Having had a smattering of blonde ales lately, moving onto a
Kölsch seems like a natural progression. These styles look the same and it's not
uncommon to find a blonde ale labeled "Kölsch" – so what's the
difference? The way I rate it, a genuine Kölsch from Köln will be lagered so sweetness and fruity flavors will be present but deemphasized. Plus the hops
should be more grass/straw-like.
While there isn't a gothic cathedral or Köbes in sight, we
do have good Kölsch-style beers here. In fact, one of the best, New Glarus' Kid
Kölsch, returns this summer, if it's not already on store shelves. Sadly, some of the best domestic Kölsches I've
ever had are either no longer brewed (Sierra Nevada, Big Bay) or not available
here in Madison (Schlafly). Now we have a new Kölsch-style ale available here from
Chicago's Dovetail Brewery.
I tend to rate Kölsches against the Platonic ideal of the style,
Reissdorf. I have friends who prefer Gaffel und Früh and, while I certainly
don't dislike them, they just don't reach Reissdorfian heights. Mainly I think
this is because they don't get that nice, crisp cracker flavor. When I've had
them, I taste something that's more doughy, almost mushy/paste-like. On the one
hand, I am willing to give a lot of slack to imported beers because who knows
when that stuff was brewed and what the conditions on the trek across the ocean
were like. But Reissdorf makes that trip too.
Reissdorf not only has a wonderful grain taste in absolute
terms, but also in relative terms. It comes in just the right amount to allow
the fruitiness a little room and the hops too. Everything in its place. I've
read that around 100 years ago the Kölsch was quite a bit hoppier than it is
today. While I am happy to try a retro Kölsch, I will continue to adore the more
modern iteration of the beer which, I suspect, dates back to the time when those
old-looking buildings in Köln were being built.
Unlike most of the beers I've tasted lately, it wasn't the
fizz that I judged first. Instead, it was the tasty crackery grain flavor
followed by some low-level sweetness that was honeyed on one sip and then more
like berry on the next. It was all kept in check by a medium fizziness. On the
swallow, I thought I tasted wheat as a mild, peppery bitterness kicked in which
conspired with the fizz for a fairly dry finish.
Dovetail has concocted a Kölsch-style brew that is very similar
to Reissdorf but with a slightly heavier malt taste and more fruitiness. It's
like it took the Reissdorf template and embiggened the bier just a tad. I
admit that there's a part of me saying that it just doesn't match up with my beloved Kölsch from Cologne but, really, this is a wonderful take on the style. It has got very
tasty grain and fruity flavors doing that Kölsch-y pas de deux on my tongue, plus
it's light, crisp and the brisk, dry finish was perfect. A most worthy addition
to my Kölsch arsenal.
Junk food pairing: I like to pair my Kölsch with cheese so, after you pour yourself a Dovetail, bust open a bag of Cheetos Puffs. The lighter Puffs with their delicate crispness goes perfectly with the more restrained flavors of the Kölsch.
No comments:
Post a Comment