Nico
Orbit Beers
- From:
- Orbit Beers
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Kölsch
Ranked #279 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #33,418 - Avg:
- 3.46 | pDev: 4.62%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 17, 2024
- Added:
- Jul 18, 2015
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
83
Good
83
Good
Named for Christa Päffgen under her singing alias Nico. Nico hailed from Cologne, the city of Kölsch bier, and is a descendent of the famous Päffgen brewing family – the indisputable masters of the style!
Pale golden, Tettnang hops prominent on the aroma with grassy, herbal and spicy notes. Light on the palate, a touch of bready maltiness, with more noble hop character. Dry and easy drinking. Look for the spicy (cinnamon) and light fruity (pear) notes from the Kölsch yeast.
Pale golden, Tettnang hops prominent on the aroma with grassy, herbal and spicy notes. Light on the palate, a touch of bready maltiness, with more noble hop character. Dry and easy drinking. Look for the spicy (cinnamon) and light fruity (pear) notes from the Kölsch yeast.
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Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England
3.38/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
L- Pale/mid amber, pours with slight haze and 2mm white head. Minor sediment left in bottle.
S- I just get the mildest of grains.
T- That's a bit perkier. It's quite bright and hoppy-dry, the dryness seems to grow into the finish.
F- On the dryer side for sure, it's not a complex palate, lightish body, quite prominent hopping yielding a refreshing beer with sufficient impact on the palate especially considering it's modest 4.8%.
O- Very pleasant, with clean lines and prominent though more trad hopping; would make a very refreshing beer on a hot summer's day.
330ml bottle £2.39 from Real Ale London W9. Bottled: 21/07/20 BB: 21/03/21.
p.s. Named after Nico, a c1960s German singer/model/actress/muse/etc from Cologne (Köln in German > Kölsch being their local beer style). She came to wider prominence singing several songs with The Velvet Underground, was a muse for Andy Warhol, mates with Lou Reed and a late 60's London 'Chelsea Girl'. She later went solo and in retrospect especially it is pretty weird - I remember seeing her in concert in one of the halls of residence at Leeds University. It was in the student bar of Bodington Hall and in the 83/84 student year. Weird because if you knew the Velvet's you knew of her. And here she was, a pal of Warhol, Reed, John Cale, Jim Morrisson, [x-ref Wiki for lists more], years later, 'still alive', standing in touching distance of the audience of max 100 youths yielding forth the most monotonal teutonic, dark, possessed music. If the Nine Inch Nails in the 90s deliniated the hell of ongoing heroine addiction in their music, Nico was the physical manifestation of a life-time habit; when she in slow motion drawled out The End by the Doors the staring, harrowed and unblinking deeply haunted look on her face was one of having seen her own end a couple of times and somehow avoided it. Memorably different to this day!
Aug 28, 2020S- I just get the mildest of grains.
T- That's a bit perkier. It's quite bright and hoppy-dry, the dryness seems to grow into the finish.
F- On the dryer side for sure, it's not a complex palate, lightish body, quite prominent hopping yielding a refreshing beer with sufficient impact on the palate especially considering it's modest 4.8%.
O- Very pleasant, with clean lines and prominent though more trad hopping; would make a very refreshing beer on a hot summer's day.
330ml bottle £2.39 from Real Ale London W9. Bottled: 21/07/20 BB: 21/03/21.
p.s. Named after Nico, a c1960s German singer/model/actress/muse/etc from Cologne (Köln in German > Kölsch being their local beer style). She came to wider prominence singing several songs with The Velvet Underground, was a muse for Andy Warhol, mates with Lou Reed and a late 60's London 'Chelsea Girl'. She later went solo and in retrospect especially it is pretty weird - I remember seeing her in concert in one of the halls of residence at Leeds University. It was in the student bar of Bodington Hall and in the 83/84 student year. Weird because if you knew the Velvet's you knew of her. And here she was, a pal of Warhol, Reed, John Cale, Jim Morrisson, [x-ref Wiki for lists more], years later, 'still alive', standing in touching distance of the audience of max 100 youths yielding forth the most monotonal teutonic, dark, possessed music. If the Nine Inch Nails in the 90s deliniated the hell of ongoing heroine addiction in their music, Nico was the physical manifestation of a life-time habit; when she in slow motion drawled out The End by the Doors the staring, harrowed and unblinking deeply haunted look on her face was one of having seen her own end a couple of times and somehow avoided it. Memorably different to this day!
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
3.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottled in a 33cl dark glass bottle
Pours a fairly clear golden body with huge foaming white head that dissipates but leaves a thick rim and only a few bald spots
Aroma is semolina
Slightly sweet Corn like tastes that twists slight lemon icing
Jul 26, 2020Pours a fairly clear golden body with huge foaming white head that dissipates but leaves a thick rim and only a few bald spots
Aroma is semolina
Slightly sweet Corn like tastes that twists slight lemon icing
Reviewed by Spike from England
3.76/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.76/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330ml bottle.
L: Clear, gold colour with many streams of bubbles. Thin, short-lived head reduces to a smear leaving spotty lacing.
S: Subtle spicy hops.
T: Markedly fruity with a herbal hoppy zip. Bitterness is soft.
F: Medium body, dry finish. Soft mouthfeel with low carbonation.
O: Rich and smooth Kölsch style lager. More fruity and less crisp than expected but highly quaffable nonetheless.
May 22, 2020L: Clear, gold colour with many streams of bubbles. Thin, short-lived head reduces to a smear leaving spotty lacing.
S: Subtle spicy hops.
T: Markedly fruity with a herbal hoppy zip. Bitterness is soft.
F: Medium body, dry finish. Soft mouthfeel with low carbonation.
O: Rich and smooth Kölsch style lager. More fruity and less crisp than expected but highly quaffable nonetheless.
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.23/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.23/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
On-tap at Vinegar Yard, London, England
A: The beer is relatively clear light yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of green grapes are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and mostly has flavors of green grapes along with hints of biscuity malts.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is lighter in body and fruitier compared to other beers in the style.
Serving type: on-tap
Oct 28, 2019A: The beer is relatively clear light yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of green grapes are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and mostly has flavors of green grapes along with hints of biscuity malts.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is lighter in body and fruitier compared to other beers in the style.
Serving type: on-tap
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.58/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
3.58/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Decent. Clear enough. Slight Smell of fruit. Slight tang from the hops is characteristic of style's balance also. Clean finish like it had been lagering long enough. Very pleasant.
I went on Orbit's website and they are now ten years old. But I still think I'd like to get to know them better, particularly since they like to interpret traditional European beers and modernise it a bit. Orbit does all the Good guy stuff of community, DEI, and sustainable brewing. (And did I mention Indie music?) Anyhow... They seem dedicated and for all this, I give them good Overall Hugs.
5/9/25 Had again. This time on tap at Union Tavern beautifully situated on London's Union Canal on a nice spring day. I've edited the above.
May 17, 2019I went on Orbit's website and they are now ten years old. But I still think I'd like to get to know them better, particularly since they like to interpret traditional European beers and modernise it a bit. Orbit does all the Good guy stuff of community, DEI, and sustainable brewing. (And did I mention Indie music?) Anyhow... They seem dedicated and for all this, I give them good Overall Hugs.
5/9/25 Had again. This time on tap at Union Tavern beautifully situated on London's Union Canal on a nice spring day. I've edited the above.
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