Kato Lager Beer
Mankato Brewery

Kato Lager BeerKato Lager Beer
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From:
Mankato Brewery
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Helles
Ranked #151
ABV:
5%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,234
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 9.21%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
36
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 26, 2023
Added:
Jul 01, 2015
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  6
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by einman:
Photo of einman
Rated by einman from Minnesota

3.62/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Oct 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I tried this beer off the tapper at the brewery as part of a four sample flight whilst visiting Mankato, Minnesota for my daughter's gymnastic's meet at Gustavus Adolphus. It poured a clear golden with thin white ring head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had grain notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with grain and bitter finishing hop presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.
Feb 26, 2023
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz draft pour. Appearance is light yellow with a small head. Off-dry, crackery malt with citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is crisp and well-carbonated. Overall it's a flavorful, easy-to-drink craft lager.
Jan 04, 2023
Photo of gatornation
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours a clear light lemon straw color with white , Smell is light pale malts lemon ,crackers and bread. Taste is light citrus with lemon grass baked bread malts and cracker meal. Crisp mouth feel with horribly low carbonation which makes it almost unprintable a lawnmower beer that needs some carbonation.
Sep 30, 2021
 
Rated: 3.34 by Drewpalmquist from South Dakota

Jul 12, 2021
 
Rated: 3.96 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

May 11, 2021
Photo of eithne
Rated by eithne from Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
20200315
Brewery Taproom - Taster
20200424
Can - 750ml Crowler
Mar 17, 2020
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

3.74/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a medium, mostly clear, golden color with a moderate, crispy foam head that fades and leaves a nice, thin layer on top. SRM of 9 (4.00)

Aroma: Stronger aromas of lemon-flower, bread dough, honey. Mostly flowers with honey. Some coriander and clove spices, like a witbier, that evolves into a lemon-apple flowery perfume fragrance which is actually pleasant and growing on me. (3.75)

Flavor: Really great and strong flavors. Tons of cloves, apple perfume, grass, sweet lemonflower, and honey. Showcases the noble hops well. All three flavors are well balanced. The honey evolves into somewhat of a tangy Munich malt profile, but still German hops and honey is what I get on the flavor. Leans a little sweet against a slightly bitter lemon or floral finish. There is a profound amount of lemon/apple fragrance with Belgian spices of clove on the flavor too. Quite nice. (3.75)

Feel: Lighter bodied, low carbonation, allows it to finish clean rather than too sweet. A nice lemonflower fragrance lingers. (4.00)

Compared to Bent Paddle's Classic (Cream ale) 4/11/20: Pours a darker color with a stronger aroma. Much more honey and lemonflower. Less bread and corn. Leans sweeter.

Compared to Surly Hell 5/8/20: Pours a similar color with less head. Similar aroma. More fragrant flower, bread dough, honey. Less lemon zest, yeast, and bitter wheat. Finishes more malty.

Compared to Bent Paddle's Classic 9/7/20: Pours a slightly darker color with a larger head. ore pear, green grape, juicy sour notes. Not expected from this beer. It must be a contaminant. Winner: Classic

Compared to Great Lakes Dortmund Gold 10/10/20: Pours a much lighter color. Aromas/flavors have more spices. Less earthy honeyflower, and malts. A lighter body.Winner: Dortmund

Overall: This is a well-made American helles. Leans with a lot of lemonflower and less bready that I would expect.. Lemongrass and honey here. Tons of flavor. Pretty typical for an American-made helles. Doesn't quite hit the German authenticity. Leans a little lighter, but the nice lemonflower notes are appreciated quite well.
(You have to let this beer warm to allow the flavor to come out)
Edit 9/7/20: On a subsequent review I get a lot of pear, green grape, slightly sour juice aromas. Not at all the previous aromas/flavors. A giant foamy head that erupts out of the can. This can must be contaminated with bacteria because it drinks like a bad saison. A dissapointment in quality coming from this brewery.
Edit 10/20/20: Again getting lemon/apple perfume and Saison-like Belgian spices. Strong Belgian spices and flower. A light body.
(Final Rating: 3.74)
Jul 13, 2019
Photo of deleted_user_1239096
Reviewed by deleted_user_1239096

3.92/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Crisp, light and tasty. A little more soapy taste than I'd like, but overall, not bad. Pours a light golden color and a head that slowly dies off after a couple of minutes. On tap at the Boulder Tap House in Mankato.
Jun 29, 2019
Photo of Mindcrime1000
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

3.87/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a single can into a pilsener glass.'

Pours a fine golden color with a decent one-finger head and fair lacing. Shimmering quality. Perhaps a bit lacking in visible effervescence.

Multiple malt aromas dominate the nose including bread dough, cracker, and a light fruity note. Hints of white pepper and hop in the background.'

The flavor is lively and well balanced between malty bready sweetness and spicy hops. Just a bit of sour/tart. Simple, straight, solid.

The feel is light and rather crisp, although it could use a bit more carbonation. A very drinkable brew.

Overall, a good take on a classic style.
Jun 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.09 by moundbz from North Dakota

Mar 17, 2019
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Kato pours a crisp clean golden color, with a very small, but lacing head. Aroma is weaker, its very neutral, hints of a crisp grain. Flavor has a sweet start, grainy and crisp, with a nicer crisp slightly dry aftertaste. Good body and feel. Overall, its a nice Helles, very refreshing, good simple beer.
Feb 08, 2018
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.72/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden color with a good deal of carbonation. It smelled of caramel and floral notes. Sweet caramel flavor with a mild bitterness.
Jan 02, 2018
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: pours bright gold with a very slight haze under a 1" cap with fiar to poor retention

S: Initial spicy hop aromas quickly blow off revealing smells of bread dough, cracker, and a faint hint of apple

T: flavors start slightly sweet with bread dough and cracker and finish crisp and dry with a hint of tartness with a medium spicy hop flavor

F: The carbonation is above average with some prickle and the body is medium light

O: This is an easy drinking, light flavorful beer
Dec 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by NodakEric from Minnesota

Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.12 by yat282 from Minnesota

Sep 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.07 by WaveDragon from Minnesota

May 18, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear pale yellow color with white head. Cereal grains, wheat, hay, and a light grass on the nose; follows onto the palate. Light bodied. Finishes with a light cereal grain sweetness, but mostly clean.
Feb 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Dec 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by GeorgeAKeim from Oregon

Aug 26, 2016
Kato Lager Beer from Mankato Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 36 ratings