Pssst. I’ve got a secret. Well, sort of anyway. What I really have is a bottle of Longshot Derf’s Secret Alt, one of the three beers in the 2012 Longshot six-pack from Boston Beer Company, makers of the Samuel Adams line of beers. The beer was an entry from Boston beer employee Fred Hessler (you may have noticed that Derf is Fred spelled backwards). “Derf” may have brewed up a tasty brew here, but he isn’t the only one with a secret. That’s because the name of the beer is an allusion to German Sticke Altbier; sticke being the German word for secret.

So OK, by now you’re asking, what’s the secret? The term originates from the fact that Dusseldorf brewpubs that made the beer would not advertise the fact when it was available. It became a sort of secret, and you had to stop in regularly to make sure you got some. Savvy business acumen, that.

There are different degrees of sticke alt, too. Sticke alt will be stronger than a normal altbier. For example, Zum Uerige’s standard alt has an alcohol content of about 4.7% by volume. Their “Sticke” is a bit heftier at 6.5%. There is an even stronger Uerige alt, though, called "Doppelsticke” that is the strongest yet at about 8.5%.

It is the latter style that Derf’s Secret Alt emulates, I think. Derf’s has an alcohol content of 9.3% by volume and is a formidable beer indeed. Just to be a little different, it uses American hop. Here’s what the neck label says about the beer:

Fred wanted to go big or go home with his homebrew and decided to brew a unique Sticke Alt. This full-bodied ale has a big, malty character balanced by subtle orange and grapefruit notes from the hops. With a light amber color, this brew has a sweet finish

Longshot Derf’s Secret Alt pours to a dark brown color with a very thick and creamy head formation and a delightfully nutty malty nose. A  very thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the side of the glass and follows the liquid all the way down as I sip. As I roll the beer around on my tongue a bit, I can really appreciate the thick nutty malty palate, so full of melanoidin goodness. The flavors are very toasty, with notes of dark fruit raisin and fig, molasses and brown sugar.

This beer is simply bursting with dark malty goodness and rich dark malt flavors. Classic German doppel alts are not generally as fruity as this beer is, but I won’t hold that against Derf. Some warm alcohol in the finish dries along with a hint of citric hops, though I didn’t get so much of the orange and grapefruit that the neck label promised.

For me, the lovely dark malts steal the show here, and I think this is a wonderful beer. I got the six-pack for $9.99, and may buy another just to get a few more bottles of Derf’s Secret Alt.

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