Kmita Kolsch - Dark Horse Brewing Company

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Nice amber color, dark for a Kolsch. Pretty hazed. Nice crop of foam atop this'un. 4.0

Toasty aroma with some mignon wafts of hops. Sprig of citrus rind. 3.5

Very toasty, somewhat hoppy, and carrying an inappropriate sting of booze. Falters the drinkability, mostly. Some rooty flavors and floral hops that carry some astringencies, as well as a firm hop bitterness. Too booze-obvious to be any kind of refreshing, and the hop boost throws me off. Some prominent American hops showcased in this brew. Body is medium-light. Carbonation is on the level. 3.0, 2.5

Strange Kolsch. Hoppy, bitter, toasty, dark, and strong. Maybe if it was a pale ale. 2.5

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 00:27:40 | More by thecheapies

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-07-06 in Lancaster, PA at The Fridge

A - Hazy orange-brown with a 1-finger white head and mild lacing.

S - Pale malt, oranges, light floral. Not very strong.

T - Lots of flavors with a decent amount of malt, orange citrus, light grass and light spice. Good amount of lingering hop bitterness.

M - Light body and medium carbonation. Dries nice. Crisp and refreshing aa you'd expect from the style.

O - More malt, spice and citrus flavor than I expected. My buddy and I, kept commenting on how good it tasted. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2012 22:26:47 | More by Tucquan

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at khyber

Pours a deep orange color with golden hues. Thick froth of white head bubbles up, retaining for a bit before dissolving into patchy lacing and film.

A snap of floral hops in the nose with orange peel and citrusy notes. Bready biscuit notes with grain. Faint sweetness.

Orange peel and citrus with a soft hop presence. Grain and biscuit malts with a touch of lemongrass. Soft bread malt backbone with a light sweetness. Finishes quick and refreshing on the tongue.

Lighter medium body, well carbonated, crisp and smooth on the palate. This is a really nice quaffer - perfect for the summer and well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 11:49:00 | More by xnicknj

champ103

Texas

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Blind Pig Brewery in Champaign, IL

A: Pours a clear golden yellow color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Sticky spiderweb looking lace is left behind.
S: Toasted, pale, and bready malts. Light hops. A kiss of floral and grassy hops. Lightly sweet. Simple but very nice.
T: At first toasted and bready malts. A slight caramel sweetness. A bit more hops than in the nose. Finishes slightly bitter with a crisp grassy and lemony twang.
M/D: A light to medium body. Crisp, clean and refreshing. Very easy to drink. All day with this one.

This is very simple, but very nice. Pretty much spot on for the style. Something I really enjoyed and would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 04:56:53 | More by champ103

jale

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Crunchy's in East Lansing.

A: Pours a hazy light orange with a finger of off-white head.

S: Pale malt aroma and some grass.

T: Crisp and clean hop bitterness followed by some bready malt and a hint of honey.

M: Light body with good carbonation.

O: A nice lighter beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 18:07:05 | More by jale

smakawhat

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into a stange glass.

A murky brown light orange body is presented, some cola like sticking carbonation, but with a good amount of small white pinhead rising bubbles as well. Head makes two fingers, light tan in color and settles to a small thin puck.

Nose is interesting, light fruity esters giving to fig and raisins almost hinting of Belgian dark ale sensing sweetness, but much lighter and less sweet. Good solid hints of simple toffee and caramel.

Really nice crisp palate, with good dense malt and light club soda effervescent quality. Sharp hop mixing with a lime citrus astringent finish. Light toffee and fruity raisins match nicely in this very interesting style through the mid palate.

Real interesting beer, probably not what I want in a Kolsch, but it's a real interesting style a mix of light kolsch and sweet dark caramel flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:08:26 | More by smakawhat

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

SMELL: Barley, whiskey malt, euro beer kinda smell with toffee and booze being prominent. Some fruity alcohol and candy notes are there as well.

TASTE: Self dubbed a Polish Style Kolsch, this beer opens with an upfront scotchy malt profile and a minor tea like lemony hop bitter. The flavors are somewhat light but has enough of a malt bill to provide ample cocoa and nutty notes. Finishes with a chalky feel on a medium/full bodied beer. Too heavy to be a standard Kolsch, this rounded polish style Kolsch reminds me more like a light scotch ale.

OVERALL: Hard to categorize, this Kmita Kolsch is fairly tasty, and blindfolded I would have sworn this was imported. An odd ball beer, I kind of like it, but I really would look elsewhere for a clean example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 23:24:21 | More by Stinkypuss

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.54/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Hinterland stange.
5.5% ABV, no date.

A - Kmita Kölsch pours out a surprisingly copper amber color, hazed with fine particles; much darker than any Kölsch I've ever seen. The beer's creamy ivory head lingers on the surface for a while leaving some attractive lace before it collapses into the beer.

S - Dusty, dirty, and dry, this Kölsch has a toasted malt aroma with caramel undertones and spicy rye-like notes with lingering broad Connecticut Shade leaf tobacco and faint hop notes. I'm not sure what a "Polish Style Kölsch" is supposed to be like, but this is pretty off base for a Kölsch though not bad as what it is.

T - Lots of maltiness when a typical Kölsch is considered, there's toffee, caramel, and bread flavors which all overwhelm the minor hoppiness that's in the beer. The finish is filled with dusty, almost chalky dry dirt and the same rye-like spice the nose offers. Again, the plethora of flavors really pushes this beer beyond the realm of what a typical Kölsch should be.

M - Medium-bodied and smooth, this beer has a nice mouth feel with a dusty, dry finish and spice note that is nice but it's far from the crisp, clean German-style Kölsch beers.

O - I'm not quite sure what a "Polish Style Kölsch Ale" is but this beer doesn't measure up to what a Kölsch should be if styles are considered. By no means is it a bad product, in fact, Kmita Kölsch is a very well-made beer, it just doesn't fit guidelines. I'd love to know the story behind this beer; I feel that it might make the experience make a little more sense. In the end Kmita Kölsch is drinkable but not as drinkable as a typical Kölsch.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:12:53 | More by BeerFMAndy

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.21/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I have no idea what a Polish kölsch is supposed to be like, but this is the darkest kolsch I have ever seen. Most brown ales aren't this dark. Super malty nose and tons on the flavor as well. Smooth feel, but quite thick. This is not really a kölsch so far as I am familiar with. Nice drinker but well outside the style parameters.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:47:51 | More by RblWthACoz

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I remember being so perplexed by the concept of a "Polish-style kolsch" this past summer that I ran out to the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park and grabbed a pint at their bar. Good times. Let's have another, shall we? This stuff pours a partly hazy copper-amber topped by a finger of glowing off-cream-white foam. The nose comprises toasted and buttery biscuit, candied orange zest, and a hint of fennel. The taste holds notes of tangelo zest, orange peel, light black pepper, toasted biscuit, and a dash of nutmeg. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a creamily drying finish. Overall, a tasty interpretation of a kolsch, even if it bears only a small resemblance to the base style.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 22:29:54 | More by TMoney2591

barczar

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly hazy copper with a fleeting half inch cream head. Darker than any kolsch I've seen.

Aroma is grainy, with sweet caramel malt and light floral hop notes.

Flavor reveals a fruity character, with bready, toasted malt, caramel sweetness, and a slightly dry, floral finish.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation and an astringent finish. There's significant alcohol warmth.

Not a kolsch. The fruity flavor is offputting. Review is not based on style, but personal preference.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 06:13:22 | More by barczar

pb9613

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance – This beer pours an amber color with a light tan head. The head is dense after the pour but the retention is limited.

Smell – The beer has a heavy biscuit smell with a strong caramel overtone.

Taste – This beer is interesting with a Belgian amber driving force but the bread, caramel and toffee notes come through with a dry finish.

Mouthfeel – A dry beer that seems a little harsh for a kolsch.

Overall – I was a little leery seeing a can of Carling Black Label on the label. A solid beer. This is not what I feel a traditional klosch beer should be like but then again, they are claiming it is a Polish klosch so who am I to argue. I would buy this one again but since it is on a rotating basis who knows when I will see it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:41:45 | More by pb9613

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a light fizzy head that hits about 1/3 finger and fades at a med pace, but leaves a thicker creamy head covering with a bit of lacing, over hazy sediment laden darker reddish nectar orange color.

Nose is light, a little creamy malt profile, light yeasty esters and a hint of a vegetal like aroma, light wet hay and touch of grass, little aromatic malt.

Taste is light and herbal, vegetative like flavors, light corn oil like, light rancid oil, fluffy malt, little reddish caramel like malt, some fruity esters again, with a touch of that flavor from yeast fermenting too hot.A touch of herbal hops come through on the finish, with a dry finish but still a bit sticky, little malty and vegetal again.

Mouth is med bodied, too much body even, but at least decent carb.

Overall not good. Like a somewhat inexperienced homebrewer making some mistakes, and nothing what I would expect for a Kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 00:24:53 | More by jlindros

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a narrow pint glass, color is copper to amber, head is light tan and dense.

Smell is toast caramel, light biscuit, a little sweeter in the caramel note than most kolsch.

Taste is interesting, I'd put it at a mix of a belgian/french amber and kolsch; somewhat bready and toasted taste, with a solid caramel and toffee note and finishes pretty dry (bitterness from the hops?)

Mouthfeel is a little sharp for a kolsch, drying on the tongue in the finish but its preceded by pleasant balance.

Overall, an interesting take on a kolsch, as I mentioned more of belgian/french amber flavor profile with kolsch yeast flavoring and drying presence in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 22:11:45 | More by mvanaskie13

metter98

New York

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is hazy yellowish amber in color (very dark compared to other beers in the style) and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head.
S: There are light aromas of grapes and biscuit malts in the nose that died down but never completely faded away.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has some flavors of toasted malts along with a light amount of bitterness and hints of spicy hops.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, clean and quite dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The dryness persists through the finish.
O: This beer is quite unlike any other kölsch I've had before, especially in its appearance and amount of malts and dryness. It's also not very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:32:48 | More by metter98

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a 200mL Rastel pokal glass. No date on bottle.

Appearance: Hazy copper-amber. Thin off white head at first, and then nothing. No lacing either. Poured slow and noted sediment in bottom of bottle - so I'm guessing some of the sediment came along which accounts for the haze.

Smell: Caramel and that was all I could pull out.

Taste: Caramel, sharp noble hop bitterness that becomes more tea-like as the beer warms up. Good, but significant contrast in flavors here.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation and little bit sticky on the teeth. Nice thickness underneath. Otherwise nothing special.

Overall / Drinkability: An unusual contrast of flavors in this beer. Not like any kolsch I've had before. Glad I tried, but I could not see myself having very many glasses of this in a sitting. Drinkability leaves a bit to be desired, but definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 22:37:14 | More by damndirtyape

Brenden

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is the darkest Kolsch I've ever seen, being darker than amber, perhaps even copper in color. A fizzy head is pretty short-lived and, despite consistent activity, doesn't have lasting power. It does leave just enough spotty lacing from a light foam to let me know it's got at least some substance to it.
This...is an interesting one. After offering me a note up rubbing alcohol on front (which doesn't translate to the flavor, fortunately), it shows off lots of sweet malts and very mils floral notes. The taste moves from sweet corn to steel but not adjunct, per se. There's a floral and even a touch of herbal hoppiness to this beer, but it's not vinous and the malts keep it from being dry. I don't know what this actually is, only that it's not a Kolsch. It's not a bad beer, as there's a good balance and depth of flavor despite the weirdness of it, but it loses points for adherence to style.
The feel actually isn't bad but, again, adherence to style is an issue. While not a big-bodied brew, it's downright heavy for a Kolsch. It's also not particularly clean.
I think Dark Horse is a great brewery in general, but it really swings on the spectrum with their beers. This is on the lower end.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 15:18:19 | More by Brenden

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish Head pint glass. The pour is light amber and slightly clear (dark for the style) without much head. I'm getting a little bit of malt aroma with a touch of apple fruitiness.

Very firm mouthfeel and nice, medium body. I get clean, sweet, fruity malt notes up front and a soft, balancing hop spiciness in the back of the mouth. The hops add just that touch of spice and do not make the beer the least bit bitter. It almost tastes like a Vienna Lager, except the malt is not as pronounced. Here, the malt sweetness is very subtle and delicate and merely adds body and a fruity component to the flavor.

A very easy-drinking and refreshing pour. I'm not sure how authentic this is to the style (it's so dark it doesn't resemble any Kolsh I've had), but it's quality is beyond dispute.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:15:38 | More by deadonhisfeet

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured weirdly. I didn't manage to break up the flocks into finer light reflecting things, and it was darker than the few of the style I've had and it seemed a bit not cool and not inviting and like I said, weird. I get malt and biscuit and a bit of ripe fruit and maybe some floral notes. Again. A Kolsch? Tastes actually ok average, or even maybe a bit better. Not undrinkable for sure, but I really don't have much positive to say about this., sorry, loving DH brews and all. I wonder if the Polish has something to do with this?

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 23:09:36 | More by Bitter_Echo

TurdFurgison

Ohio

2.28/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

First off, I love Kolsch. I'm also a fan of most things I've tried from Dark Horse. And I'm a HUGE fan of the label on this bottle! But despite all of that I cannot give this beer a good review if I'm rating to style.

The beer is way darker than any Kolsch I've had, an amber color that isn't close to the golden hue I expect. Looking back to the label I see that it's a "Polish Style Kolsch Ale", maybe that accounts for the color. I've never seen a Polish brewery in Cologne.

The aroma is sort of worty, strong grain and sweet malt. It tastes overly sweet too, nothing like the delicate malt and light hop balance I'm used to. Again I get strong grains in the flavor along with the smell. The body is likewise too heavy, this misses the mark on every single attribute. Is this an inside joke at Dark Horse?

I don't recommend this, my first "don't buy" comment on a Dark Horse beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 23:42:21 | More by TurdFurgison

tectactoe

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Had this one along time ago. Had again recently thanks to Jeff. Pours a murky copper color with the slightly beige head. What the hell? This doesn't look like any other Kolsch I've ever seen. Much, much darker and heavier looking. I had to double check to make sure it was really a Kolsch. Apparently so. Hmm, weird.

The aroma contains some fruits with a mild sourness that seems to grow a little bit as the beer gets warmer. Cherries and lemons seem to be the most prominent fruits, maybe even some grapes. Kind of nebulous overall. Some graininess resides in the back; pretty sweet and malty when all is said and done, with no real hop character that I can find in the aroma. A bit of alcoholic warmth comes through also, some else that's quite strange for a Kolsch - typically lighter, heavy-drinking beers.

The light sourness from the aroma is also the first thing to show up in the taste - not puckering or anything, mind you, just a light tartness that hits the tongue right away. Apples, cherries, and I'm getting a big-time plum flavor out of this, too. Right behind the tart beginning, there's a staunch bitterness that hits quick and fades into a more earthy sweetness. Malts are heavy all around; biscuits, faint caramel. Some weird steel/metal flavors that probably shouldn't be there. The taste is also surprisingly "boozy" and hits a little bit light nail polish remover on the back of the tongue at times. How can this be, when the beer is only 5.5% ABV? Medium body, leaving a sticky coating on the palate (again... what?) with a heavy bready aftertaste.

This beer wasn't awful, but it wasn't very good, either. And I don't understand how this can be labeled as a Kolsch. It resembles a Kolsch in almost no way. Is Dark Horse trying to play a joke on us? I'll be sure to pass this one up next time.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:15:00 | More by tectactoe

emerge077

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single of this as I was curious, and didn't want to commit to a six pack without trying it first. The idea of Dark Horse brewing a Kolsch was intriguing.

Pours amber orange with a slight haze, thin cap of foam up top, and the occasional stray rising bubble or two. Looks more like an amber ale, but whatever.

Smells like Kolsch yeast and lightly toasted grains.

Tastes a little fruity and toasty with a gently bitter aftertaste. If I had this blindfolded I'd say it was Bells Amber (a great beer). Dried fruit and light toasty malt flavors. Light feel, smooth and flavorful. It's a good beer, regardless of style. Craft beer is about bending rigid styles anyway...

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 21:00:09 | More by emerge077

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.28/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The act of pulling a bottle from the six pack carton brings immediate joy as a jolly polish mafia-like aristocrat, equipped with a cigar, bow tie, and what looks like a Black Label can greets the eye. Can I get some extra cheese with that? But what's important is on the inside, so let's go there...

The beer opens with a rich copper hue that's a better display for amber ales or pale ales. I had to do a double take to make sure that this was supposed to be a kolsch-style ale. Its short-lived foam stance yields no real retention and collapses within half the session.

Grainy-sweet aromas rise to the nose with foreground notes of caramel candy, cinnamony alcohols and corn. Lightly starch scented, the beer delivers an aromatic combination that reminds me as much of colas as that of beer.

Saccharine sweetness thrives in the taste of left over malt. Caramel and cola nut rise in taste reminds me in no real way of traditional kolsch. Vegetal corn and an overall cereal grist taste migrates over the palate more like a cream ale that balances toward the maltier pale ale side. With little of the spice that shows up in the nose, the hop balance that finishes the beer provides a woody, minty bitterness.

Starch and residual sweetness frames the mouthfeel and forbids the clean crisp pilsner malt dryness or mild hop bitterness to close the beer with crispness or cleanliness. Finishing semi-sweet and weightedly, the beer never convinces me of kolsch textures.

Dark Horse could convince me that Kmita is a cream ale, an amber ale, or even a non-descript pale ale. But it's not a very good beer, and certainly not a well made kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:20:25 | More by BEERchitect

innersanctum

Illinois

1.25/5  rDev -63.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Ya know when your cleaning lady gives you those chocolates at Christmas time and you really *want* to like them, but they just don't taste good, and you end up throwing away half the box, well meet Kmita Kolsh!

Sampled 3 bottles from two different 6-packs. The first bottle was best and served cold on a hot summer day. While the taste was initially heavier with a fuller biscuty mouthfeel than the Kolsh's which I've had, the flavor dissipated toward a boozy/acidy finish the last quarter of the bottle. The appearance was a nutty brown which is much darker than other offerings from this style, and there was a lot of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

The second bottle was finished, but the boozy taste was persistent throughout. It is somewhat suprising that a 5.5% APV offering would exhibit this flavor, but it was loud and clear. The third bottle was poured into a glass, and after one sip it was poured down the drain. All bottles were purchased at Barneys Market, New Buffalo, MI.

If you're reading this over at DH, please note that I'm trying to offer some honest feedback, and you can see from my other reviews that I admire your work.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 16:59:38 | More by innersanctum

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange-ish to amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, faint lager notes, yet quite fresh. In the taste, small caramel notes, quite similar to a Vienna lager. Quite smooth and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dryness and light caramel roast in the aftertaste. It was more a Vienna lager than a kolsch, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 16:15:00 | More by OWSLEY069