Schell's Stag Series: Dry Hopped Kölsch
August Schell Brewing Company

Pours a brilliant orange-gold in color, topped with a picture-perfect off-white head. Good lacing, and proper carbonation.

Zippy, lively hop profile, albeit indistinct. A bit of “generic citrus” and a bit of lemon rind, with a very clean malt profile - no off notes.

The first sip is brimming with citrus notes, a light tang, a light sweetness, and a good palate-filling, scrub if carbonation. A not unpleasant bitterness lingers, with plenty of the citrus character (grapefruit is what I get the most). There is a touch of oxidation*, but it is not severe. Has an American pale ale character as much as a Kölsch character, and this may be due to the “aggressive” dry hopping?

Hop bitterness is fairly low, and the malt is only slightly sweet and juicy. The other thing is, that low hop bitterness just lasts and lasts... exactly as I like it in a Pils (for instance).

Altogether (and granted this bottle was past its best by date) this is a very good beer in keeping with the Kölsch style. Excellent drinkability, too!

*BBD: 092018 — whoops! Even though it held up quite well, it’s another bottle which I should’ve enjoyed a bit sooner.

 

 

Look: Clear gold with a fluffy white head.

Smell: Malts, floral, kind of a "cool," refreshing scent.

Taste: More of the floral hops come out here, along with malts.

Feel: Normal carbonation, kind of a light body, feels dry in the mouth, leaves a slightly sticky aftertaste.

Overall: Kolsch or not, I found this was an enjoyable beer.

Fresh hoppy aroma - resin, some citrus; definitely not the typical Kölsch aroma. 1/2 inch white, thick, bubbly head that recedes fairly slowly, leaving disconnected lacing. Hazy amber color. Initial taste is all hops, with a bit of a bite, resin but not exactly bitter. Mild hop flavor (piney citrus, and just bit of herbal) through the middle, with a lingering bitterness in the aftertaste. OK, the brewer says this is a dry-hopped Kölsch-style, so you know going in it is not really a Kölsch, but this is really, really NOT a Kölsch. However, since the brewer telegraphs that clearly in the label, I'm going to review it for what it is... a dry-hopped summer beer. On that scale, it is an enjoyable beer. But, it is not a Kölsch.

From the 2018 "Biergarten in a Box" collection, poured into my short Becher.

L -- Clear, deep gold with a thick, dense, off-white head.

S -- Light resiny, piney hops, mild citrus back, maybe the vaguest grainy malt.

T -- Resin hops up front, light graininess, spicy bitterness from hops. Fruit characters of grapefruit and apricot with warming. Lightest of sweetness from malt lingers in the finish, but the resin/herbal hop character controls the aftertaste.

F -- Mouthfeel is soft-then-crisp, dry finish. Body is more to medium than medium light.

O -- In all honesty, I'm not sure why Schell spent the time to come up with a Kölsch recipe and then dry-hop it with the hops they used. They could have brewed a Pale Ale with the same results. That said, there's no problem drinking this beer, it goes down well with no faults -- other than it doesn't really have any Kölsch characteristics.

 

The dry hopping of this Kolsch does not really work for me. Hop presence is too strong in the aroma and flavor. Astringent herbal flavor masks the malt and yeast esters. Light body and nicely carbonated. Looks like a proper light ale.

This beer pours a tarnished gold with a moderate head. The aroma leads with fresh baked bread, but then some hops aroma come throuhg, with apricot, underripe peach, green apple, and strong floral qualities. The flavor is rich and bready, with a slightly incongruous floral quality and a slightly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with foaming carbonation. Overall this is a slightly odd beer too me - the dry hopping seems to mask the signature yeast driven qualities of the the kolsch, and the end result is a beer that lacks harmony for me. Not terrible, but it just didn't come together.

White head with a lot of lace left. Clear golden color.

This is a refreshing and flavorful beer. Great grassy, earthy notes. The dry hopping really shines here. Very soft with a little malty sweetness. Bready. Crisp, clean. Light bitterness on the finish. This is a summer crusher.