Gaffel Kölsch - Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co.

dar482

New York

3.91/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It comes in a light yellow color.

There is a grassy and grainy aroma.

The taste actually has a lot of similarities to a pilsner, but not quite. There is a good bitterness, and then a light sweet finish. There a slight bitter finish. It is a bit lacking in flavor, but still quite good and really drinkable.

Not the best kolsch, but decent.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2013 02:07:20 | More by dar482

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours pale yellow with an enormous white thick head that slowly sets into somewhat nice lacings.

S: Very dry and a bit metallic, just what you can expect from a Kölsch. Light maltyness, but still rather complex. Floral hops, citric and grassy.

T: Rich maltyness, bready sweetness. A bit creamy, almost. Citric, with clove and grass, perhaps even some nettles. Some mild bitterness completes the malt and the floral hops. Dry, crisp and slightly metallic.

M: Aftertaste is medium long for this style, holding dry bitterness. Body is light and carbonation balanced and smooth.

O: This is a nice Kölsch, a rather difficult style to fully appreciate since the complexity is almost suttle, But this one has all a Kölsch should, and in a very nice way.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 17:57:22 | More by Sunnanek

FlatRabbitRed

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice Kolsch, this one is a great example!

Light golden color, lots of carbonation, very white head, very sweet beer.

No grassy or musty notes coming from my glass, very slight lemon and spice notes, more of a tangy sweet flavor through out. No bitters, very low hop feel. Refreshing easy to drink, would like to drink more!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 23:12:18 | More by FlatRabbitRed

silverking

Florida

3.31/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A- pours a pale gold with a fluffy white head. Head retention is fair, but the lacing is poor.

S- musty, citrus, grassy, grainy.

T- Citrus, funk, grains, some slightly bitter hops make an appearance in the finish. The whole experience came across a bit on the tart side.

M- Light and refreshing, with a healthy dose of prickly carbonation.

O- Not bad, not great.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 20:48:00 | More by silverking

billybob

Massachusetts

4.36/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

pours a medium gold in color no head or lace at all. smells of fresh grass with faint floral notes and slight fruity sweetness. taste of fresh grain, grass and some hops. mouthfeel light carbonation ok but a little more would have helped. fresh and light easy to drink would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 17:30:59 | More by billybob

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.34/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A thin head on a clear, golden colored body.
The aroma is wonderful: grain, barnyard and lemon.
The taste is okay with moderate bitterness followed by a metallic note and mild fruit sweetness.
The texture is crisp with a little fizz but still moderate carbonation.
Slightly above average but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 23:49:17 | More by Fatehunter

Chelsea1905

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Nice light straw like appearance, with a decent sized foamy cloud like head.

Smells a little sweet with some appearance of hops in the background, but not a lot

Slightly sweet and not a load of hops to be honest. Slightly sweet finish, a little sugary.

Light and the correct amount of effervescence. Maybe not quite dry enough.

Decent offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 18:31:30 | More by Chelsea1905

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Many grateful thanks to Peggy and Denis for this very thoughtful surprise from St. Nick. Bottled dated 03.02.13 and poured into a traditional Kolsch glass! (very flute-like)

(4.25) A: Wonderfully carbonated with a crystal clear golden colour. A very fine and cloud-like foam head rests atop. Retention that lasts and lasts with big patches of foam clinging to the glass.

(3.75) S: Fresh grains, very grassy, floral qualities, sea salt, lemon zest, and faintly belgian-like with a bit of clove and pepper. Overall quite subdued and digging required but what can be detected is agreeable. Tart aroma with a touch of sour.

(3.75) T: Grains and grasses, floral, some clove, faint lemon, and dried apricots. This has shades of a hefeweizen with slight herbal/clove notes. Fairly bitter with a very pleasant long and lingering dryness. Very easy to drink and quite palatable.

(4.0) M: Light bodied with a higher carbonation. Spritzer-like feel with a clean and crisp texture that is very refreshing.

(4.0) D: This is my first introduction to the Kolsch style, and hopefully not my last considering how much I enjoyed this. Grainy and mineral-like with a long and favourable dryness. This would be ideal as an easy-to-drink option year round, but especially in the warmer (patio weather) months.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:31:28 | More by Digimaika2

PorterLambic

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Arrives a clear, straw colored, yellow with a white head. Tight bubbles and great retention.
Smell is malty, wheat, light hops with a mustiness.
Taste is the same as the smell with the addition of a metallic note. Balance is fine but...
A fairly full body with a sharp, tangy carbonation. Lose the metal and this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2013 03:34:56 | More by PorterLambic

rangerred

Tennessee

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear dark gold with a one finger white head. Lots of carbonation bubbles rising off the bottom of the glass help keep the head in place for awhile. Just a little bit of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Aroma of bready malt and light caramel dominates along with some cooked vegetables. There is a faint wisp of grassy hops.

The flavor is much like the smell with a quick shot of toast and caramel along with a slight bit of DMS. Bitterness is quick and assertive with just a light amount of grassy hop flavor. Crisp clean mouthfeel that is appropriate for the style.

Overall, a pretty run of the mill kolsch and nothing really spectacular. A beer that is refreshing and easy to drink but not really worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 21:34:23 | More by rangerred

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gaffel Kölsch is quite an enjoyable beer. I would imagine there are tastier examples of the style. But this one does exhibit a few unique qualities of the style.

Nearly crystal clear and sunshine-golden. Minimal head (white) on the pour, and it dies out quick.

The initial aromas are vinous or apple-y in nature, while a vine-y/leafy thing stands out next, with a touch of mustiness, later followed by a light, golden-bread crust (a la baguette) malt.

When I finally take a sip, the first flavor impression is that of chewing on maybe a 70/30 mix of Pilsner and light crystal (40L) malt. Very quickly, though, its fruitiness comes to the fore - almost a grape flavor. No hop flavor. A bit of juicy sweetness carries through the pretty dry finish.

Damn, it's difficult to judge a beer like this according to its actual, accepted characteristics (lack of head retention and lacing - namely my hang-ups here). Gaffel (and Kölsch, for that matter) has a subtly in taste (most subtle of any German style, next to maybe German pilsner?) that will appeal to lager drinkers. I just have a feeling that better German examples exist, and that we in the US haven't access to 'em. Oh well.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 18:22:42 | More by Bouleboubier

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into a Stange glass. No date.

Appearance: Clear golden yellow. Plenty of bubbles coming up through the beer. Initial white foam died down fairly quickly to leave just a ring at the edge. No persistent lacing - it would slide back down fairly quickly.

Smell: Fruity, dusty, yeasty.

Taste: Nice malt, crisp. Hint of apple and honey. Crisp bitter noble hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Brisk carbonation, nice thickness underneath. Just a little bit sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Very drinkable. I wish I had a much bigger glass full of this. A nice blend of aroma and taste. I would definitely try this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:32:33 | More by damndirtyape

schoolboy

Ohio

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I think my palate my be skewed right now from other beverages, but this tastes very refreshing. Nothing I have drank for the last few days has been as light or refreshing.

The beer pours light yellow, clear and with very little head (too cold). The aroma is appropriate for the style but a little weaker that the best. The taste is unmistakable and correctly balanced hops and finishing hops. This is kolsch as it should be. The aftertaste is hugely hops.

I will but this again (even though there is SO much beer to be drank!).

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 22:59:09 | More by schoolboy

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light gold in color with a well-kept white head. 3.5

Pale malts, dead grass, musty Euro hops, and estery sweetness. Touch of apple. 3.5

Hefty bitterness in this kolsch with pale grains, floral hops, and a dry apple ester following from the ale yeast. Even the alcohol is showing. 3.5

Feels a little watery thin. Carbonation is mild and inviting the flavors. Plus drinkability. 3.5

Nice kolsch. A very light German ale with some loaded flavor. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2012 01:16:02 | More by thecheapies

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light fizzy head covering that barely covers and fades pretty quickly, over brilliantly clear pale tan slight honey colored beer.

Nose brings light layered malts, decoction like layers, soft pilsner malts with a hint of toasty, light fluffy almost wheat like hay, wet hay, but then also a bit of very light skunk which is weird for a brown bottle, or maybe a light cheap unhappy lager yeast aroma, one of the two hard to tell but off either way, faintest hint of grassy hop.

Taste starts again with soft malts, little toasty light pilsner malts, just a touch fluffy soft layered flavors, with the faintest touch of again slight skunk like but barely. More wet hay, grainy, but smooth. Hops come through a bit more with a grassy floral hop flavor and touch spicy earthy. Bitterness is fairly strong but not too much, light and drinkable. Finish is dry, a bit more of the grassy hops, decent but lighter bitterness, little sweet sticky grainy hay like malts.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, soft, decent carb.

Overall not bad, but not great. It has those tendencies of the good German beers, but seems to be off a bit as well. It tries to go the extra mile but seems to end up at half a mile.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:03:32 | More by jlindros

kylehay2004

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger white head on a cloudy deep golden body and scattered lacing. Aroma is sweet with pale malts, corn, light herbal hops and hint of honey. Lots of honey in the flavor which is both sweet and musty. Nice pale malts, some biscuit and non descript citrus. Thicker body for the style and moderate carbonation. Body could use more clarity for the style and the aroma is weak but the flavor is actually more full and complex than many in this genre provide.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 03:05:18 | More by kylehay2004

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Review from 10/2010 notes. Poured into a kolsch glass. Pours a medium yellow amber, minimal head with a bit of lacing. Wheat and light malt aroma. Starts with a clean wheat, but an odd, almost adjunct flavor develops. Light fruit, wheat and corn(?). Slightly astringent finish. Ok, but there are better kolsches out there.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 20:23:35 | More by LiquidAmber

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

So, a Kölsch from Cologne, (or Köln), birthplace of the style? Heck yes, I'll buy it!

-Appearance 3.5: Typical lager golden in color, but with many, many more bubbles. I'm talking champagne level of visible bubbles. Small white head that quickly disappeared. The bubbles make it a unique looking beer.

-Smell 4.0: Very nice bouquet. Strong notes of barley and grass and a slight hop aroma. Miles away from your typical lager snifting notes.

-Taste 4.0: Front is very mild grains, middle is very interesting: a subdued yeastiness tempered by very slight barley flavor. Finish is nice: lots of barley and a subtle sweetness. Very refreshing. Aftertaste is where all the hops come out and actually presents a slightly sweet, grappa flavor. It is a pleasant ending.

-Mouthfeel 3.0: Standard lager carbonation.

-Overall 4.0: This is a very nuanced beer. If I did not know that this beer was not brewed with lager yeast, I could not tell you from the taste that it was different than a lager. To me, this beer just tastes like an excellent lager. Taste levels are all balanced and well established at every level. Definitely recommended if you have never had a kölsch, as this is an excellent example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 03:06:30 | More by BeerDocT

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 07/11/12 notes. Had from the bottle at Idle Hands in NYC on the LES. 8 oz. pour at one of their Wednesday tastings.

a - Pours a hazy, pale yellow color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus, lemon, floral hops, spices, Belgian style yeast, and light pepper. Nose is very nice with a lot of citrus.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, lemons, spices, Belgian yeast, floral hops, fruity malts, and, pepper. Again, lots of citrus which I like a lot.

m - Light body and moderate carbonation. Very easy to drink.

o - Overall I liked this one quite a bit; it reminded me a lot of Allagash White and seemed more like a witbier. Lots of citrus and very easy to drink; a great summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 23:36:18 | More by mdfb79

curasowa

New York

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear, golden yellow with one finger of head that fades to a thin cap.

Aroma: Grainy, but not unpleasant, malt aroma with a fair amount of lemon notes. Overall, a pleasing, clean aroma.

Taste: Medium bodied and almost creamy, with a dry, slightly grainy malt base up front followed by a fairly assertive, crisp hop presence that becomes slightly harsh towards the end. The finish is pretty fast with a touch of lingering bitterness.

The Rest: A solid Kolsch. Well balanced with a nice body and fairly assertive bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 22:21:48 | More by curasowa

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy light orange with a 1/2 inch foamy off-white head that quickly fades to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. The first smell that is honestly overpowering is skunk and this isn't even a green bottle so that is weird. Eventually this fades away and I get some malt/grain, grass/hay, and some light fruity aromas. Taste is much the same (thankfully no skunk flavors) and is fairly sweet. There is a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is pretty easy to drink after the skunk smell fades away.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 04:13:15 | More by UCLABrewN84

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a crystal clear gold. Minimal head, no lacing.
S: bready, slightly floral. Nothing over the top, solid.
T: biscuity notes at the front with sweet malt, toward the middle to back, the hops blend nicely for a citrusy, floral, sweet balance.
M: Medium to high carbonation. Finishes with a crisp bite that has a pleasant aftertaste.
O: very straightforward brew. No frills, sessionable. It's quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 02:06:28 | More by Infamous7100

Brenden

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gaffel looks the part: a clear, pale but bright gold in color with continuous effervescent activity. The head that develops is nearly a finger tall and kept alive in a fairly thick foam after it fades. Lacing is left in a creamy ring near the middle with some spottier lace following behind.
I get a sulfuric smell from the bottle right upon opening it, very much like what I'd expect from a pils. Otherwise it's lightly floral, fruity and vinous as expected, lots of green grape skin and tart green apple. Grains are underneath but work well, and an almost chalky yeast presence lies underneath. While light, it remains reasonably complex, a benchmark of good brewing for a difficult style. I get a bit of grassiness all the way with a mix of dry cracker and biscuit dough from the malts.
This one has the feel: it's light, extremely crisp without being bracingly so, and riding on a constant moderate but not overwhelming carbonation. It's how a Kolsch should feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 20:25:23 | More by Brenden

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Watching the pour, there was a decent head, but when it was delivered it had settled completely. Still, it left some streaky lace. Gold color and clear.

Mild aroma of raw, pale grain. No notable hop.

It has a light berry sweetness. There's a good hop bite in the swallow. Short aftertaste. Refreshing and light.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 16:48:29 | More by smcolw

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before June 30th 2012 so this is slightly past its prime. This is one of those styles that I don't get around to trying very often (I've only had one other kolsch), largely because there just aren't a lot of readily-available examples in these parts. Regardless of my lack of experience with this specific style though, I've had plenty of pale German beers before and if I've learned anything, it's that Germans are really damn good at brewing them.

Pours a translucent, bright golden-yellow colour, topped with about one finger of foamy white head. It fizzles away after a few minutes, leaving behind a creamy, even cap and a ring of lacing smudged along the sides of the glass. Decent aroma, but nothing particularly special - it's mostly grainy malt sweetness with some grass and light, white grape fruitiness. There's also some skunkiness, but given the age of the bottle I'll cut it some slack.

Very clean-tasting. The flavour is mostly grainy pale malts, with some light cracker sweetness and notes of appleskin, white grapes. A bit of sulfur. The grassy, floral noble hoppage comes forth toward the finish, providing some pleasant dryness that lingers very briefly in the mostly-clean finish. Light-bodied, with relatively high carbonation that gives it a very crisp, refreshing mouthfeel. Like any well-made pale lager-esque brew, throwing this back quickly is not a challenge at all.

The flavour is far from complex - not that I expected anything differently, as this is a pretty straightforward style - but it's undoubtedly a refreshing, clean, well-made beer. Highly sessionable too - I think I could drink this all night, and at this price point ($3 per pint), it's pretty good value for your buck.

Final Grade: 3.68, a solid B grade. There are a lot of fizzy yellow German beers on the shelves of the LCBO. A lot of them are not worth trying, but a few of them are - and I would be comfortable arguing that Gaffel Kolsch falls firmly into the latter category. If only the domestic brewing giants could use their ample expertise and bottomless capital to put out a brew of this quality! Definitely worth a try for any fan of German lagers.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 05:38:49 | More by thehyperduck