Crystal Ale
Big Sky Brewing Company

Crystal AleCrystal Ale
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From:
Big Sky Brewing Company
 
Montana, United States
Style:
Kölsch
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 16.15%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
41
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 18, 2012
Added:
May 28, 2004
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by brentk56:
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy golden body with a fluffy head that leaves some lacing

Smell: Biscuity malt aromas dominate with a bit of grassy hops in the background

Taste: Starts out with a rather sweet, biscuity aspect that persists through the finish; after the swallow, the grassy hop flavors kick in

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and moderately carbonated

Drinkability: Not really to my tastes as this is way too sweet for me

Not sure why this is considered a Kölsch. Nothing on the label or website identifies it as such and this is way too underattenuated to be representative of the style. Had I rated it to style, the ratings would have been lower.
Apr 28, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by d5001986 from Wisconsin

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Huffaroma from Montana

Jan 02, 2012
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I had this one from a 12oz bottle.

Poured a medium golden color with an averaged sized white head. Aromas of citrus (light lemons) with light hops. Tastes of citrus, sweet malts and lightly bready. I found the body to be somewhat on the thinner body.

Notes from 10/11/05.
Dec 15, 2008
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

2.66/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Enjoyed with black forest ham on rye, on to the beer:

The beer shines a pale goldenrod in my glass with a little bit of a sopay head on top. Aroma is dry grain and citrus, a little intense on the latter. Much of the taste is bitter grapefruit, and I found it to be a little unpleasant and unbalanced. Not much to write home about, but admittedly a fresher bottle might have helped here.
Apr 11, 2008
Photo of BeerBelcher
Reviewed by BeerBelcher from Ohio

3.36/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
This beer struck me as being pretty good, and better than other Big Sky offerings I've had. I've noticed Big Sky beers popping up everywhere, and their IPA is certainly no good, but I was curious about some of their other beers, and was plesantly (albeit minorly) surprised by this beer. Its smell is bad (overly corn-ish smelling), but its tasting is faintly hoppy and pleasant. Not a bad beer, and earns a weak recommendation from me.

Its appearance is a hazy bright yellow, with a head that is pleasantly abundant consisting of inconsistently sized bubbles. Aroma is a bit off-putting; this beer smells like corn grits. Flavor is good; very light but hoppy. Mouthfeel is unremarkable. There is a fair amount to like about this beer...I would drink this again.
Jun 03, 2007
Photo of BillyB
Reviewed by BillyB from New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a bright straw yellow with a thick, foamy white head. Very clear.

Slight bitter taste with a hint of lemony citrus and faintly sugar-cookie/biscuity maltiness. This is a nice balance between bitter and malt where neither is overwhelming but both show their character.

Very light/thin bodied. Very soft.

A very drinkable beer.
Mar 25, 2007
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A 12 oz bottle from Liquid Solutions.

A: The kolsch pours with a deep yellow color, crystal clear (and therefore spot-on with the name). The head was sufficiently large on pour and leaves some decent lacing in the glass.

S: The kolsch has a surprisingly assertive hop character, showing off a dry crisp zatec-like body. The malty body nicely supports the hops, showing off a grainy and fruity element. I am very pleased with the ale, as I was worried about getting a thin malty mess.

M: The assertive hops and sweet malts are nicely paired, creating a smooth and enjoyable brew.

D: Damn, I wish I lived in Montana, this is a real sessioner.
Feb 24, 2007
Photo of BeerRun13
Reviewed by BeerRun13 from California

3.55/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a mostly clear, almost pale golden color. Small white ring with lots of bubbles from below.
Malty with some pungent hop aromas.
British hops and a slight citrus flavor. More of a pungent bitterness.
Light bodied. Good carbonation. Nice bitterness throughout.
I would have guessed British Pale Ale before Kolsch. Not bad at all, but I didn't get that Kolsh yeast character.
Feb 21, 2007
Photo of JMH_
Reviewed by JMH_ from New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I was hoping to find a different offering from Big Sky but this was the only option available so I gave it a whirl and it wasn't half bad.

It pours a crisp golden colour with a bubbly foamy white head atop the liquid.

Aroma is semi-sweet and grainy with a nice basic balance of malt and hops. There's a hint of chalky spiciness in the mix here as well.

The flavour is basically more of the same. It's subdued but flavourful. The sweetness permeates throughout with a bit of a caramel and sugar candy flavour, and it blends well with the malt flavour here. There is a touch of floral flavour from the hops but it is only faintly noticeable. Mouthfeel is light and crisp and easy drinking overall.

This one was basic but thirst quenching and pretty well made. It won't wow you but it gets the job done.
Sep 26, 2006
Photo of Mark
Reviewed by Mark from California

3.56/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This refreshing beer was a pale gold and was topped by a thick white head. Lacing was good. Grainy aroma, almost pils like, with accent on malt. Strong malt base with a slight hop zing. A bit biscuity as well. While not too heavily hopped, it has a good long finsh which I found a bit interesting. Refreshing beer but a bit too lager like for me. I slightly suspected this but was hoping for something a bit more ale like in substance.
Sep 14, 2006
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.49/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
This poured with a big, thick, foamy, marshmallow-white head with decent retention. The color was a bright lemon-yellow. The nose was faintly malty, but I experienced a slight bitterness on the tongue. The mouthfeel tended towards thin. The finish was very dry with a lingering presence of hops. It wasn't a bad kolsch, but I've had better. That said, it was eminantly drinkable, especially on a humid day.
Aug 23, 2006
Photo of RJLarse
Reviewed by RJLarse from Washington

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I picked up a six-pack of Big Sky Crystal Ale at a grocery store, to taste, review and enjoy. I poured this beer in to a pint tumbler.

Pours a light an orange/gold color and is crystal clear. A foamy two-finger head forms and is quite resilient, lacing the sides of the glass nicely.

The smell is mild, cereal, with herbal notes like fresh mown hay.

The taste is a cereal or biscuit flavor up front, followed by a sweet herb or vegetable flavor, grass or hay, and a mildly bitter hop finish. The flavors are reasonably well balanced.

The mouth feel is light, crisp and refreshing. The beer is moderately carbonated.

This is a very drinkable beer. Smooth and light, it would be a refreshing choice on a hot day. I’m not much on the style, but this is a good representative of it. One of the better brews I have had from Big Sky.
Jul 25, 2006
Photo of SilentSabre
Reviewed by SilentSabre from North Dakota

3.12/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I was unsure of what to make of this. A very lackadaisical pour (my mistake) yields a very weak and pitiful head. I will not judge this as I am aware its shortcommings are my fault. There is some chill haze and the colour is an orange peach ; slightly cloudy. The smell is very faint. It is lightly sweet and malty in the background. That taste seems quite muted, as well. The sweet elements are present here, but very subtle. There is a malty profile that manifests itself several seconds after you swallow a sip. This is a strange beer. It has little to offer in smell or taste, but at the same time, it's unoffenssive and very light. I could kill probably eight of these things with no trouble...especially if it were hot outside. Decent at best.
May 19, 2006
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

3.92/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On-Tap @ Papago
The beer fresh from the tap is a nice clear blond color with a big fluffy white head that dissipates slowly leaving a fine curtain of lace to cover the glass. Nose has a fresh crisp hint of hops, sweet malt, quite appetizing; start is somewhat sweet with a pleasant grain profile and the top light to moderate in feel. Finish has a stern acidity, hops potent and the aftertaste dry, a real nice drinking beer; I had three pints, just damn good.
Apr 30, 2006
Photo of Mebuzzard
Reviewed by Mebuzzard from Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
poured into pint glass.
Appeared a light golden with small, but lingering head. Aroma was promising. A bit sweet but had some hops.
Taste was light, like a thicker Coors Light. Nothing special. Had some sort of creaminess to it that camoflauged the taste, or maybe there wasnt much flavor anyway. I could not drink two.
Jan 09, 2006
Photo of mac56
Reviewed by mac56 from Minnesota

3.77/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bought this at the local muni here in town - no freshness date, so no way of knowing how long it's been on the cooler shelf. Deep golden color. Moderate head that faded away quickly leaving moderate lace. Slightly floral aroma. Well balanced taste, slightly sharp, very quenching. Full satisfying mouthfeel. I could drink quite a few of these.
Dec 02, 2005
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

4.18/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was a pleasant suprise, wasn'ty expecting a whole lot out of this, but was fairly pleased and impressed


Pour golden and clear with a chunky white head, Maintained a 1" head to the finsih with tenacious lacing

Smell: Floral hops, malt, and frutiness

Taste: Malty/husky goodness with floral hops filling in the taste gaps nicely.

Mouthfeel: Balanced and very smooth, carbonation is spot on!

Hope this highly drinkable ale grows distribution roots here in CO Springs, I was pretty happy with 3 of 4 beers on offer, only the most high profile Moose Drool failed to please me. This beer will be in my spring-fall rotation if availible.
Nov 27, 2005
Photo of Mitchster
Reviewed by Mitchster from Michigan

4.57/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Big thanks to my beer buddy Patrick for the donation!

Pours out to a sparkingly clear straw golden, forming a rocky bone white head with very good retention and very nice lacing. Very nice looking brew! Carbonation is moderate. The aroma is enticing...white grape juice is ungodly dominant (unlike anything I've smelled in a brew before) with freshly mashed pale malts, husk, very delicate and beautifully floral hops and a slight bit of skunk I can't put my finger on. Wow! The mouthfeel is snappy, very brisk, crisp and refreshingly clean with a light body. The taste is akin to the aroma...the malts are not too sweet and tone-down the grape-juice character...this is all balanced wonderfully by floral hops with an awesome lingering bitterness. Husks linger in the back of the throat and burps are spicy.

This is an amazing, under-rated brew. I was expecting a crappy "cream ale" or "micro-brewed domestic lager". I am ecstatic and could drink this all day long were it available in my area. A wonderful Kolsch and representative of the style. Highly recommended!
Oct 24, 2005
Crystal Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 41 ratings