Kölsch

I picked this up while on vacation on the west coast, enjoyed on the 4th of July in a very hot Chicago. I couldn’t think of a better time to crack this bomber open. The first time I had this was a couple of years ago at a wedding in the Puget Sound region and it really stuck out to me. Looking back, I think I know why. At the time I was really into Hefe’s and also really enjoyed Goose Island’s 312 (a Kolsch). This is a pretty good balance between the two. It’s much more carbonated that what I remember, slightly cloudy golden with little head, looks like a lager. Aroma is of malt with a slight backing of orange and clove, very faint. Taste is very smooth and crisp, not syrupy at all, I’m primarily getting orange peel and very very faint banana. It’s an interesting Kolsch, but I think I enjoyed it much more back then than I do now.

A little heavy for a summer. Very lagerish with a little zing to it. Dry finish. Rated 8/13/02

Bottled (thanks Kalevi Kurronen!). Golden colour, small white head. Aroma is fruits, hops, a bit earthcellary. Flavour is caramel malts, fruits, some herbs and mild earthy notes.

12 oz bottle. Smells like cotton candy, syrup. Pours pale gold with a decent head, good lacing. Tastes of berries, grain. Not as full-bodied as I would like. Better than Pyramid’s Kolsch.

Slightly orange-tinted golden coloured body with a very thin white head. Aroma of apricots, alcohol, malt, toffee, caramel and a dose of metal - not too amazing. Light-bodied; Refreshing mild taste of apricots, light fruits (grapes, apples, pears) and a mild hit of hops with a solid bit of malt. Aftertaste shows some metallic and malty qualities with a bit of the caramel coming through. Overall, a decent beer - nothing special though, and definitely not one of my favourites from this style. Still happy to sample this though, since we don’t get it on the East Coast at all. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California on 18-May-2009, sampled at home in Washington on 27-September-2009.

On tap. Clear yellow with a white head. Lightly sweet malty nose. Medium body, sweet clean malts. No real bitterness. Very malt accentuated indeed. 080709

Draught @ WABF 2008. Pours a clear pale golden color with a small white head. Has a malty grainy aroma. Crisp malty slightly grainy flavor. Has a malty grainy finish.

Bottle. Pleasant enough but it lacks the crispness of other Kolsch-style beers. Small white head that disappears. The boy is clear yellow/gold. The aroma is lightly malty with notes of toasted grain and grass. Some light floral notes are below the malt. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. The finish grows a little more bitter. Medium body with a watery texture. Lively carbonation. The medium body and dominant malty sweetness keep this from being something you’d want to take big, quenching sips of. Still, as seemingly uneventful as this is, I wouldn’t turn down another if it were offered.