Kömmuter Kölsch
Bainbridge Brewing Company

22oz bottle poured into a Great Lakes snifter; first experience with Bainbridge Island

p- hazy gold w/ a 2f white head
n- bold nose of sharp grassy notes, corn/rice, and a touch of funky yeast
t- lots of grass and yeast in the the profile, w/ some lemon in the mix as well; moderate tartness in the finish; comes off a bit unbalanced- could use more malt presence to round it out, imo
mf- med-bodied w/ med carb
o- not real impressed by this one, unfortunately; palatable, but not likely one I'd revisit

review date: 12.12.15
bottle date: not captured

draught
Frothy, white head. Crystal clear, light gold appearance. Slightly spiced and slightly sweet, light toasted malt aroma, with a little yeasty note, on the side. Smooth, fresh malt and some floral hops, with a little yeasty note, for the flavor. Refreshing and smooth finish, with mostly a tiny bit spiced, light toasted malt, main flavor, with hardly any hop bite.

 

if you're going to commit beer sacrilege, commit it well, friends. Bainbridge Island is about as far as you can get from Köln without being somewhere in the Aleutians. They've done well with this Kölsch, which might be almost just as good as the real shifazz. Has a nice bitter aftertaste, though, which makes it its own. Well done!

 

 

 

 

On-tap at the Tap House Grill in Seattle. My first beer in the Emerald City! On to the beer:

This kölsch takes on a paler golden color, common per style, topped with an average head and retention, and a few whisps of lace. The smell of sourdough and dried grass offer some hope, especially since I was very thirsty. The taste, per se, isn't bad at all. I get hay and bitterness grass, and a loud echo of sourdough. The problem comes in the aftertaste, which leaves a very unpleasant astringency afterwards. At least it was light, crisp, and I was thirsty, so the pint was gone quick and I could move on to the next beer. What a shame, because I enjoy kölsch.

 

 

 

A light golden brew with a modest foam in the Kasteel chalice. Plenty of spritz on the tongue. Slightly sharp. A very modest touch of hops. More cereal and a malty hint of sweetness greets the lips. Faint lemony notes. Not as perfumey as the more extravagant examples of the style

Overall this is rather plain and quite gulpable, but well made. The balance of the light malt and crisp edge is nice, but you wouldn't mistake it for a German Kölsch. A touch of bitterness for the aftertaste. From the 22 oz bottle purchased from Elizabeth Station in Bellingham.

Poured from 22oz bomber into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: light golden hue with a little touch of haze and a lazy effervescence. Head is a thin layer of white foam which doesn't stick around too long. It's decent.

Smell: very grainy with a fair amount of sweetness and a dash of yeasty character. It's very "beery", as my wife would say.

Taste: very much like the aroma, it's grainy and beery. I like beery, but there's not a ton of other complexity here. It's OK.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation and decent creaminess for the style.

Overall: this beer just doesn't grab me. It's not a bad beer overall, and mostly follows style guidelines, but I don't think I'll find myself pining for it.