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Gateway Kolsch
French Broad River Brewing
- From:
- French Broad River Brewing
- North Carolina, United States
- Style:
- Kölsch
Ranked #167 - ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #24,192 - Avg:
- 3.65 | pDev: 11.23%
- Reviews:
- 62
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 07, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 23, 2009
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 23
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BigGingDrinker:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by mpruden from Ohio
3.19/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.19/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
One beer from an assorted six pack gifted me by my next door neighbor after he purchased it on a recent trip to the Carolinas. Undated (or at least I was unable to decipher the code on the can), poured from a 12-oz can into a Stange.
Appearance: Clear dark straw color; large white head that lingered awhile, requiring a couple pourings to fill the glass, leaving moderately heavy lacing that lingered only around the very top of the pour.
Nose: Only slight, sweet malt, a bit of light floral.
Mouthfeel: Medium, plenty of carbonation.
Attack: More bitter than sweet — significantly more heavily hopped than the typical Kölsch.
Finish: The attack’s hop bitterness deteriorated into approaching — and then unfortunately reaching — astringency.
Overall: This brewery’s name has long appealed to me, as I’ve driven on a bridge over the French Broad and have read of it in a Louis L’Amour novel, so have wanted to try beers from this brewery — am hoping I like the taste of the other two brews I have from there a bit better.
After writing the above elements of this review, and then scrolling through the previous ratings and reviews by others, I’m noticing a larger-than-I-would-expect number of rather extreme ratings on both ends of the rating spectrum, and I’m wondering if freshness of sample is a factor. Not knowing French Broad River’s code, I just don’t know. The code on my can is “102038388” in case anyone has insight.
Jul 28, 2023Appearance: Clear dark straw color; large white head that lingered awhile, requiring a couple pourings to fill the glass, leaving moderately heavy lacing that lingered only around the very top of the pour.
Nose: Only slight, sweet malt, a bit of light floral.
Mouthfeel: Medium, plenty of carbonation.
Attack: More bitter than sweet — significantly more heavily hopped than the typical Kölsch.
Finish: The attack’s hop bitterness deteriorated into approaching — and then unfortunately reaching — astringency.
Overall: This brewery’s name has long appealed to me, as I’ve driven on a bridge over the French Broad and have read of it in a Louis L’Amour novel, so have wanted to try beers from this brewery — am hoping I like the taste of the other two brews I have from there a bit better.
After writing the above elements of this review, and then scrolling through the previous ratings and reviews by others, I’m noticing a larger-than-I-would-expect number of rather extreme ratings on both ends of the rating spectrum, and I’m wondering if freshness of sample is a factor. Not knowing French Broad River’s code, I just don’t know. The code on my can is “102038388” in case anyone has insight.
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland
4.46/5 rDev +22.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +22.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the can into a taster cup.
Pale beautiful lemon color with a touch of faint unfiltered like haze. Fluffy topped nice white and good thick head. Great staying power on the head as well leaving lots of lace and great bowled crown top.
Aroma is excellent. Superb bakery bread notes, rich dough and flakey malt crust you can bite into practically. Light on hop presence but a malt bill that is extremely satisfying.
Formidable palate. Rushing thick bread, with touches of more unexpected herbal biting hop making for an excellent mid palate kit. Rich mouthfeel with a taste and feel of kicking spiced honey particularly on the finish. Herbal light bitterness and honey sweetness finishes nicely.
Doesn't taste like a traditional Kolsch, but the flavor and quality is phenomenal.
Jul 17, 2023Pale beautiful lemon color with a touch of faint unfiltered like haze. Fluffy topped nice white and good thick head. Great staying power on the head as well leaving lots of lace and great bowled crown top.
Aroma is excellent. Superb bakery bread notes, rich dough and flakey malt crust you can bite into practically. Light on hop presence but a malt bill that is extremely satisfying.
Formidable palate. Rushing thick bread, with touches of more unexpected herbal biting hop making for an excellent mid palate kit. Rich mouthfeel with a taste and feel of kicking spiced honey particularly on the finish. Herbal light bitterness and honey sweetness finishes nicely.
Doesn't taste like a traditional Kolsch, but the flavor and quality is phenomenal.
Rated by Mischa_Borgmann from North Carolina
2.97/5 rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.97/5 rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Tried it at Silverspot. It had a rather monotonous bitterness.
Jun 04, 2023Reviewed by md3kcn from North Carolina
3.51/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Purchased as a single can from The Fresh Market for $1.78. Poured into a nonic pint glass.
L - Bright yellow and clear, with a two-finger soapy pale white head. Head goes away fast. Decent lacing.
S - Grass. Green tea leaves. Pale wheat.
T - Biscuit. Bright wheat notes. An herbal, hoppy bite on the finish. Well-balanced, but a definite slightly more bitter note on the end. Grassy.
F - Light-medium body, with plenty of carbonation. Super easy-to-drink. Dry finish.
O - Pretty alright take on the style. A bit more hoppy than I'd prefer, but pleasant overall. I won't go out of my way to get this, but I won't turn one down.
Mar 18, 2022L - Bright yellow and clear, with a two-finger soapy pale white head. Head goes away fast. Decent lacing.
S - Grass. Green tea leaves. Pale wheat.
T - Biscuit. Bright wheat notes. An herbal, hoppy bite on the finish. Well-balanced, but a definite slightly more bitter note on the end. Grassy.
F - Light-medium body, with plenty of carbonation. Super easy-to-drink. Dry finish.
O - Pretty alright take on the style. A bit more hoppy than I'd prefer, but pleasant overall. I won't go out of my way to get this, but I won't turn one down.
Rated by nick_perry from North Carolina
3.33/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.33/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A bit watery. Lacks the grassy note I look for in a kölsch. Indistinguishable from the ubiquitous craft lager.
Aug 08, 2020Reviewed by Griffin2 from Virginia
3.69/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had a pint at Mellow Mushroom on 7/22/19.
Poured a clear amber color with a slight white head. This is a nice warm weather easy drinking beer. I enjoyed it.
Jul 27, 2019Poured a clear amber color with a slight white head. This is a nice warm weather easy drinking beer. I enjoyed it.
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
2.9/5 rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
2.9/5 rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12 oz can; purchased very recently but undated and possible over the hill (see below).
Unappealing skunky Euro hop aroma
Much better flavor but there's certainly some similarity to the aroma.
Light but not watery body with medium+ carbonation.
May 20, 2017Unappealing skunky Euro hop aroma
Much better flavor but there's certainly some similarity to the aroma.
Light but not watery body with medium+ carbonation.
Gateway Kolsch from French Broad River Brewing
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
195 ratings
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