Alright Beer peeps need suggestions

Semi-related, but if you're into low ABV Table Beers for the summer, Devil's Purses' "South Dennis-Style Table Beer" might be the best summer beer I've ever had.

Very solid Table Beer with lime added, but the lime is subtle. 4% ABV.

 

I will seek that out. I've been enjoying their Kolsch as well this summer. They sell cans of it at Westport Sea Farms, a super solid hidden gem for affordable oysters, if you ever find yourself around Horseneck this summer.

I've also always really loved Mystic's Table Beer, but that stopped showing up fresh in my stores and I rarely get up their way.

 

I forgot how well they made their kolsch until I drank my weight of them alongside cherrystones and oysters in wellfleet.

 

Yup, theirs and Goody Two Shoes are two great local options.

There's been some fresh Gaffel kicking around as well that I've been drinking a lot of.

 

[QUOTE="AlcahueteJ, post: 6564448, member: 386983"
There's been some fresh Gaffel kicking around as well that I've been drinking a lot of.[/QUOTE]
Found that on tap at the Gaff recently and it was the best kolsch I can ever remember tasting. Perfect pour and proper glassware too.

 

You guys have me too curious now. Where's this fresh Gaffel located?

 

Looks like The Gaff still has it per their website.

 

I also had it at the Gaff a few weeks ago. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed, it's usually excellent on tap around here.

But I also had already had a beer or two that day (probably IPAs), and I was just drinking it to kill time before Pliny was being tapped.

I also wasn't really paying too much attention to it either (kinda the point of Kolsch in my opinion).

But I agree, Gaffel on tap are a delight. I also love Fruh. Incredible beers, I can't fathom what they're like in Cologne. For some reason Reissdorf has never clicked for me.

In my post I was specifically talking about bottles I've picked up recently at Ball Square. I just assume they're fresh because they're delicious. Kolsch needs to be really fresh, so if it isn't you can tell.

Unfortunately I didn't see anymore in the fridge, because I wanted to pick up a full six pack and just grabbed two singles I saw in the cooler. It's possible there were more elsewhere in the cooler.

There were some warm six packs out on a shelf on the floor because it's the "Beer of the Month" but I didn't want to grab any that hadn't been in the cooler.

 

Ha. I somehow didn't process that you were actually drinking Gaffel at a *place* called the Gaff. Seems almost too perfect.

I think we'll be able to hang that quote around your neck at some point in the future

 

They're very good at session beers. In fact, a lot of their best beers have been part of the table beer series. It's a bummer so few of them have been canned in the past.

Fingers crossed we see a dry hopped rendition of Handline again.

 

Go for it!

I mean, they serve it in 0.2L "shot glasses" in Cologne and just keep refilling it over and over again. I highly doubt anyone's sitting there dissecting it.

I feel like I'd be morally against dry hopping a Kolsch, or making it hoppier period, but hey, I might still try it.

 

There have been a few testy threads about calling beers like Kolsch/Helles/Pils "beers you don't need to think about" so I was guessing that you, as a Germany-phile (probably not a word), would be on the overthink-the-hell-out-of-it side of things

 

What I like best about Kolsch/Helles/Pils/Schwarzbier's et al. is that there's an equal amount of consideration and mindlessness. I can sit down with a well-made Czech pils and consider it's nuances or I can just enjoy that beer while I watch a game, smack the shit out of a wiffle ball, or grill.

Of course, I suppose we could do this with all styles. When I think of an Oxbow, Lost Abbey, HF, etc., I do think I'm more prone to actually paying attention to the characteristics. Same goes for a really great barleywine or Belgian.

With the rare exception, I don't think hazy/NEIPA/double IPAs are worth the same consideration.

 

I've bought old cans of Table Beer off warm shelves and it really doesn't suffer for it, IMO. Between it being can-conditioned and not dry-hopped, freshness doesn't seem to be a big deal for that one even at a low ABV.

 

Yup, what @mrmattosgood said.

If it's the first time I'm having something from any style, I'll dissect it a bit more.

But to be honest, Kolsch is such a delicate style, it doesn't take more than a few sips to realize if a brewer really fucked it up or not. Or just made an IPA and decided to slap the word "Kolsch" on it.