-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Kato Lager Beer
Mankato Brewery
- 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:
- 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:
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
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:
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
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, 2023Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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, 2023Reviewed 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
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, 2021Rated by eithne from Minnesota
3.9/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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, 2020Brewery Taproom - Taster
20200424
Can - 750ml Crowler
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
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, 2019Aroma: 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)
Reviewed by deleted_user_1239096
3.92/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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, 2019Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota
3.87/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
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, 2019Pours 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.
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
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, 2018Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.72/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
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, 2018Reviewed 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
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, 2017S: 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
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
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
Kato Lager Beer from Mankato Brewery
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
36 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!