Kölsch – The Barley Whine

History of Kölsch

Starting in the 1840s, Czech’s were brewing the amazingly clear, quality controlled amber, with all the bubbles and Saaz hops that set Bohemian’s, and quickly the world’s, nips a-stiff. German brewers, freaked out by the popularity of the foreign beverage, with its clear look and consistent taste, began to improve their own product. In Munich, borrowing the same British pale ale techniques, began brewing helles lager. In the Rhineland they stuck with ale, and came up with kölsch.

Beer Style

Brewed in Cologne (Köln), Germany, Kölsch is a golden ale brewed first in the late 19th century. The taste is generally subtle, less weight on the palette than even the pilsner for which it was designed to compete against. Brewed like an ale, it is then cold conditioned and lagered around 30-32 °F. The body is light, the taste is clean with minimal pale pilsner malt and mild, crisp noble hop notes. The most common word people use to describe this beer is “refreshing”, which the best are. Kölsch is served in cylindrical 200ml Stange (German for “pole”) glasses.

Stange, the traditional glassware for Kölsch — Kölsch in Stange glassware

How to try

Kölsch now comes with all the cowardly, protectionist legal definitions akin to north-central Italy being the sole location Parmigiano-Reggiano is cultured, or the state of Kentucky’s borders enshrining the only geography from which bourbon can be produced. Unfortunately, beer does not keep as well as cheese or whiskey. Many kölsch ales that end up in the U.S. have been robbed by time of any hop profile. Oxidation can also occur, turning the beer. Try this one fresh in country, right off the boat, or go for a local “Kölsch-style” beer. If you get a fresh one done right, you’ll taste one of the few styles refreshing enough to survive up against the nearly insurmountable coup of lagered beer. Cologne after all, has been saving the ales for 150 years.

Kölsch Beers to Try

Heinrich Reissdorf: Reissdorf Kölsch

Hausbrauerei Päffgen: Päffgen Kölsch

Heinrich Reissdorf: Reissdorf Kölsch

Hausbrauerei Päffgen: Päffgen Kölsch

Goose Island: Summertime

Three Floyds: Calumet Queen

Victory: Kölsch Ale

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the 1990s German style beers were everywhere in the Midwest. While this has not entirely faded, with craft brewers cranking out a number of them at high quality, at many American brewpubs it is more common to find a Belgian wit than a hefeweizen, and you’re more likely to encounter brown ale than altbier. Still, brewers continue to make pils, rauchbier, marzen and Kölsch in large numbers. Three Floyds Calumet Queen is a Kölsch style beer, brewed in late summer and we were lucky enough to get to try a bottle.

Three Floyds Calumet Queen kölsch — Three Floyds Calumet Queen

TASTING NOTES

When poured, Calumet Queen displays the bright golden hue of early autumn leaves. Head is bright white, significant, but weak with little lacing, leaving almost as quickly as it arrived. The nose is sweet with floral notes, likely from the German hops, and some vestigial qualities. The taste is sweeter than the nose, with the lager yeast adding a mild spice, and bright German hops bringing up a bit of bite at the close. For a fresh Kölsch, one brewed by a hop forward brewer at the top of their game, the bitterness disappointing slightly. Were it not so darn sweet this would be a near perfect German style guzzler. Body is light, which befits a Kölsch.

CONCLUSION

It is always a treat to get the German styles brewed close to home and fresh, as my general criticism of them could stem from hops fading on the journey from Germany to my palette. Strangely, Three Floyds Calumet Queen has the same fault I find in many of the authentic Kölsch brews: namely that they are lacking in the hop department. Calumet City, Illinois abuts Indiana to the west, much as the Calumet Queen brushes right up against what a great German lager-like beer should be. While the overall quality of this beer is top notch, lacking a balance to the saccharine malt base, it could have been even better.