Berkshire Gold Spike Ale

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Style: Kölsch
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Pours a golden body with a small head. Aroma is slightly hoppy with hints of grass and citrus. Easy drinking without much complexity. Nothing offensive, but not very rewarding either. Nice for the summer I guess.

Easy drinking beer -- light in color and reminded me of the sam spring ale. Was nice and crisp however.

Pours a one-fingered white head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Cloudy light amber color, yeast settling out. Hoppy/malty nose. Light carbonation and light bodied. Starts with a malty/hop flavor, finish is clean. Definitely a summer ale. $3.25 for a 22oz bottle from Colonial Spirits, Acton, Ma.

Growler purchased at a package store. Pours gold with a white dissipating head. Smells of barnyard, morning dew, freshly cut grass and oranges. Tases of lemon, grass and spices with a slightly bitter peppery finish.

From a growler, at Julio’s Spring Beer Fest, 4/02/05. Pale gold, little bit of straw yellow with a small amount of bubbly white head. Aroma of light wheat, hay, dry pale malt and a touch of yeast. Some faint lemon and orange notes. A bit of flowery, soft hops, little bitterness. Flavor is very dry, with a slight lemon and wheat body to it, low bitterness, moderate carbonation and a hint of yeast. Though it’s light bodied, it is not a watery mess. As usual, some sweetness would not kill it (why does a kolsch seem to mean zero malt sweetness to most American brewers?). No light honey, all dry grass and hay, with slight pepperiness on the finish.

Bottle: Pours to a pale orange, clear, tiny white head. Aroma: grass, light fruits, mild yeast, mild citrus. Flavor: Better than expected from the look and smell. There’s a nice mildly spicy yeast taste, grass, mild earth, with some very mild lemon and citrus. Just a little too watery (yes for a kolsch). Not bad.

I said Budlight, just kidding its better than budlight but not much better. Very slightly grassy aroma, light color,yellow, slightly hazy. Not very good, and yes I’ve had a good Kolsch or two.

22 oz bommber. Gorgeous bright golden (duh!) color, big snowy head doesn't last. Nose grassy, farmyard-y, really odd in some way I can't get around ... it's distinctive, but not neccesarily good. Flavor ahs that same weird barnyardiness at the front, but a nice thick chewy maltiness comes in and nearly saves the day. Rather dry and thin finish. This is a hard one to rate, I really want to like it and I'm getting much more interested in the style, its got some distinction, but I just cannot say I like it. Maybe I'll try it again at the beginning of its proper season, rather than the end.