OMB Kölsner

Brewed by The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Style: Kölsch
Charlotte, North Carolina USA

WBF. Pours a translucent yellow with a one finger white head. The nose is malty, sweet, grassy, some hay, bready, lagery character. Flavor is bready, earthy, mildly sweet, crisp, mild bitterness.

On tap at World Beer Fest in Durham. Pours light clear gold. Grassy hops. Bit of grain and mild malt. Tastes a bit better than it smells. Would like to drink more of this.

Draft at the Flying Saucer in Charlotte. Golden, but a tad darker than yellow. I think it’s legit, although this style is pretty delicate. Had a bit of sweetness to it, pretty clean. Definitely didn’t think pils. Thumbs up, I’m going to try to get some more of this.

Tasted on tap @ the brewery in an 8 oz. glass on 6/11 and again on 6/18. This is the second beer released by OMB and just went on sale last week. As the commercial description indicates, this is another lagered ale, but this one is fermented with Kolsch yeast. As the name also indicates, this beer is somewhat of a hybrid Kolsch/Pilsener - from talking to one of the brewers last week, they hop it like a Pilsener but it’s otherwise brewed like a Kolsch with a lagering period after fermentation is complete. I must say, I’m a fan of the result. Aroma: Very clean with some nice traditional German malt and noble hop aromas. Appearance: Clear as could be, nice golden color as you would expect, and a perfect amount of head on the 8 oz. pour. Not much more you can ask for. Flavor: Very clean and easy drinking, but enough flavor from the German malts and noble hops to keep you coming back for another sip. Overall, the flavor is very reminiscent of Pilsner Urquell and that’s a good thing if you ask me. Palate: Carbonation is lively and right where it should be. No unusual aftertastes. Overall Impression: This isn’t my favorite style but I must say that I’m a big fan of this beer. It’s a perfect summertime beer that should have a wide appeal. Can’t wait to see what OMB puts out next!