Alumni Club - Minnesota Chapter
Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room

Look: Clear straw yellow with a quick-forming white head that erupts to the rim and slowly settles to a pillow, leaving webs of lacing clung to the glass
Aroma: Lemongrass, white pepper, pilsner malt, lemon-lime, floral hops notes, soda crackers, and straw
Taste: Lemon-lime jump starts the palate and quickly broadens in strength while crackers and pilsner malt start to trickle in. Lemongrass, light white pepper, Hall’s honeysuckle, and citrus blossoms pick up steam in the middle, along with some straw and closes with the return of lemon-lime
Mouthfeel: Light but full, very clean, medium-high carbonation, and crisp and clean on the finish
Overall: This is some good stuff. The style and idea behind this beer pulled me in and glad it did as this is a very tasty and unique contemporary approach to a Kolsch and these folks did it justice. Nice lemongrass and lemon-lime notes along with some peppery spiciness add a nice twist to an already tasty classic Kolsch base beer and it all comes together nicely, without being clunky. Delicious and recommended

16oz can

Pours nearly two fingers of white head into my Kolsch glass. Slightly fizzy, and the retention is pretty poor. Lacing is poor too. Body is yellow, crystal clear, with a modest amount of bubbles coming up. Overall this doesn’t look all too good.

Nose is hoppy up front, with some zest and a noticeable earthiness, reminds me of Galaxy. A significant amount of sulfur quickly plunges through, and it’s pretty unwelcome at times. I’m not sure this works.

That zest comes through big time on the flavor, along with lemon, melon, and raspberry. Earthiness is in the background, but very noticeable. Sulfur is not present at all. The earthiness and zest are a bit much at first, but they are balanced wonderfully by the melon and raspberry. Overall a very very unique flavor.

Carbonation is medium-high. Light bodied. Not dry, but very clean. Has a bite to it, but the bitterness itself is somewhat low. Overall the mouthfeel is nice and crisp.

The flavor is engaging, and the mouthfeel fulfilling; this is very drinkable.

I can’t say this has many distinguishable Kolsch flavors, but it’s a nice light foundation that lets some fun hops shine through.

Clear golden yellow with plenty of foam in the snifter. Pleasant grain and cereal aroma with a whiff of cedar and even some sulphur. Pleasant light mouthfeel and while the carbonation doesn't create the sparkling mouthful of the German versions it's quite lively. Subdued flavors of crackers with some green herbal hints of hops. A touch of gentle astringency in the finish and a slight bitterness. All in all, it's quite balanced and graceful and hard to put down. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Can't read the date stamp.

16-ounce can purchased at John's Marketplace in Beaverton, OR and consumed on July 2, 2023. The readable part of the date stamp tells me this beer was canned on 06/13/23. Poured in stages into a Reissdorf Kölsch 0.2L stange.

Look:
The body is pale straw yellow and perfectly clear. Up top there's a tenacious head of bright white foam with surprising retention that leaves festive lacing and freshness rings after every sip.

Smell:
Leads with gentle bready malt flavors which morph into a modest but mouth-watering fruitiness (green grape, apple skin). Fresh floral notes in the finish.

Taste:
The flavor closely follows the nose, with lightly toasted malt up front, bready and satisfying. The middle is softly fruity and more nuanced than the nose: dry white wine, red apple, a bit of nectarine, a subliminal touch of berries on the breath. Malt, fruit, and mild floral bitterness harmonize nicely in the crisp finish.

Feel:
The body is on the medium side of light, with a rounded texture and zippy carbonation. Exceptional drinkability.

Overall:
In a good kölsch, subtlety and balance and drinkability are key takeaways. Block 15 Alumni Club - Minnesota Chapter delivers on every point. The beer is crisp and light but doesn't skimp on flavor. The malt is satisfying and the dry-hopping adds delicate fruity complexity which doesn't overstay its welcome. Very nice beer, especially on this warm afternoon.

Can from Uptown Market.

A clear straw yellow with a dense, white head with excellent retention and lacing. The nose has floral dry hop character up front, minty and mildly spicy with a really nice old world character. Dry hopping covers the base beer on the nose, and does a lot of that on the palate too. A very Hallertau-like spicy, floral character is present. This is followed by a mildly fruity fermentation character. The mid-palate is quite hoppy too. A soft grain character, snappy and clean, is present. Drying, crisp on the finish. Solid.