Native Series No.1 Box Turtle
Oliver Brewing Company

 

Poured from the can into a stange glass.

Dark lemon, with maybe a bit of haze coming though, and some really microscopic fine carbonation. Quite a fluffy and bright white head, IPA like somewhat but more soapy. Big retention with an easy three to four controlled fingers in height, and some decent lacing.

Clean and fruity aroma, and more hinting towards orange and grapefruit zest and oils slightly. Faint touches of herbal spicy notes, and a mild bakery notes on the malt side just squeeking out as well.

Palate manages a simple romp. Slightly juiced but with a cleaner malt and lighter flavor and texture. Mid palate hints citrus to tropical with a nice classic spicy hop herbal in the mix. There's a nice interplay in classic and untraditional new hop flavor which is a good contrast. Finishes clean with more of a hint of citrus oil bitterness and zest than classic Kolsch character.

Decent tasting Kolsch with a twist on the style.

 

Native Series No. 1 Box Turtle from Oliver Brewing. Purchased 18/9/21 from Shangy’s, Emmaus, PA for $16.95 (Including tax)/4-pack of 16 oz can ($ 0.264/oz). On room temperature shelf at store. Stored at home at 40 degrees. Reviewed 9/10/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Served at 47 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 57 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), hazy. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum five cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, average retention, diminishing to a five to ten mm undulating crown and a rocky, thin complete cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide band of tiny to small bubbles, beginning to disintegrate into torn curtain lacing.
Aroma – 3.75 – Initially lightly hoppy with citrus, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Flavor follows nose - no yeast, no malt, lightly sweet. Ends on the dry side. No direct ethanol (4.8 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4 – Thin, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated can) While not an exceptional Kolsch, I’m still glad I picked up a four-pack – this is more like an under-hopped pale ale. Still, it’s hard to go too far wrong with citra hops. The label art is excellent – not quite as impressionistic as Monet yet still embodying the male Eastern Box Turtle.