Otter Creek Spring Ale: German-style Kölsch
Otter Creek Brewing

Flashback #198

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am kind of shell shocked from too many different beer tastes this weekend. I bought this among the many others to give a little relief. I was hoping for something light, like it is, but a bit more aromatic. I think of Kolsch having better finishing hops than this.

It is very drinkable, and not a bad beer by any measure, but I had hoped for more. I would buy it again if I wanted to compare various of this style, but otherwise I would leave it.

Otter Creek Spring Ale

Appearance: golden, smell head, and good lacing.

Smell: pleasant light grain and malt.

Taste: mild hops and grain.

Mouthfeel: medium-light and smooth with a creamy finish.

Overall:
This is a nice kölsch. Full flavored and creamy smoothness make it one to try for kölsch fans.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is grain and nothing else. This smells about like a BMC lager. I wish I could say the flavor was better, but I can't. I get a ton of grain notes as well as some corny sweetness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This beer has nothing in common with other kolsches I have tried.

Otter Creek Spring Ale pours a clear gold with a thin layer of white foam. The aroma has vanilla, fruit, and yeast notes. It's flavor again has a bit of vanilla leading to hints of coriander and pine. Well balanced between bitter and sweet, it has a slightly tangy aftertaste. The mouthfeel is medium over the entire palate. This beer has a high drinkability and is a good representative of the kolsch style. Recomended.

A: This poured mostly clear gold with a bit of white head.
S: It smelled like light lemon and banana with lots of bready yeast.
T: It tasted like clean and light citrus with some bready yeast. The aftertaste had very light bitterness.
M: It was watery with a little carbonation.
D: This was a very ligth and clean beer that was super easy to drink. It had no boldness or complexity or unique elements, but that's ok for a simple summer beer. I'll probably never have it again, but there was nothing wrong with the beer either.

12oz bottle into an Andechs weizen glass.

Not the most attractive Kölsch by any stretch of the imagination--hazy, lemon-blonde body with a listless carbonation level. The head is scant even with an aggressive pour, and all that collects is a thin wisp and ring of spittle-white bubbles. The aroma is headed in the right direction, though, with a light fruitiness of lemon zest and apples. Just a slight hint of sourness underlies a crisp malt profile that suggests wheat and bread dough.

I'll give Otter Creek's Kölsch the benefit of the doubt, as the one I had with dinner tasted substantially better than the one currently in front of me for a midnight cap. Pale malts taste crisp thanks to a lively carbonation level, and although the hops are muted, they do give off enough of a bite to add some pleasing grassy bitterness characteristic of the style. Mouthfeel is light on the tongue and effervescent with bubbles, while the finish is snappy and lingers with a hint of minerals. Not a bad beer, especially at the on-sale Specs price of $3.99 a six-pack (say whaaaat??). I'll enjoy the rest of my purchase, but probably won't be picking up this one again.

Poured into a NB chalice, this beer is a bright but slightly hazy gold, with a quickly fading head. The nose is pleasantly malty, though a tad grainy. The flavor is sweet, with light malt, with moderately fruity yeast character. Bitterness is moderate with little hop flavor. Light, refreshing beer.