Clementine Kolsch
Allagash Brewing Company

my brother looked up from his can at me with a puzzled face and exclaimed, somewhat exasperated, "dude, this is kind of bad" and while i might not go that far, its definitely kind of bad for allagash, who i revere as a maker of wonderful beer, this kind of hits like when ommegang started making all these weird modern instagram adjunct beers, its like wait i thought you guys make like abbey style beers, what the heck? this feels cheap for allagash, even if its alright to drink, minimal as a kolsch, light on the fruit too, and not sweet, its not gross or anything, but its not who they are, i wonder what executive made them do this or who failed notice this would read like an identity crisis? the cloudiness is a little weird on the pour for the style, i expect clarity in beer called kolsch, and in both aroma and flavor this lacks the german essence from grain and yeast i look for in the style as well. it has a high white head, nice carbonation, and a light and easy body, but it could just as well be a blonde ale. i suppose there is a little pils note to the malt as this warms some, and it does have some movement towards crisp on the finish like it may have been cold conditioned, but its an odd drink, incredibly muted in the nose, light orange zest and generic pale malt but very limited. the flavor is a little more pronounced, not overdosed on the orange element, it runs all through it, and its not sweet which is a win for it, some essential oil character but short of perfume, the dosing is fine, even if it doesnt quite seem like real fruit, its not bright enough to be. the base beer sags a little, lacks tightness and briskness, but is quick and light enough to have refreshment value when its nice and cold, it doesnt warm up real well but some light hops do present. just not anywhere near the quality standard i have in my head for these guys, regardless of it being a weird recipe choice, the execution is the troubling part, i would trust allagash to do anything well, so its surprising this presents as so pedestrian. disappointing on a couple levels...

 

 

 

Canned on - 4-9-25

A - Hazy light gold with thin lacing.

S - Wheaty malt with light citrus and clementine.

T - Just like the nose: subtle wheat and light citrus.

M - Medium body with light prickly carbonation.

O - Yep, it's a Kolsch! (With a nice twist.)

 

A citrus twist on the Kolsch style. The beer looks the part--crisp, clear gold with a bright white head. Oranges dominate the nose. And the flavor. It didn't conjure up a true Kolsch in my mind. But the bright, fresh orange flavor with a nice gentle hop bite made this beer one of the most pleasant choices on a hot day. Took the edge off 95 degrees and humid beautifully.

Pours a pale orange. Thick foam. Light orange aroma. Mild orange body. Light crisp slightly bitter finish. Very refreshing me eat drinking. Good summer beer.