Na Zdravi !: Kolsch

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Kolsch

"From Cologne to California, Kölsch-style beers are a favorite around the world. These light-bodied beers share the expressive character of an ale with the crisp, clean finish commonly found in lager beers. For our stamp on the style, Kölsch has a blast of floral and citrusy American and European whole-cone hops. This beer contains wheat malt to maintain the legendary drinkability of a classic Kölsch but adds a nod to our American brewing heritage and our love of hop flavor."

Try as I might, I just don't "get" this style. Not bad, but so unremarkable. Perhaps on a 90+ degree summer day, served ice cold after doing yardwork ...

ABV 5%, 30 IBU
Hops: Magnum.Spalt Spalter, Loral™
Malt: Acidulated, Steffi Pilsner
Yeast: Ale Yeast

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.