Berkshire Gold Spike Ale

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

(draft) Hazy straw body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, peach, light apple. Taste is medium sweet, apple, peach. Watery light body.

22oz bottle acquired in trade. Poured a medium and clear yellow color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of initial skunkiness then followed by breadiness, earthy, and grains. Tastes of straw, grains, and wheat. Has a light tart finish. I can see chilling this one way down and drinking it on a hot summer day.

@CBC-22oz bottle–pours a rich white head with bubbles and cloudy yellow/gold color. Aroma is light malt, some herbal. Taste is light malt, some herbal. Easy.

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.

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.

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.

Draft sample at Eli Cannon’s. Piss poor pale yellow with a murky haze. Scent is of dirty socks and stale cereal. Mouthfeel is sticky, slimy. Unpleasantly sour, dirty beer, and the keg was recently tapped :(

(22 oz bottle: Obtained 24-Feb-06 in trade with Eyedrinkale, thanks Mike!) Slightly husky graininess fades off the palate quickly, leaving an aftertaste that’s pushing American BMC territory. I guess that makes this a beer you should chug to prevent the bad adjuncty aftertaste from settling in. Otherwise, it’s crisp and clean and light with hints of grassy, lemony hops and fruitiness. Body is light, carbonation is moderate. The best part of the Gold Spike experience is the pleasant, lightly husky grain aroma that shows hints of grassy hops and lemon. The pale straw color is getting close to BMC territory as well, though there is a slight haze. Small, white head dissipates rapidly, leaving the tiniest of rings around the edge of the beer. No lacing. I really can’t imagine the people who like this beer would also pay this price. It’s twice the price of a BMC and the unpleasant aftertaste makes sure that the beer’s really not that much more enjoyable.