Saranac Kolsch
There was a time, many moons ago, that my fridge would be packed with the likes of Pete’s Wicked Ale, Sam Adam’s Boston Lager and Saranac Black Forest — those were some of my favorite brews to drink on a regular basis. Now, they rarely, if ever, make an appearance. That’s not to say that I don’t like them any more, it’s just one of those natural progressions I suppose. They were a solid “gateway drug” into the world of craft beer.
Every now again, however, we’ll pick up a mixed pack from Saranc for a little variety. The latest is the brewery’s 12 Beers of Summer mixed set the wife purchased a week or so ago. We’ve now sampled all of the styles in the pack and found some that were pretty darn good and others that were just alright — as tends to be the case with many variety packs I’ve gone through.
The variety packs also offer the opportunity to try something new without having to pick up a full six pack. This time around all of the beers offered in the pack were new to me. The first up is the Saranac Kolsch, a light bodied beer that served as a nice start to a relaxing day this past Saturday afternoon.
A tasty little beer for a beautiful day
Appearance
This kolsch pours a pale amber in color with a large white cap.
Aroma
It’s got a light nose overall, but has hints of bready malt, a light sweetness, apple and a light grassy/hay character.
Taste
Much like the nose, the flavors are also a little subdued. It starts off with a decent level of biscuity malt and light apple/pear notes before transitioning to a lightly hopped finish (not much bitterness) that lingers for a short while. The mouthfeel isn’t quite as crisp as I would have liked, but the beer still had enough snap to keep it refreshing on the palate.
Overall
This is one of those beers you grab after a long day hiking or working in the yard. It’s not going to pack a large amount of flavor, but enough to keep things interesting enough. It’s a relatively refreshing beer that served as a nice introduction to the rest of the beers in the variety pack.
Rating: 3/5