Nectaron Kolsch
10 Barrel Brewing Co.

Taster at brewery. Pale golden pour, ring of white head. Light grainy, biscuity aroma follows through to the taste. Right in the wheelhouse for the style.

kolsch with nectaron hops, which seem poised to be the next big thing if they can keep up with demand. i had way higher hopes for this, not that its bad beer, not at all, but it lacks in a couple of key ways. the first is that the base kolsch feels a little heavy to me, perhaps maltier and fuller bodied by a degree than is traditional, and as such it lacks the crispness, refreshment factor, and high drinkability that the best of these have. these guys are usually dialed on classic styles, so i was a little surprised by the weight of this, not unclean or anything, just not dry and light and snappy. the other thing thats a let down is the hop profile, this really doesnt pop to me as unique or even all that fruity, and as such obviously isnt showcasing the best aspects of this new varietal, which is what i ordered the beer for in the first place. i am missing big nectarine and orange notes, and even the dry hopped vibe at all, this is more bitter and sort of herbal than anything else, could freshness be an issue here? i think its new. could be a dirty line or something too, but i really expected a light german crusher here with a cool stone fruit hop profile, and this isnt quite that. not bad, but not as advertised in my opinion either...