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Josephs Brau Summer Brew
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- From:
- Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Kölsch
Ranked #251 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 73
Ranked #27,723 - Avg:
- 3.14 | pDev: 15.29%
- Reviews:
- 76
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 20, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 13, 2009
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 12
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by kew:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by MeanMotaScootah from California
3.94/5 rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden brassy color, three finger head, aroma is slightly citrusy with some sweetish malt. Taste is bright with some hop tart. Drink super cold, this is a great Kolsch!
Jul 04, 2023Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas
3.65/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: A crystal-clear medium golden body host a large, coarse, snow-white head. The carbonation is abundant, surging to the surface in profuse streams. The lacing is delicate, with fine sheets covering the glass wall.
Aroma: Cracker malt is accompanied by a strong mineral note, grassy hops and a mild yeast note.
Taste: Tasting offers a fairly pronounced grassy and medicinal hop note, with an undercurrent of light malt. There seems to be a bit of dry grape flavor midway through the taste. Late in the taste, the hops and mineral notes assert, carrying on to a lingering finish.
Mouth feel: Light in body, but pleasant, with abundant soft carbonation.
Drinkability/notes: Very pleasant and drinkable, perhaps not an extraordinary example of a Kölsch, but a very good one. An excellent value for the money and a good choice to introduce macro drinkers to the possibilities of better beer. It pairs well with barbeque, sausage, hotdogs and other classic summer fare.
Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a la Fin du Monde tulip. The "best by" date is 02/13/2024.
Jul 01, 2023Aroma: Cracker malt is accompanied by a strong mineral note, grassy hops and a mild yeast note.
Taste: Tasting offers a fairly pronounced grassy and medicinal hop note, with an undercurrent of light malt. There seems to be a bit of dry grape flavor midway through the taste. Late in the taste, the hops and mineral notes assert, carrying on to a lingering finish.
Mouth feel: Light in body, but pleasant, with abundant soft carbonation.
Drinkability/notes: Very pleasant and drinkable, perhaps not an extraordinary example of a Kölsch, but a very good one. An excellent value for the money and a good choice to introduce macro drinkers to the possibilities of better beer. It pairs well with barbeque, sausage, hotdogs and other classic summer fare.
Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can, served in a la Fin du Monde tulip. The "best by" date is 02/13/2024.
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota
3.02/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
3.02/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2
12oz enjoyed in between hot tub trip two and three
Looks like beer. Biscuits and bitter and beery. Light enough without being a light beer. Kinda also tastes like pennies and chemicals. You get what you pay for
Jun 15, 2022Looks like beer. Biscuits and bitter and beery. Light enough without being a light beer. Kinda also tastes like pennies and chemicals. You get what you pay for
Reviewed by secondtooth from Indiana
3.95/5 rDev +25.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +25.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
APPEARANCE: Clean, golden with a thin off-white head and little lace.
AROMA: Malty with a touch of citrus hops. Nice.
TASTE: Crisp malts and hops working in unison. Light-drinking but plenty of flavor. As intended, a superb and solid Summer beer, ideal for after-mowing a yard (which I just did). High marks.
Aug 25, 2021AROMA: Malty with a touch of citrus hops. Nice.
TASTE: Crisp malts and hops working in unison. Light-drinking but plenty of flavor. As intended, a superb and solid Summer beer, ideal for after-mowing a yard (which I just did). High marks.
Reviewed by alexrichman from Oregon
4/5 rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It’s not a great Kolsch but if you disregard style, it’s a really good beer. Easy drinking, very euro lager like in my opinion. By that I mean some nice malt sweetness, grassy hops that have a bit of dankness, some fruit notes from the yeast, and a nice minerality. A solid beer by itself or with food, this one will pair up beautifully with anything spicy. At about $1/beer this is definitely a go to beer if you find yourself at TJs.
Jul 09, 2021Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
3.46/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
honestly not bad, especially for the price, nothing to get too excited about either though, but it hits in the right respects, light and clean enough, just a subtle yeast element to this, some minerals encroaching on metallic as it warms, but there is some crispness too, some reasonably fresh malt characteristics, and overall this is a beer i could easily rifle through a few of on a warm summer day. it responds well to spicy flavors, asian food, all kinds of stuff, not too light for any of that, but its also not particularly substantial, finishes quick enough, and pretty much checks the boxes or close to it for the summer ale vibe. i like all the bubbles, could use a little less body, and maybe a cleaner ferment, but its close, and when frosty cold it works like it should. to call this a kolsch seems pretty generous, nothing really german to me in nose or taste, but its not boring on the malt side either i suppose. maybe lacking a bit of an identity, but as a cold from the bottle drinker, it gets me there. i have had a good time exploring these trader joes house beers, some of them are pretty decent and the prices are unbeatable...
Jun 04, 2021Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan
4.12/5 rDev +31.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev +31.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Say what you will, but this looks incredible. Crystalline clear with a creamy cap of foam. Honeyed sweet notes in the nose, with a creamy crisp and somewhat sweet taste on the palate. All things considered not bad at all.
Jul 03, 2020Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin
3.23/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.23/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a clear, light to medium golden color, bubbling, with a mild sticky head. SRM of 7 (3.75)
Aroma: Very mild aromas of rubber. A touch of astringent cereal malt. A faint grape note. (3.25)
Taste: Also restrained on the flavor. Some rubber notes again upfront. Some faint cracker and vague fruit in the middle before a watery finish. Nearly nothing here. (3.25)
Feel: Light bodied. Mild carbonation. Feels clean, but watery on the palate. (3.25)
Compared to Josephsbrau Czech Pilsner 5/3/20: Pours a lighter color. Milder aroma and flavor. Less citrus, less bread, less body, less sweetness. Just less overall. Winner: Czech Pilsner
Compared to Harp Lager 5/7/20: Pours a lighter color. More rubber and grape. Less sweet bread and citrus. Slightly more bitter and dry. Maybe more of a plastic-type citrus quality. Nearly identical.
Compared to Peter's Brand 6/2/20: Pours a similar color. More rubber and grape. Less bread. Sweeter and breadier, but also more carbonation. Winner: Peter's Brand
Compared to Schell's Fort Road Kolsch 6/6/20: Pours a darker color. Stronger plastic grape. Less carbonation.
Compared to Josephsbrau Czech Pils 7/22/20: Pours a slightly lighter color. More bread on the aroma and flavor. Less sour fruit sweetness. More full and bready.
6/3/21: Similar mild aromas. Slightly more vinous aromas/flavors. Less citrus.
Compared to Orangeboom 10/7/20: Pours a similar color. More tart orchardfruit, rubber. Less bread and smoothness.
to Guiness Harp Lager 5/18/21: Similar pour. More fruit, grape, orchard fruit, plastic flavors. Less bread malt and potato, and rubber.
to Loon Kolsch 7/30/21: Pours slightly darker. Milder head. More plastic and artificial aromas. Less bread malt, and vinous fruits. Larger body.
Overall: I'm not sure what Summer Brew means, but if this is supposed to be a Kolsch, I can tell you that it is not. The aromas and flavors are attenuated here and it's really hard to discern any aroma or flavor. A bit of rubber though if you're into that. Then it finishes watery and disappointing. (Final Rating: 3.23)
*Compare next to Harp Lager or another bad Kolsch*
May 03, 2020Aroma: Very mild aromas of rubber. A touch of astringent cereal malt. A faint grape note. (3.25)
Taste: Also restrained on the flavor. Some rubber notes again upfront. Some faint cracker and vague fruit in the middle before a watery finish. Nearly nothing here. (3.25)
Feel: Light bodied. Mild carbonation. Feels clean, but watery on the palate. (3.25)
Compared to Josephsbrau Czech Pilsner 5/3/20: Pours a lighter color. Milder aroma and flavor. Less citrus, less bread, less body, less sweetness. Just less overall. Winner: Czech Pilsner
Compared to Harp Lager 5/7/20: Pours a lighter color. More rubber and grape. Less sweet bread and citrus. Slightly more bitter and dry. Maybe more of a plastic-type citrus quality. Nearly identical.
Compared to Peter's Brand 6/2/20: Pours a similar color. More rubber and grape. Less bread. Sweeter and breadier, but also more carbonation. Winner: Peter's Brand
Compared to Schell's Fort Road Kolsch 6/6/20: Pours a darker color. Stronger plastic grape. Less carbonation.
Compared to Josephsbrau Czech Pils 7/22/20: Pours a slightly lighter color. More bread on the aroma and flavor. Less sour fruit sweetness. More full and bready.
6/3/21: Similar mild aromas. Slightly more vinous aromas/flavors. Less citrus.
Compared to Orangeboom 10/7/20: Pours a similar color. More tart orchardfruit, rubber. Less bread and smoothness.
to Guiness Harp Lager 5/18/21: Similar pour. More fruit, grape, orchard fruit, plastic flavors. Less bread malt and potato, and rubber.
to Loon Kolsch 7/30/21: Pours slightly darker. Milder head. More plastic and artificial aromas. Less bread malt, and vinous fruits. Larger body.
Overall: I'm not sure what Summer Brew means, but if this is supposed to be a Kolsch, I can tell you that it is not. The aromas and flavors are attenuated here and it's really hard to discern any aroma or flavor. A bit of rubber though if you're into that. Then it finishes watery and disappointing. (Final Rating: 3.23)
*Compare next to Harp Lager or another bad Kolsch*
Reviewed by Nvrmind16 from California
3.64/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
a kolsch style ale, with a very hoppy feel. Easy to drink and priced to sell, I can't argue with this beer as a casual drink. It's only when you compare it to other Kolsch that it loses some appeal.
Jul 24, 2019Reviewed by Spikester from Oregon
4.02/5 rDev +28%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +28%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear gold with three fingers of egg shell head. Rings and swathes of lace appear as the head slowly drops.
Smell is pungent noble hops some bread crust malts.
Taste is noble hops with proper amount of malts.
Mouthfeel is light to medium with fine carbonation. Finish is dry and mildly bitter.
Overall a fine Kolsch style ale. Best before 10/05/19.
Jun 15, 2019Smell is pungent noble hops some bread crust malts.
Taste is noble hops with proper amount of malts.
Mouthfeel is light to medium with fine carbonation. Finish is dry and mildly bitter.
Overall a fine Kolsch style ale. Best before 10/05/19.
Josephs Brau Summer Brew from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating:
73 out of
100 with
166 ratings
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