Sleepyhead
Ursula Brewery

 

This little seemingly unknown un-hyped brewery is doing some really nice things. Tasted 4 offering this last time in Denver and all were excellent to outstanding, this one included. I have to spend a bit more time seeking out these bottles - first class talent making these beers.

 

 

On tap at the brewery into a mason jar.

A-The head is dense and off-white, but less than a finger tall. Retention is good and the foam lasts quite a while. The beer is very murky and light-honey colored. No visible carbonation. Not bad looking, but it doesn't look like a Kolsch.

S-The aroma is dense, sweet, and hugely fruity. Passion fruit all the way. Very tropical and lightly tart with a bit of bready, sweet pale malts lurking beneath. Not very Kolsch-like, but inviting on a hot summer's day.

T-The taste is similar: huge amounts of slightly tart passion fruit and a little bit of sweet malt base. The fruit is almost fleshy. There isn't much else happening with this beer, but I applaud the density of fruit flavor and natural taste of the fruit.

M-The feel is too heavy and flat for the beer's flavor and style. I'm not sure if my glass was at the end of a keg or what, but the beer was full body with very little carbonation.

O-This is a great smelling and great tasting summer beer that is let down by the crappy, too-heavy and flat feel. A little more carbonation and this would be great.

 

 

 

really nice idea here, integrating the tartness of fresh passionfruit into a beer where it will show up really well, such as this super light and bubbly kolsch, its really a perfect fusion and something i am surprised i havent seen before because it works so well. the beer has just a touch of cloudiness to it underneath about an inch of white foam. it smells almost puckery, short of a berliner, but maybe moving in that direction with a similar acidity in the fruit juice as there is in a sour mash. the fruit comes through really well in the nose and taste, and while the base beer is extremely light and probably unremarkable without the fruit, its a nice platform for these tropical flavors to launch from, and the lightness makes it one of the most refreshing beers ive had lately. carbonation is prickly and the finish is dry even though its a fruity beer. brilliant.