Being a fan of ale over lager, I thought a bottle of Kölsch might be a treat for me. Unlike the majority of its German bretheren, Kölsch is fermented with a 'top fermenting' yeast like bitter, stout and pale ale is. This is a completely different strain of brewing yeast and behaves, and of course, tastes different. The German standard 'Lager' yeast, or Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis, is as clean as a whistle and lets the malt and hops provide flavour. I personally like some flavour contribution from the yeast so thought that Kölsch might just be the German beer for me.
There wasn't a choice of Kölsch in the Real Ale Shop in Richmond where I bought this round of beer from but that's not too much of an issue; the fact that they've got one was fine by me. Plus, they're jolly nice in there. Sünner Kölsch, it was then.
Standing in a typical 500ml German-style bottle with a green label, it looks as uninspiring as they get. However, I've come accustomed to Germany's perfunctory presentation and shall try and move on. What I didn't have was a special Kölsch glass: thin, straight and fairly short (200ml). My aunt is married to a chap from Köln and at barbecues will sometimes bring mini kegs of Kölsch, which he insists is drunk in the correct glass. I found the thinnest glass I could.
Poured, the beer is as pale, sparkling and bright as they come and is typical of the style. Aromatically, there are elements of honey but surprisingly no hop aromas to speak of. It wasn't giving a lot away.
The flavour is what I'd call flat, but probably should be described as 'crisp' or 'clean'. Nothing comes forward and announces itself, apart from Plisner malt, which is fairly bland in flavour. The Kölsch yeast has no fruit flavours or spiciness; I'm sure they're very different but on first critical sampling I can't see much differing from lager yeast.
After swallowing, there is an interesting tang, opposed to the usual slow introduction of bitterness. Whilst not being sour, it's got an element of that about it. There is enough sweetness to make it pleasant to drink and it's very nicely carbonated. Other than that, there's very little else to say about it.
There are those who enjoy a clean, crisp and refreshing beer and there's nothing wrong with that. They'll probably shudder at the thought of yeast dominating a beer's flavour. For those, this beer will be perfect. In my personal opinion, I find this beer erring on the insipid side. I hope to find joy in my next Kölsch glass. At least I know someone to ask...
Sünner Kölsch - 5
http://www.suenner-brauerei.de/koelsch.html
Monday 25 June 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Continued adventures in Germany...
I was feeling a little but apprehensive after my first beer in my bunch; was it going to be too much to follow? The following two beers, Ayinger's Jahrehundert Helles and Tucher's Christmas beer (yeah, odd timing but hey) both were pleasingly sweet with a sophisticated hop profile and confirmed that my new drinking adventures were going to be enjoyable. My focus, however, now turns to the dopplebock in the fridge.
Kloster Andech's Dopplebock was looking like my sort of beer: dark and coming in at 7.1% with promise of a big malt character. Not to mention the strong ties it has with a monastery. Those dudes know how to brew.
Once poured, I could see that it was indeed dark with a rich, ruby tint. There wasn't much of a head to speak of, but with force carbonated beers it less of an issue; the fizz is there.
Aromatically speaking, this is a beer that keeps on giving. With burnt elements that reminded me of treacle and maltiness bursting through, it was a treat for my nose. What I enjoyed was the fact that it differed so much in character to a Belgian Dubbel yet had all the same aspects involved. It just goes to show how much the yeast gives a beer; the German lager yeasts are as clean as a whistle staying well out of the way, whilst their Belgian cousins work their merry way throughout a beer's flavour and scent.
Once in the mouth there begins to be a few deficiencies. It's quite lacking in body and I feel that the fizz doesn't help. As I said, it's clearly fizzy but there's something about the character of the bubbles that doesn't help with the texture. I might be romanticising the natural qualities of bottle conditioning but in my experience (and I hate to say it, but particularly with Belgian beer) there can often be a much richer, smooth distribution of bubbles with natural carbonation. In turn, this of course assists the texture.
Usually, I wouldn't be so critical but the aroma gave such promise of what was to come and I feel it slightly let itself down. The shortcomings don't end there; the finish is a little disappointing too. It's a rather disparate affair with bitterness and sweetness both in play, which is good, but they're not really 'as one'. The bitterness is very sharp and the sweetness very mellow but the lack of cohesion between the two leaves a funny sensation.
It's a little bit of a shame as I was really excited about this beer, particularly so once I'd had a whiff of its prodigal scent but it fell short. Not drastically short, mind you - I would happily have it again - but it could have been better.
Kloster Andechs Dopplebock - 7.5
http://www.andechs.de/kloster-andechs/die-klosterbrauerei/genuss-fuer-leib-seele-andechser-bierspezialitaeten/andechser-doppelbock-dunkel.html (German only).
Kloster Andech's Dopplebock was looking like my sort of beer: dark and coming in at 7.1% with promise of a big malt character. Not to mention the strong ties it has with a monastery. Those dudes know how to brew.
Once poured, I could see that it was indeed dark with a rich, ruby tint. There wasn't much of a head to speak of, but with force carbonated beers it less of an issue; the fizz is there.
Aromatically speaking, this is a beer that keeps on giving. With burnt elements that reminded me of treacle and maltiness bursting through, it was a treat for my nose. What I enjoyed was the fact that it differed so much in character to a Belgian Dubbel yet had all the same aspects involved. It just goes to show how much the yeast gives a beer; the German lager yeasts are as clean as a whistle staying well out of the way, whilst their Belgian cousins work their merry way throughout a beer's flavour and scent.
Once in the mouth there begins to be a few deficiencies. It's quite lacking in body and I feel that the fizz doesn't help. As I said, it's clearly fizzy but there's something about the character of the bubbles that doesn't help with the texture. I might be romanticising the natural qualities of bottle conditioning but in my experience (and I hate to say it, but particularly with Belgian beer) there can often be a much richer, smooth distribution of bubbles with natural carbonation. In turn, this of course assists the texture.
Usually, I wouldn't be so critical but the aroma gave such promise of what was to come and I feel it slightly let itself down. The shortcomings don't end there; the finish is a little disappointing too. It's a rather disparate affair with bitterness and sweetness both in play, which is good, but they're not really 'as one'. The bitterness is very sharp and the sweetness very mellow but the lack of cohesion between the two leaves a funny sensation.
It's a little bit of a shame as I was really excited about this beer, particularly so once I'd had a whiff of its prodigal scent but it fell short. Not drastically short, mind you - I would happily have it again - but it could have been better.
Kloster Andechs Dopplebock - 7.5
http://www.andechs.de/kloster-andechs/die-klosterbrauerei/genuss-fuer-leib-seele-andechser-bierspezialitaeten/andechser-doppelbock-dunkel.html (German only).
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