JosephsBrau Summer Brew

Brewed by Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
Style: Kölsch
Palo Alto, California USA

Poured from bottle a clear light-yellow with thin white head. Aroma of toast, hay and tart grass. Flavor is light and crisp with hay, tart grass, a touch of lemon and malt. Palate is carbonated crisp yet with a malty thickness that coats the tongue and a tart/bitter lingering finish. Overall not my favorite style but worth while on a very hot summer day.

A nice Kolsch, underrated here IMO. Pours golden, thin white head and light lacing. Aroma is semi-sweet, malty with lots of hop pepper. Flavor is initially pale malts, a peppery hop note, a mild lemony note, bready warmth, and a bitter snap from the hops into a slightly spicy finish. Crisp, clean, and refreshing. I love this style, and this is a good example. Probably underrated due to the brand, which is unfortunate.

Source:12 oz bottle from Trader Joe’s.
Glass:Pint.
Appearance:Clear gold pour with a thin white head.
Aroma:Lemons, grain and a hint of orange peel.
Flavor:Malty base with a citric finish.
Palate:Light body with solid carbonation.
Overall:Not too bad. Much better than the other beers I tried from TJs.

Bottle from Trader Joes. Pours golden with a dissipating white head, not much carbonation bubbles. Pleasant aroma of lemonade, fruity esters, and light grains. Light bodied and refreshing with no wateriness. Flavor of biscuit and citrus countered by a tame spicy bitterness. Crisp finish with just a very small hint of clove. A little bold for a Kolsch, but this is actually a very nice and drinkable beer, and a value at 5.99. I would bet that many people would score this higher in a blind taste test.

Pours light golden with a white soapy head. The aroma has grainy pale malt, smooth malt that is pils-like, some dough and mild spicy hops. Medium crisp body with graininess and lightly harsh carbonation. The flavor starts with the aroma traits, but with more spice and is more hoppy and phenolic. The finish is fairly clean, but has a touch of butter. A decent kolsch.

Bottle: Pours a straw-golden color with a thin fizzy white head. Grassy, malty aroma with some hints of toffee. Light with little flavor up front and a slightly bitter, grassy finish. Ok for the price but I found the lingering bitter aftertaste unpleasant.

Bottle from La Mesa. Medium golden in color. Aroma is fairly malty along with some graininess. Crisp and grainy with some malts. Fairly refreshing little summer brew.

Bottle. Pours a very carbonated gold with a one finger white head that results in spotty lacing. The nose is caramel malt and light citrus. The taste is pretty much the same. Medium bodied. Boring, but nothing offensive about it.