Kölschtastic
Gigantic Brewing Company


- From:
- Gigantic Brewing Company
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- Kölsch
Ranked #139 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #27,080 - Avg:
- 3.78 | pDev: 12.43%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 22, 2026
- Added:
- Jul 13, 2017
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 2
What makes this Kölsch stand out is the use of whole leaf hops in the Gigantic hop back, lending hop flavor without the bitterness usually associated with this style. Only the finest German pilsner malt enters the mash tun, and it’s fermented with a German ale yeast that produces some of the fruity character of an ale, with a clean lager-like profile.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
4.02/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Golden brew with abundant foam in the Copper Kettle goblet. Malty with a hint of sweetness, but also tangy and herbal. Inviting aroma of the damp meadow with fresh hay. Crisp mouthfeel with plenty of suds. There's a hint of apple taste along with cereal. Modest bitter tang in the aftertaste. Overall this is a better than average Kölsch with plenty of flavor and just the right kiss of hops. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Dated 06/26/25 so it's not exactly fresh, but quite pleasant.
Mar 22, 2026Rated by ttoadee from Texas
3.71/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
RB transfer
Sep 24, 2025Reviewed by CoasterRider from Washington
4.04/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This beer pours a light golden yellow with a nice medium head and an aroma of honey, bready grains, and floral notes. It has a light to medium mouthfeel. The taste sweetness, caramel and malted grains and clean with almost no bitterness. Easy drinking and good. 20 IBUS Rated 1-6-2025
Jan 07, 2025Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon
4.25/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: Clear straw yellow on the pour with a luscious, silky white head quickly building and holding as a pillow, leaving awesome lacing behind as it settles
Aroma: It’s smelling Kolschtastic. Honey, straw, soda crackers, perfumy floral hops, warm biscuits, and pilsner malt
Taste: Follows the nose extremely well by kicking off with a flower-nectar-like honey note that quickly transitions into layers of straw, crackers, and biscuits. The floral parade comes next with notes of Hall’s honeysuckle, jasmine, Koreanspice viburnum, and daphne all in play and these all dance nicely until pilsner malt, crackers, and honey return to close it out
Mouthfeel: Light but full, extremely clean, medium-high carbonation, and soft, crisp, and clean on the finish
Overall: This is an outstanding beer. I always had this as my second favorite beer from these folks, behind their IPA, but admittedly didn’t see it nor buy it often in its previous 0.5L bottle format so was pumped to see 4ph/16oz. cans are the new norm. A well-made and very tasty Kolsch that shines in all aspects and a style I can and do drink year-round. Thank you Gigantic for this gem and highly recommended
Apr 07, 2024Aroma: It’s smelling Kolschtastic. Honey, straw, soda crackers, perfumy floral hops, warm biscuits, and pilsner malt
Taste: Follows the nose extremely well by kicking off with a flower-nectar-like honey note that quickly transitions into layers of straw, crackers, and biscuits. The floral parade comes next with notes of Hall’s honeysuckle, jasmine, Koreanspice viburnum, and daphne all in play and these all dance nicely until pilsner malt, crackers, and honey return to close it out
Mouthfeel: Light but full, extremely clean, medium-high carbonation, and soft, crisp, and clean on the finish
Overall: This is an outstanding beer. I always had this as my second favorite beer from these folks, behind their IPA, but admittedly didn’t see it nor buy it often in its previous 0.5L bottle format so was pumped to see 4ph/16oz. cans are the new norm. A well-made and very tasty Kolsch that shines in all aspects and a style I can and do drink year-round. Thank you Gigantic for this gem and highly recommended
Rated by Minimalist1266 from Georgia
2.3/5 rDev -39.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.3/5 rDev -39.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I used to live in Cologne for over 10 years and had a quite a few Koelsch. This is not a Koelsch. Simple as that. Very disappointed.
Oct 24, 2020Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
4/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
a crisp and easy drinking kolsch, an easy beer to love on a hot summer evening. exactly what i am looking for in the style, a very authentic example of it here, golden and clear from the tap at the brewery, holding an inch of lacy white head, and slowly releasing some bubbles to the surface the whole time the beer is in the glass. aroma and flavor with a light biscuity german malt note, pale and simple, slightly baked to me, some minerals from the water pushing through and a little bit of vibrant fresh fruit from the yeast, which has a ton of character here, stone fruit and even a trace of red apple to me, but the beer is very crisp overall, noble hops it seems too, light grassiness in the finish, and just a brisk and easy drinker, best when ice cold but warms up better than many of its peers too. i think its impressive the diversity of beer types these guys do well, hoppy stuff and strong stuff obviously, but also wild and funky beers and lagers, two sides to their operation that i do not think get enough credit. i have always loved these guys, and it was awesome to have a couple of beers at the source! really excellent kolsch here, absolutely better than its ratings!
Jul 06, 2020Reviewed by NickSMpls from Washington
3.69/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nice color -- pale amber, crisp and clear. You get a faint head, light lacing and the smell of biscuit dough and yeast. Taste is right down the ol' alley - malts and light hopping. Light on the tongue, smart carbonation and very refreshing. We enjoyed it.
Feb 20, 2020Reviewed by Arjen from Netherlands
3.6/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.6/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Sampled from draught @ Borefts 2019. Pours a clear golden color and a white head with lacing. Aroma's of fruit and grain. Flavor is moderate sweet, grainish. Light bodied. Finish is slightly dry, moderate bitter. Nicer than expected, as I'm not a big fan of Kölsch normally.
Oct 20, 2019Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon
3.43/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500ml bottle from Grocery Outlet down by the rail tracks in Salem OR....this is going to be hit or miss!
says 5.2% alc.
Pours a clear bright sunflower yellow colour with small yet vigorous bubbly white head.
Sweet malts and slight peppery aromas..some grassy hop also.
Taste similar but malts more biscuit like and the papper has changed to yeasty spicyness..if that's even a thing.Slightly grassy hop finish.
OK mouth feel medium with medium to high carbonation that cleanses the palate at the end.
A simple version ..not the best but drinkable.
Jan 02, 2019says 5.2% alc.
Pours a clear bright sunflower yellow colour with small yet vigorous bubbly white head.
Sweet malts and slight peppery aromas..some grassy hop also.
Taste similar but malts more biscuit like and the papper has changed to yeasty spicyness..if that's even a thing.Slightly grassy hop finish.
OK mouth feel medium with medium to high carbonation that cleanses the palate at the end.
A simple version ..not the best but drinkable.
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)
3.95/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.95/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle - gee, yeah, sometimes I just crave a beer that is NOT delicious. What a fucking stupid marketing angle.
This beer pours a slightly hazy, pale golden straw colour, with three zaftig fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and mildly bubbly eggshell white head, which leaves some decent thickly webbed lace around the glass as it slowly dissipates.
It smells of gritty and grainy cereal malt, clover honey, a touch of pome fruitiness, and some plain earthy, leafy, and grassy green hop bitters. The taste is grainy and crackery pale malt, some white grape and muddled citrus fruity notes, faint estery yeast, and more understated earthy, musty, and dead floral hoppiness..
The carbonation is average in its palate-coating frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and generally smooth, with nothing really getting in the way of a straight-up good time here. It finishes off-dry, the malt and mixed frooty essences presiding.
Overall - this comes across as a well-constructed version of this classic style, nice and simple, and easy to slam back on another hot and muggy summer day in the city, whilst being thankful that I don't live anywhere that Croatian fans might be parading their 'victory' down the streets.
Jul 11, 2018This beer pours a slightly hazy, pale golden straw colour, with three zaftig fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and mildly bubbly eggshell white head, which leaves some decent thickly webbed lace around the glass as it slowly dissipates.
It smells of gritty and grainy cereal malt, clover honey, a touch of pome fruitiness, and some plain earthy, leafy, and grassy green hop bitters. The taste is grainy and crackery pale malt, some white grape and muddled citrus fruity notes, faint estery yeast, and more understated earthy, musty, and dead floral hoppiness..
The carbonation is average in its palate-coating frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and generally smooth, with nothing really getting in the way of a straight-up good time here. It finishes off-dry, the malt and mixed frooty essences presiding.
Overall - this comes across as a well-constructed version of this classic style, nice and simple, and easy to slam back on another hot and muggy summer day in the city, whilst being thankful that I don't live anywhere that Croatian fans might be parading their 'victory' down the streets.
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