Roast and chocolate are no no's in the BJCP guidelines. The first one I ever had about 20 years ago was actually an American take on an Altbier. So I really didn't have anything to go by when I started brewing. I emailed that brewery my recipe and they got back to me saying I was reasonably close with my recipe. BUT, I never even looked into the traditional style until maybe 6 months ago. Didn't realize I was chasing something way off.
The guy I brew with loves roast, so this recipe was a slight reflection of his influence. From my scoresheets posted above, judged by a master cicerone, the roast put the beer out of style. But he also said he'd gladly have another pint. So, I didn't brew a traditional Altbier, but I've modified this recipe to get closer to the style. I detect zero roast as of now
I'll keg next week!