Kölsch - Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

flagmantho

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: light golden hue with a little touch of haze and a pretty strong effervescence. Head is two fingers of frothy white foam which leave a thorough and chunky lace. Nice!

Smell: lightly sweet malt with a little bit of tart graininess and a definite soapy character. It's a little bit funky for me when it comes to Kölsch, but it's not bad, overall.

Taste: mildly sweet with quite a lot of graininess, there's still that soapy business going on in the flavor, although it's not as pronounced as in the aroma. Noble hops may be contributing somewhat to this; bitterness is high for the style but not unpleasant. This ticks all the boxes of a good Kölsch, but I'm not personally in love with it.

Mouthfeel: good body with a big carbonation and a wonderfully exuberant creaminess. Love it!

Overall: the aroma and flavor of this beer just aren't my bag, really. I love the mouthfeel, and actually I would love to try this beer on tap at the height of freshness. The bottle doesn't have a freshness date on it, so I'm in the dark on that front.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:28:54 | More by flagmantho

vkv822

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

16.9oz : tulip

Lightly hazy, golden yellow with a foamy, thick white head.

Cracker, biscuit malts with a light fruity tone and spicy, grassy hop profile.

Medium+ body, foamy carbonation.

A well done Kolsch. Full malt body, with an accentuating hop profile. A beer well suited for warm weather.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 08:05:39 | More by vkv822

scottfrie

California

4.28/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle into SN imperial pint. Thanks Ryan!

A: Pours a lightly cloudy lemon-golden with a thick, dense, and lasting bright white head at faded into a lasting and thick film.
S: Dry grains and bready crackery yeast and malts fill my nose. Very light, pale and crackery smelling. Earthy hops and a faint sugary sweetness poke through as well.
T: Follows the nose with clean flavors of pale malts, dry roasted grains, bread, crackers, earthy hops, light pepper and just a faint balancing light malty sweetness. The finish has a crisp hoppy bitterness and the aftertaste is quick, spicy and lightly sweet.
M: Light body, smooth and quenching mouthfeel, soft carbonation. Drinks well.
O: A clean and refreshing kolsch, one that I could drink all day. Thanks again Ryan.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:00:01 | More by scottfrie

Reidrover

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle from "Lifesource" in Salem $3.99 Appearance..its a bright yellow,slightly hazy with a nice sized bubbly white head. Aroma of fresh cut hay,slight caramel and some hazelnut Creamy caramel,biscuit taste with a nice grassy hop backing,finished fruity. Good smooth and slightly thick mouthfeel perhaps the best thin about this beer! Overall a very nice light drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 04:04:59 | More by Reidrover

Spikester

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served cloudy gold with a small white head. Fair amount of lacings. Aroma is floral hops. Taste is earthy, leather, light citrus bitter hops with a decent malt profile. Not very traditional but better for that flaw IMO. Very sessionable and judging by the short time I spent at DM Brewpub it is quite popular too. A blonde light bodied easy drinking beer with plenty of complex hop bitterness. Very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 03:49:58 | More by Spikester

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I want to give this higher marks, however, the beer was super cloudy, and I'm not quite sure from what and/or how it affected its flavor and body....

A: yellow-gold with the faintest highlights of chartreuse.... cloudy, as in nearly hefeweizen cloudy.... whatever was floating in there affected head formation and retention, ha!... i guess that last part's to style

S: golden grain juice, leafy hop, mild fruity esters.... muddled overall

T: actually not too bad... leans a bit toward bready malt, whereas I'd prefer a more crisp, clean malt flavor balanced in concert with white grape esters (that's what I normally taste on the imports).... at least there is a discernible "Kolsch" characteristic - not hopped out the ass like the joke of a Kolsch from Lagunitas.... the flavors are more or less right, however, there lies a gritty (unfiltered) quality that, while tasty in itself, is not what a Kolsch is about... but I can't penalize too much because, aside from that, it's what it needs to be.... oh, and upon noticing it was 40 IBUs, I could taste an undercurrent of grassy hops (one doesn't look for that normally in the style - gotta stay on my toes!)

M: kissing medium-bodied.... slightly gritty and chewy (as I'd mentioned)... has a residual graininess that I could take or leave... sadly not clean or crisp, but enjoyable nonetheless

O: clean this sucka up and you got a winner.... Double Mountain does has pretty good stuff

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 02:42:25 | More by Bouleboubier

Andrewseher

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Pints Urban Taproom at 412 NW 5th Ave in Portland, OR.

A: Golden-yellow with a frothy, white head that settles into a spotty, bubbly snowcap.

S: Citrus hops, orange and grapefruit.

T: A wonderful, easy drinking ale with some signature northwest hops that add a nice citrusy flavor.

M: Light-bodied and easy finishing. I could drink this all day:

O: The color and taste are top-notch. Somehow, it tastes just like it looks. A ray of sunshine that is good for all seasons.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2012 04:10:06 | More by Andrewseher

dgilks

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazy pale gold colour with a creamy white head. Fair head retention. Some lacing.

Very light grainy pils malt with a hint of fruitiness. Okay.

Smooth grainy malt with a touch of sweetness. Mild herbal noble hops. Good.

Medium body with moderate, silky carbonation. Fine.

A smooth, creamy light ale with some good flavour. Not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2011 10:34:16 | More by dgilks

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap @ Little Bird restaurant in downtown Portland. Pairs well with Duck Confit.

Pours a pale, straw yellow color with a nonexistent head. Grassy, herbal aromas with a hint of yeast.

Light-bodied and crisp opening with notes of grain husk, sourdough biscuit and lemon citrus zest. Suggestions of yeast, malt and creamed corn surface. Delicately dry finish.

Crisp, clean and refreshing, consider Double Mountain Kolsch the perfect summer patio pounder.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 22:31:42 | More by CaptainIPA

jdense

Oregon

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

On tap at Whiskey Soda Lounge PDX 6.12.2010.

A finger and a half of white head, fairly slow lacing with significant lacing. Clear golden body, visible carbonation rising from bottom of glass. Sweetish malts in the nose, balanced with floral hops. Taste is a bit on the sweet side, finish is dry and clean, not bitter. Fairly full mouthfeel, almost creamy. Very drinkable and refreshing, a nice beer for a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2010 00:53:32 | More by jdense

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a few samples (kept coming back for more) of this at the brewpub. This was a pleasant surprise in a land where typically the hops rule brewpubs. This had a lot of the subtle notes of a great Kolsch, such as that hint of sulfur. In this case the sulfur was just barely perceptible, so it didn't take away from the otherwise tasting floral and herbal Perle hops and bready grain. I'd be happy to drink a few pints of this. Heck of a session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2010 01:36:13 | More by tempest

beertunes

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a slightly cloudy yellow with a fluffy white head that had medium retention and lacing.

The aroma was a mostly neutral, grain scent with a delicate hop scent in the background. The taste was also primarily grain, with a little bit of yeast taste. The beer had a clean,dry finish.

The body was very good, clean and dry. Drinkability was also very good, the beer went down smoothly and easily. Having several would be easy and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2010 22:02:52 | More by beertunes

MisterClean

California

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at horsebrass.

A - Poured a yellow-golden hue with 2 fingers of white head. Dissipated slow and left ample lacing.

S - Pilsener malts, lemon esters, and some honey sweetness at first whiff.

T - Pilsener, lemony esters, honey, breadiness, and some bittering hops.

M - Moderate-full bodied, well-balanced, sweet, smooth, and a creamy mouthfeel.

D - Another excellent ber from 2X Mountain. I am really digging their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 21:55:26 | More by MisterClean

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looking for a place to watch college bowl games today; found this on tap at Jax in downtown Portland. Have had this at least one other time, but have not reviewed.

A: Arrives a light-colored golden, faintly hazy, crowned with just about one fingers-worth of pillowy white fluff. Retains well, compacting slowly to a denser, pock-marked cream. Abundant carbonation rises inside, replenishing that tighter head and strengthening the heavy bands of sticky lace glued to the sides. A beauty.

S: Lightly sweetened bready and yeasty aroma of sourdough rolls with a careful dose of dry and spicy hop zest and citrus rind.

T: Similar sourdough as in the aroma, a spritz of lemon with a drying bite of herbal hops. Finish is more crackery - do I detect some salt? Very nice balance, but with a bit more of a hop bite than a typically malty kölsch.

M: Crisp, clean and quenching. Mouthfeel has a very pleasant carbonation level, staying spritzy and rather light, but followed by a lingering fresh bitter bite, with a dash of cracked black pepper dryness.

D: So very drinkable. Despite the winter chill outside, this is an 'all-seasons' session beer...and it paired nicely with a Cuban pulled pork sandwich on this day. Beautiful in its simplicity and definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 22:08:25 | More by msubulldog25

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at their taproom/brewpub on-tap.

Pours a cloudy unfiltered light pale yellow/tan.

Bright lemon/citrus yeasty aroma. Bit of grain (noticably wheat) as it warms up a bit.

Taste is refreshingly bright. Yeast and some rice grain notes.

As it warmed up, I noted some floral and spice in the background. Overall a good Kolsch. Though it isn't one of my prefered styles, this one really impressed me. Nothing bland about it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2007 01:35:58 | More by SurlyDuff

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My first beer at Double Mountain was a gem and it always pleases me to get off to such a good start at a new brewpub. Their Kölsch strays somewhat from the German tradition by amping up the hops to Northwest American levels. But the risk pays off in this stormy beer of lemon gumdrop color with elegant lager-like properties throughout. Though it’s shy on the suds, the beer’s sharp defining edges deliver tremendous flavor, making for a clean, invigorating, and highly drinkable northwest-style kölsch. And it’s brewed with organic malts.

Purists may argue that the subtle fruity nuances of a true kölsch are concealed here by the 40 IBUs of Perle hops. To some extent this is true. But I wouldn’t change a thing with this recipe. Just accept it as non-traditional and drink hearty. 5.2% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2007 00:21:22 | More by RedDiamond

ElGordo

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pint poured on draft at Belmont Station's Biercafe. Slightly hazy golden body topped by a sizeable creamy head that sticks around for the duration, leaving beautiful lacing on the glass. Aroma of light Euro hops and some slightly off adjunct malt in the mix, along with a light sweetness of pale malt. Palate is well-balanced up front, but the malt succombs to the bittering hops by the end for a nice, bracing finish. Body is nice and creamy, but certainly not heavy. A great session beer - I could drink this all day. And I do.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2007 04:29:19 | More by ElGordo