Talk to me about Kölsch

I have been to Köln a few times, Mühlen was my favorite. I was always ready to hop on the train and go to Düsseldorf.

 

I did a little googling and it doesn't look like Mühlen is distributed in the US. I was hoping you could recommend Kolsches available in the US that are reasonably similar to those produced in Köln.

 

Riessdorf for German is OK. The Sierra Nevada Kölsch is good, as is Metropolotan Krankshaft Kölsch.

 

Appreciated. I'll keep my eyes open for Riessdorf and Metropolitan. I had Sierra Nevada's last summer and liked it, so if they make it again this year I will most likely buy it again.

 

Randy, the list of beers that were served at the Teresa’s Next Door Kolsch weekend (and obviously imported to the US): “They were able to find fresh draft Kolsch beers: Gaffel, Fruh, Reisdorff, Sunner and Sunner Unfiltered (labeled as Kellerbier in Germany).”

Cheers!

 

Love me the 32oz can of Stone Corral Kolsch! Perfect for tubing on a hot summer day.

 

I'll have to keep an eye out and see if I can convince my wife to be my driver. I don't know if the reasoning of "I'm saving us a trip to Koln" will go over as easily with her.

 

Boring style. Not hugely popular over here in the craft world for a reason.

 

Doesn't seem to be the general consensus on this thread.

 

I was basing it on reviews/ratings. Someone in another thread said brown ales were boring. Id take a brown ale over a kolsch if forced to choose.

 

Does Kuppers make it over here? That was my fave. Reissdorf is a close 2nd, and I know it definitely does.
Normally I'd be on the train to defend it as not being boring, but I can honestly get that.
Of all the traditional styles I've had in Europe (many, but certainly not all), it's the one I probably "get" the least. It might not be boring necessarily, but I think it's tough to get excited about when you aren't experiencing it in Koeln.

 

I don't drink it that often anymore but when it came out I was kind of "newer" to craft beer per say and I found myself enjoying quite a bit of Full Circle(originally it had a different name, Lucid maybe?) from New Holland. I can't speak to how accurate of a representation of the style it is, my buddy travels to Germany for work often and has yet to bring me back an actual German made Kolsch but its pleasant and easy drinking.

 

I have heard that same comment from many a beer geek (i.e., a BA type beer drinker). There is no doubt that a Koslch is not wicked hoppy, high in ABV, barrel aged,... I think there is little doubt that Koslch will never be the favorite beer style of the BA crowd. Having stated that there are some BAs (granted a minority) that enjoy drinking a well-made Kolsch. In a month or so I will once again be homebrewing a Kolsch. I suppose that the best that can be said is different strokes for different folks!?!

Cheers!

P.S. For the sake of transparency I should state that I am also a fan of wicked hoppy, high in ABV, barrel aged,...beers too. It is all good!!

 

I choose my beers based on what I have a taste for at the time. Might be a Kölsch this afternoon, might be a Brown Ale tomorrow, don't find either boring -- depending on the particular label.

 

Randy, everything in life is a negotiation (including marriage). You have to come up with something of value to her. Maybe promise to take her to the ballet!?!

Cheers!

 

@DarkDragon999, I know you're trolling, but I'll bite anyway...

Do you always let everyone else decide for you what is good or not?

I think one can respect the unique characteristics, albeit subtle, of a kolsch and the history/tradition of the style. If the majority of beer geeks had their way 90% of the beers produced would be IPAs, barrel-aged, or sours. That sounds like a pretty boring beer market to me.

EDIT: To be fair I do like many IPAs, barrel-aged beers, and some sours, but the variety in beer is a big part of what I like about it. If we all just blindly followed the ratings of beer geeks we would lose the variety that, in my opinion, makes craft beer interesting.

 

Sorry bro, but us BA's don't settle for balance and delicacy in beers. We only accept uncompromising flavor, flavor to the extreme! AMERICA!

 

We have a local brewery (Midnight Brewery) that opened up circa 2012 who offered two beers out of the gate - An Irish Red and a Kolsch. I mention 2012 because to date, there have only been two reviews and 11 hads on here for the Kolsch (New Beginnings), which makes this tongue in cheek (assuming) quote very much relevant:

As for the beer itself, it leans closer to the Pilsner side of life, which is to say it would not have that wheat signature you have become accustomed to (OP). That's not to say it isn't good, because in fact it's very much a quality beer. Crisp, aromatic, subtle yet noticeable peppery accents that wash across the tongue almost immediately, pear like and almost vinous follow up with a biscuit, grainy finish that reminds me of a German Pilsner finish.

They (Midnight) have a pretty nice following and quite possibly find themselves in the perfect area for their style. They are a bit out of town where boomers looking for something chill and more casual or mainstream (as in, not looking to get their face melted) beer fans reside. In other words, they did not plop down in the middle of Scott's Addition (beer epicenter for Richmond) where they could have just as easily been consistently overlooked by a more extreme beer crowd. Furthermore, they have nudged their way into several local restaurants with their two flagships that offer a truly easy drinking craft alternative to BMC.

 

I really enjoyed Sierra Nevada's Kolsch in the summer pack last year. I've also had a more local-ish one, Kolsch 151 from Blue Mountain Brewery; not quite as good as the Sierra Nevada, but with it being a year-round beer that's fairly easy to find in Virginia (rather than a summer seasonal that's variety-pack-only) there's a good chance I'll be drinking more of it in the future.

I haven't had a chance to try an actually-from-Germany example of the style so far either, though.

 

Yea was totally joking. Pilseners are actually my favorite beer style, if I am being honest. I agree that Kolsch drinks like a pilsener in that it is the subtleties, and the balance thereof, that makes Kolsch such a great beer style. Got a Sunner Kolsch in the fridge actually that I'm probably cracking open tonight in celebration.