accidentally over-weighed the grain and made a stronger-than-normal alt. The local townspeople loved this special alt so much that the brewmaster decided to begin making the “Sticke (special) Alt” every year. It wasn’t originally advertised and the brewery relied on word-of-mouth to share the “stickum”, which means ‘secret’ in old Dusseldorf dialect. Enjoy the Roggen Stickum, or “Secret Rye” – we made it just for you! 

Aroma: A rich menagerie of raisin, plum, caramel/burnt caramel, brown sugar, toffee, dark toast, and some rich huskiness and earthiness.

Flavor: Assertive rye spiciness blends with pleasant hoppiness, followed by a warming, blackberry-like fruitiness.