Stowe Style - Kölsch
von Trapp Brewing

 

this is really exceptional, my brother is onto something calling this one of his favorite daily drinkers in recent memory, two really great operations teaming up on it, lucky to have been able to share a can with him. this is a nice old world new world fusion, as the base kolsch is highly authentic in the von trapp style, while the heavy handed dry hop brings it into modernity, neat. i tend to expect kolsch to be more clear than this, definitely an unfiltered look to the can, over an inch of airy white head and a lot of life though, looks refined enough for what it is. the nose has familiar german pils type malt at its core, noticeably fresher than the imports most of the time, some lightly spicy noble-esque hops, but also some pine and citrus character that goes beyond what the style normally delivers, some doughy yeast element here too, and a lager-like crispness is apparent, light without being boring in the least. the flavor is as good as the nose, and to my surprise and delight the hops kick in earlier than anticipated. grapefruit and sweet orange, a little weedy dankness, bold for the style but not intense enough to take this out of kolsch territory, and i love the fermentation character running all through it. dry and bitter to close, with just crackery grain support and a little european earthiness in it. fast finishing, robust, fresh, and effervescent in texture. incredibly drinkable, this scratches like three itches at once, and i think its a neat approach to the style, decidedly not a pils which i like, and not hopped into the india pale lager range. very good overall, i could make this a daily drinker pretty easily if i had access!

 

Clean taste. I enjoy their Kolsch, and this is a nice variation for a change of pace.

 

 

Can picked up at the Von Trapp Brewery
Best by 1.24.23

Brewers Notes: A Collaboration By Von Trapp Brewing and Upper Pass

Dry-Hopped Kölsch Style Ale

The Stowe Style Collaboration is a marriage of new world and old world brewing. Upper Pass Brewing has brought their hop creativity to von Trapp Brewing’s Kölsch Style. With late addition hopping during the brew and a dry hop using the freshest 2020 hops. This hop forward ale is unfiltered with notes of clementine zest and tropical fruit. Please enjoy this summer classic while it lasts.

40 IBU

Poured into a stang, is a translucent soft golden straw colored liquid crowned by a fluffy , puffy white foam cap, sticky lacings

Aroma is a peppery lemon

Taste is grassy, lemony, peppery spice

Clean, crisp, semi dry finish

Good beer

 

 

 

Oh VT, I buy anything you make that I can get my hands on, but this was a bridge too far. Cloudy yellow with a big white head and plenty of lacing as we venture down the glass, best aspect of the beer. Aromas give away the dry hopped twist, big lemon, pineapple rind, and grassy hops to go with kolsch bready yeast, but worried it is too hoppy. Fears are confirmed in the taste, sharp lemon and grassy hop bitter cut into the kolsch, chopping off the yeast and malt depth at the knees, very zesty and unbalanced toward the hop. Feel is thin, bright, and soft. Swing and a miss

 

Pours a crisp golden yellow with a nice medium bodied white colored head that laces a bit on the way down. Smells of sweet lightly toasted malts and a hint of hops at the end. Tastes of lightly toasted malts and a nice earthy hop finish. Super clean, super crisp, refreshing, light feeling, perfect amount of carbonation. Excellent take on the style!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a 16 oz. can with a BB date of 09/22/21. Sampled July 4, 2021.

The appearance is straw yellow with a chill haze and a monstrous white head that fades down. Bust carbonation streaming up the glass.

Aromas of biscuits, toasted white bread crust, sweet grains, and grass.

The mouthfeel is light-medium and fairly typical.

The taste is sweet, grainy, and grassy with a clean, crisp ending. I enjoy this style and VonTrapp & Upper Pass pulled this off nicely.

On tap at River Road tavern
Hazy murky grapefruit in color with a thin white head that recedes. Light bready maltiness, light fruit, light earthy spicy hops. Is this brewery now contract brewed or something?

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 16 oz can with a "BB" date of 9/22/21. Pours translucent yellow with a thick foamy head that rapidly recedes. An interesting take on the kolsch style; a bit watery with subtle kolschness... but refreshing & good.

 

When you live in VT Memorial Day wknd is a paradigm shift. This beer cracks off the festivities wonderfully. Pours a hazy, translucent straw color with a fluffy, white, and tight head receding to thin cap and lacing. Smell of fresh bread, citrus. Taste follows with lively carb, lemony champagne grape. Nice collaboration.

 

 

Im sampling this 16 oz can poured slightly chilled into my .5L dimple mug. The beer pours a champagne clear gold color with a bleached white fizzy head of 1 cm foaming up. This foam fades to a thin edge layer soon after the pour. Some lazy streams of carbonation slowly rise to the surface.
The aroma is a bit of a biscuity malt note, but rolls to lemony citrus scents and a little white grape. Nose is well balanced.
First sip reveals a light body with crisp texture and very fine and very tingly almost prickly carbonation. Beer drinks very easy, is almost a little watery.
Flavor is briefly sweet and has a bit of grainy malt but much more lemony hop notes here than the nose. I get some grassy and floral bite on the finish and this dries out my palate and lingers after each sip.
The beer is very easy to drink and my glass is almost empty before I finish writing these notes.
Pretty solid beer that I enjoy on this Sunday evening.

Can. Gold slightly hazy with lasting head and lace. Somewhat sharp citrus and some grassy aroma. Light lemony sweetness with only a hint of malt backbone. Slightly melony lemony citrus finish. Slightly cloying hops. Soft lively carbo. A nice beer but nothing like a kolsch.

Hmmm.... a hazy kolsch? Moderately cloudy, sorta hefeweizen-like. The dry-hopping is balanced— this is no IPK (India Pale Kolsch ;) Not a bad beer, but not Von Trapp’s best. The finish is a bit short and I’m missing some crispness.

16 oz. can.
BB 09/23/21.

Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch white head over a slightly hazy, light golden body with sticky lacing. Nose of a bit of spice, fruit (citrus mostly), with a slight herbal/floral thing going on as well. Taste is slight citrus, spice and then turning towards a bit of grape and then finishing dry. Smooth and delicious! Nice feel and overall, a great experience and would definitely have again. Cheers to both breweries for a fine collaboration!