Sion Kolsch

This is the last Kolsch for this month.  It's from Sion Brauerei and I had it in the pilsner glass at the Hard Rock Cafe Cologne.  Sion is another one of those breweries with a five hundred or so year history so it can't totatlly be

Here is what I thought

This Kolsch poured a pale gold with just a touch of a head that quickly disappeared.  The taste is one of caramelly malts with a finsih that is all hops.

Not a bad beer and definitely a good way to end Kolsch month.

Gilden Kolsch

This weeks Kolsch comes from the Gilden Brauerei one of the oldest breweries in Cologne founded in the late 1200s.

As with the other Kolschs this one pours a clear pale gold with a very small head that disappears quickly.  The aroma is subtle hops and the beer goes down smooth and crisp with a taste that is a little watery and holds just a hint of hops.  I could sit around a drink a lot these on a hot summer afternoon.

Gaffel Kolsch

This week continues the review of Kolsch beers that I picked up in Cologne while on R&R.  It is an offering from Gaffel Privatbrauerei.

This Kolsch pours a clear dark gold with literally no head and leaves no tracing on the side of the glass. The aroma is subtle so I missed most of it.  The taste is clean, crisp, and more hoppy than the Fruh Kolsch that I had last week but it doesn't finish with the explosion of hops that that one did.  Not bad but the Fruh was probably better.

Fruh Kolsch

When it comes to Kolsch beers the Fruh Brauhaus is probably the most well known.  Our Germany Day Trips book recommended going there not just for the beer but for the food, we walked by it but didn't stop in.  I did get a bottle of it at a local getranke markt so that I could sample it at home.   Here's what I thought

Pours a pale golden color that can easily be seen through with a white head that disappeared quickly but leaves tracing on the side of the glass.  The aroma is very subtle and eludes my constantly stopped up sniffer.  The taste is light and crisp without being watery and finishes with a burst of hops.  A very interesting beer

Kolsch Beers From Cologne

The next four weeks worth of beers are all Kolsch's from Cologne.  While home on R&R the family and I went to Cologne on a day trip to go to the Hard Rock Cafe and the Lindt Chocolate Factory/Musuem.  I was surprised to learn that the local beer is called Kolsch and by German law can only be brewed in or around the city of Cologne.  I was actually doubly surprised since I had been introduced to Kolsch beers several years ago when Shiner put out there version of Kolsch that I almost came to like more than their bock (Sacrilegious I know) but back to the German version.

To read more about Kolsch beers go here or here.  Kolsch is typically served in a tall thin glass that is only .33l as compared to the more traditional .5 l stone krugs or 1l mass krugs.  Check out the below picture.

Enjoy the reviews

Weltenburger Barock Dunkel

If you all remember one of the places that the family and I visited before I deployed to Afghanistan was the Weltenburger Abbey Brewery.  I sampled all of their beers except for their Gold Medal winning Barock Dunkel.  Well I rectified that situation.  Here's what I thought.

The Barock Dunkel pours a deep reddish amber with a caramel colored head that dissipates slowly and leaving faint tracings on the side of the glass.  The aroma is one of chocolate and caramel and the caramel theme carries into the taste of caramel and toasted malt.  The beer finishes smooth and is very enjoyable.

I've come to recognize the Weltenburger beers as one of my favorites and if you can find one they are a great introduction to German beers.  And if you can get to Germany it's a great experience to visit the Abbey and sample the beers.  I highly recommend it.