Kölsch Style
von Trapp Brewing

 

The Zeifde Stange gets to host an almost clear, pale golden-yellow beer (SRM 3). It never quite went clear. The dense foam slowly retreats from 1.5” to eventually form a thick blanket and leaving a lattice of lace to whole way down. Lazy carbonation occasionally strolls upwards giving a wink as it passes by.

Herbal hops are front and center, with a light touch of white pepper closely behind. It’s a bit dusty, with grape skins thrown in for curiosity.

The flavor is packed with grain and farmers bread, holding it back from being truly crisp. Mild sweetness edges out the muted bitterness. But wait, the bitterness builds and before you know it, bitterness becomes prominent. The farmers bread stays true as grass and light lemon poke in for a visit. The finish is long, very mild, certainly dry. Warmth recognizes the minerals.

The recent focus on the Kölsch/Kolsch style has me recalibrating my notions of smoothness. von Trapp’s version has a medium body, with a course wooly texture. ABV seems a bit higher than expected from 5%. Carbonation is fizzy and the crispness is spot on.

My original plan was to sit out back and read with a few Kölsch within reach. Life, however, had other plans. A few hours later, I have finally stepped away from the computer and this beer is all the more rewarding, even if I’ve been forced inside to get away from the heat and humidity. Onwards fellow compatriots!

 

Lemon looking pour with a white 2 finger head. The head retention is decent, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The nose is a light citrus aroma.
Taste - very complex for a kolsch. I get some lemon and citrus in here. There's a good deal of bread and biscuit. Then I also on the back get a pleasing hop finish, with a decent bitterness.
The body is lighter, but not watery at all.
While this isn't a traditional Kolsch, it is an interesting take on it, and delicious.

 

 

 

 

Best by 10/16/22

Is there anything better for a 100+ degree day than a Kölsch out in the sun? Well yeah, I should probably drink water, but that’s no fun. von Trapp knows exactly what they’re doing with classic styles, so let’s find out what their take on a Kölsch is all about

Pours a mostly clear pale gold with 2 fingers of soapy white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

Man, this is one very fruity in the nose for the style, but that’s not a complaint at all. I’m picking up on aromas of lemon zest, white grape, crackery malt, orange zest, peppery hops, grass, and light honey

The fruity vibe carries over in taste, but it has a bit more balance to it. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting white grape, bready malt, wildflower honey, toasted grain, lemograss, and apple skin. The swallow brings notes of crackery malt, peppery hops, lemon zest, white grape, orange zest, and light stone

A light body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a crisp and zesty beer. Finishes bone dry and balanced

Yet another win from von Trapp. This thing is so damn crushable

This was a part of a mixed 12 pack from von Trapp.

L- Clear golden color

S- Nice bready, yeast smel.

T- Crisp, cracker and bread flavor with a
slight citrus note.

F- Very fine and nice carbonation.

O- Fine offering from a great brewery!

Sampling a 12 oz can cold and poured into my .3L stange. Best buy date stamp says 10/16/2022. Not sure when it was canned, but that date is just around the corner.
the beer pours a clear straw color with a fluffy bleached white head of 3 cm foaming up easy. This foam fades sort of quickly to a rocky surface covering that sticks around for remainder of the sampling. Several slow moving streams of carbonation rise to the surface.
Aroma on this beer is some light toasted bread notes with white grape mixing in as well. Pretty mild nose overall.
First sip reveals a light body and fine sort of prickly carbonation. Very smooth texture
Flavor is some bready malt and a bit of white grape, which mixes with some sweet lemon, not tart, and then a bit of a grassy note on the finish, which also has a hint of bitterness. No hints of ABV anywhere and the beer does dry out a little on the finish.
Nice overall example for the style.

 

 

Mostly clear dirty gold appearance with a white cap. A grassy kiss with wonderful kolsch bready yeast and lemon in the nose. Taste is much the same, less hoppy but now has grains to the breadiness. Feel however is clean and malt forward, sure breadiness is there but it does not drive the feel, very smooth and crushable. Good all around kolsch, would love to have on the grass at an outdoor concert

12 oz can
Best by: 06/05/22
Consumed: 30 May, 2022
ABV: 5.0%
Glass: 0.4L Stange
Temp at Pour: 55.9 F


Look:
Bright and very slightly hazy pale straw with a 3-finger foamy white head. The head dissolves to a ring and a very thing cover in rather short order. Lacing is OK.


Smell:
Biscuit dough. Faint crackers. Fruity and floral esters. Hint of lemon and honey. Very mild herbal/grassy hops.

Taste:
Starts out with a the herbal/grassy hops, then the doughy malts and fruity esters arrive. The lemon becomes a lemon zest and the hops reassert themselves for a dry and somewhat bitter finish. Not as bitter as some Pilsners (some Bohemian or Czech Pilsners come to mind), but fairly bitter for a Koelsch.

Feel:
Crisp, clean, and well carbonated with that dry finish. Body is light.

Overall:
A good Koelsch. Tasty and refreshing. Great beer for a hot day.

 

 

 

 

12oz can into a pint glass. Best by 12/27/21, so plenty fresh.

Looks good in the glass. Hazy straw yellow body. Small white head shrinks to a ring and covering, but produces scattered lacing.

Light floral hop aroma.

On tasting, the floral hop becomes much stronger, slightly bitter and spiced. This is supported by a good sweet malt taste.

Mouth medium, finish fairly bitter and a little drying


Overall, a kolsch with some muscle, strong tasting, but well balanced and nicely put together.

Appearance: Pale gold, very lightly hazed, small white head, good lacing.
Aroma: Yeasty beginning yielding to gritty malts and a hint of floral hops.
Taste: Hops losing the floral edge and turning a bit more herbal. Malts stay gritty and grainy.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and dry, light bodied, well carbonated.
Overall: Appreciating this hard to find style in my neighborhood. More complex than I was expecting.

Hazy, straw color. Good foamy, white head. Several wider streaks on the glass.

Mildly grainy. There's some brightness to the aroma.

Soft pale malt beginning to the initial taste. There's a heavier hop finish than most Kölsches. Fuller body as well. Continual neutral carbonation. Clean mouthfeel. Well-balanced aftertaste. Even though it's slightly more bitter than a typical Kölsch, this is a good, well-made beer.

 

 

12oz can, paper cup, best by 12/27/21.

First off, screw you Marriott Short Pump, for not having glassware for guests. Beautiful light gold color with a large, puffy white head with some moon landing craters.

Grassy, crispy cracker. It smells crisp.

Grassy, spicy hops hit the tip of the tongue and then an expanse, like a prairie, of dry crackery malts.

Very drying with a biting bitterness. Medium carbonation.

Tasty example of what is a sometimes overlooked style.

Pours a mostly opaque straw color with a white sticky foamy head. Smell is grains, a vinous smell from the malt. Taste is medium hop bite , maybe some herbs linger in the background. Again the type of malts used produce a grape like or wine finish. Feels super carbonated and finishes dry,. Overall quite refreshing. This is an ale that has been lagered not sure if they cold fermented the ale yeast? Overall this seems to ring true to an authentic Kolsh. Not a bastardized American version; albeit this was made in Vermont. They say a little bit of Austria a lot of Vermont. Really good-

Slightly hazy pale yellow, dense white head with excellent retention, rings of lace
Honey and bread malt, whiff of sulfur, a touch of fruitiness, some herbal hops on the nose
Herbal hops up front, then some sweet malt and fruity esters before a bitter finish
Medium bodied and appropriately carbonated
Well made and much more interesting than most Kolsch that you find nowadys

Look...A little golden yellow slight haze. Lager looking
Smell...hop presence and more pronounced compared to other lagers i have tried. Sweet hint of wheat.
Taste... A bitter collapse of graininess on the front end leading to a crisp peppery dry finish
Feel...Ample carbonation with a prickly dryness. Slight lacing on the glass. a clean I really enjoy inviting more sips
Overall...Excellent expectation and delivery. a crisp lager that is truly enjoyable. I am loving this variety pack.

 

good!

Review 1605
Kolsch
von Trapp
Date: Best By Date 30 Sept 2021
This beer is 42 degrees, and I use a pilsner glass. The pour created a frothy and airy white head with excellent retention. The head dissipation left some lacing on the glass. The color charts around SRM 4, pale straw with light golden hues. The clarity is clear, with a few carbonation bubbles visible.

The aromas are malty sweetness, subtle toasted crackers, light floral esters, and bready.

I taste a malty sweetness, subtle toasted crackers, bready, floral esters, white pepper, and a touch of herbal.

The mouthfeel is crisp, clean, and dry.

The body of the beer is light, medium carbonation, and light finish.

The Kolch has a heavier floral present than the last couple of beers from this brewery. The mouthfeel is dry but has this subtle creaminess. Lastly, there is this slight pepperiness on the finish of the beer.

Had this on 2021-08-30 near Pittsburgh, PA from a 12oz can with a best by date of 2021-09-09

A - Lightly hazy straw with a 1-finger white head that drops quickly leaving little lace

S - Biscuit, pear, touch of lemon, noble hop spice

T - Plenty of Kolsch/biscuit malt presence. Honey, pear and lemon zest with a decent amount of bitterness.

M - Light body and medium carbonation. On the dry side. Very refreshing.

O - Just a tasty, refreshing example of the style. Had this one after a walk in the heat and it really hit the spot.

 

 

 

 

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down, but consistently left a short head covering the surface and lots of specks of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate of green grapes are present in the nose along with notes of grassy/spicy hops.
T: The taste follows the smell, which the hops also contributing a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and crisp on the palate, finishing with lots of dryness. There is a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This Kölsch has a very dry mouthfeel compared to others in the style.

Serving type: can

From 12oz can BB 11/03/21 0934

Poured into a pint glass this beer is a pale straw color with a 1 finger bright white head which fades to a skim leaving no lace.

Scent is fruity - apples, pears and lemon. Crisp herbal note of Noble hops.

Taste is apples and pears with a light vinous quality accompanied by spicy hop flavors and a hint of biscuit. Lemon zest. The malt note is there but is ever so subtle. Not especially bready. Subtle bitterness on the finish.

Mouth is a crisp light medium with lively carbonation.

Light and refreshing yet full of flavor. Well balanced and subtle. Crisp clean finish. Great stuff.