32°/50° - COAST Brewing Company

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks a lot to the generous trader portia99 for this one. Thanks for letting me keep it Bill!

It pours a pretty light head of about 1/2 a finger, pretty fizzy and fades somewhat quickly over the opaque straw wheat yellow color.

The nose comes on beautifully though, with some very nice lager aromas. Some wheat, light with some light pilsner malts, and a little sweetness. Some fruits as well, a little banana, and typical lager fruit aromas. It has a nice aroma that comes on soft.

The taste comes right out with fresh malt flavors. Almost like sipping some of the grist and wort as it is coming right out of the boil. Fresh malts, some pilsner malt, and hints of wheat. A very clean and crisp demeanor, adding some lager flavors, with more of the same fruits, a little banana and more lager yeast fruits. It has a slight sweetness but keeps very smooth. Then all of the sudden a nice grassy mild hop flavor comes through, adding a slight bitterness and tasty hop flavor. The hops also bring a slight herbal quality, a good flavor but keeps nice and balanced with the delicate beer itself, making sure not to overpower anything. I really like how all the flavors come together, nothing overpowering, all soft and delicate, but at the same time you get plenty of the flavor. It must have taken them many attempts to get the balance right. I can't stop drinking it! It finishes with more soft features, but the hops start to come on a little stronger now, bringing some more bitterness, a little more herbal grassy tastes as well. It finishes pretty dry as well, which probably accents the bitterness, but keeps the finish very clean and crisp. THis goes down smooth!

The mouth is lighter bodied, very crisp, with a lower but decent carbonation.

The drinkability on this is astronomical. It's so clean and crisp, a nice light sweetness on the initial taste and finishes smooth and dry. A nice light herbal hop bitterness teases you but doesn't overpower at all. No lingering sticky feel or sweetness, it must have attenuated very well.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 21:22:10 | More by jlindros

waltonc

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light straw color with poofy white head. Smells really refreshing - light malt, slight lemon, nothing too complex. Again, light malty flavor with faint citrus notes, a hint of grass. Quite bright and refreshing. Body is fairly thin with high carbonation. Overall, a great summer beer that would instantly improve the tap lineups of most bars.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 02:15:36 | More by waltonc

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Golden crystal clear straw color with a fluffy white 2 finger head. Very clean smelling in that there isn't any overpowering aromas that come from this at all. The faintest smells are those of light malts sweetness and a touch of hops presence. The taste is also very light. Slightly sweet upfront with a surprisingly semi-bitter aftertaste. Some floral notes. The aftertaste is bothersome to me.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 13:05:27 | More by kbutler1

scottyshades

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up this bottle, HopArt, and Belafonte growler at Green's in Greenville.

A: Bomber pours a light straw color with a little cloudiness. The head is small, wispy, and retains decently, leaving lots of foam on the glass.

S: Wheat, light malts, and earthy/grassy hops. Grainy and bready as well. Pretty mellow nose, and the hops give this a nice touch.

T: Lighter in flavor, thus making this very drinkable. Earthy/grassy/ slightly twangy hops on top of a pale malt, wheat, and grains. Slight touch of sweetness and caramel.

MF/D: Low ABV + lots of mellow flavor = highly drinkable. Very balanced, and very to style. Awesome beer.

Notes: This is my second COAST offering aside from Boy King, and man, this brewery is impressive. Too bad I have to drive 40 minutes away to get some. Up next is HopArt and Belafonte

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 00:09:18 | More by scottyshades

ne0m00re

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

08/23/10- Had a bomber of this courtesy of a generous trader.
A: Very pale golden, with a nice lingering white head.
S: Mild banana, musty, slightly orange pale malts.
T: Mild orange juice, everything as expected from the smell, lemony with a nice fresh hops finish.
M: Not syrupy, nice bolder mouthfeel.
D: Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 22:49:39 | More by ne0m00re

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Pils glass.

Pours over 1 finger of foamy white head. Great retention with a ton of lace. Color is a clear straw yellow. Active carbonation in the glass.

Aroma: Pale malts, floral earthy hops. Biscuit flavors. Pretty simple as it should be.

Taste: Huge flower hop profile. Almost weedy like. Pale, bready malt profile. Earthy is a good word to describe this beer.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and bitter. Light body with a higher amount of carbonation. Ends with a dry floral taste that sticks around forever.

Overall, the aftertaste wasn't too clean which really bugged me. I would rather have a kolsch clean and refreshing. It was pretty decent otherwise. I didn't detect any of the honey, but I did get some herbal notes. Decent drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 16:44:51 | More by mothman

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Unibroue tulip from a 64 oz. growler, poured from the Charleston beer exchange 2 days ago. Lovely, white head, nice retention, soapy, fluffy, lacing not too sticky. Aroma is kinda hard to describe....Kolschy? Maybe a bit of salt in the aroma maybe a bit freshly cut grassy? Interesting. Taste is sorta salty actually and maybe a reserved balance between bitterness and sweetness with a touch of salt thrown in. Very easy to drink and very refreshing. This is one you would drink in the head and probably avoid when its snowing. Enjoyable. Tasty.

Serving type: growler

09-02-2010 07:27:06 | More by KickbacksSteve

portia99

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22oz bottle (bottled on 7/13/10) received in a great trade with jpmclaug. Big thanks for this one! Poured into a Bruery tulip.

A - Pours an extra pale straw yellow color with pretty good clarity...just a hint of haze. A thick pillow of creamy, dense white foam forms on top and hangs around for a long time. Thick sheets of lacing left on the glass.

S - Grainy and wheaty up front with lots of grassy hops. big whiff of hay and a very light lemony citrus aroma. Very nice.

T - Grainy at the base with lots of crisp grassy hops. Very clean, almost too clean...makes me think more of a fine German Pils instead of a Kolsch. There is just the slightest touch of citrusy lemon in here which sets apart from the Pils profile.

M - Crisp and sharp bitterness with a long lingering aspect to it. The soft malt sweetness that sits at the base is really the starting point to this beer. Very subtle sweetness that plays into the lemony aspects of the beer. So clean tasting and refreshing. Carbonation level is on the high side and causes the flavors to fill the mouth completely riding on prickly waves of bubbles.

D - Very drinkable beer. I could see myself sitting on my deck all day and not moving...maybe I should have saved this for the holiday weekend. Low alcohol at 4.8% makes this extra good. A true session beer with tons and tons of flavor. This should satisfy any craft beer drinker...outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 00:29:42 | More by portia99

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a transparent golden yellow color with a creamy pure white head.

S-the nose has a hint of toasted biscuit up front, barley and wheat follow, grainy, light grassy hop and a touch of honey.

T-hint of toasted bready malt taken over by grainy wheat, grassy herbal hops and a touch of honey are light in the back with a lightly bitter finish.

M-light bodied, a little grainy, semi dry finish.

D-not a favorite style but some balance, pretty straight forward and done to the style. Quite grainy and that seems to dominate but there is some balance with light hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 20:10:53 | More by cpetrone84

aasher

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of this from thagr81us in a trade down in South Carolina. It poured an excellent and vibrant straw yellow with medium cloudiness. The head was white and frothy. It smelled great, slightly yeasty with citrus hints to it. It was just like you'd want a Kolsch to smell. The taste was excellent as well. It featured the citrus like yeasty flavor with a slight sourness to it. It was superb. The beer was very, very light, almost like a pale pale wheat. It was very drinkable and my friend and I both really enjoyed trying it. I greatly recommend this. It was perfect on a humid summer night.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 05:27:32 | More by aasher

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pour is a hazy golden yellow, nice head and lacing.

Smell: Nice light crisp malt, touch of citrus lemon, hay and sweet grass

Taste: Light sweet malts with a perfect dose of hops, you could drink this all day.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp; refreshing

Drinkability: You could drink this all day long; I have never cared for this style but liked this one!

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2010 14:01:46 | More by craytonic

jampics2

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle generously brought back from South Carolina by my parents. Thanks so much!! Just a month old when sampled, COAST rocking the freshness dating. Huge win!

Looks just great in the glass. A straw colored, sunny beer with active carbonation and a nice white head. Great lacing. Just a nice looking beer!

Smell is wonderful. One of the better Kolsch beers I've had. Nice levels of bready malt, sweet cereal, and some flowery fruit. Hops add a touch of earthiness.

Taste is really nice as well. Light bready malt has edges of lightly toasted crackers and honey. Sweet but not vineous or sugary - just really nice. There's even a touch of wildflower honey in the medium hoppy finish. The only thing that's missing is the Oompah band. Wicked beer here!

Mouthfeel is light and carb is sparkling. Finish is super clean. Just a touch too light but really nice.

Overall, this was a 1-2 knockout punch. Wonderful beer from COAST. Would buy again (and again, and again) in a heartbeat. One of the best summer session beers EVER!

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 18:47:26 | More by jampics2

ugaterrapin

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Poured a light straw straw color with 2+ fingers of pillowy crisp white head. It receded slowly and left considerable layer of foam on top of the beer.

S: It has a slightly sweet aroma with some hints of hops.

T: It has a slight malt presence on the front of the sip. Not as much sweetness as I was expecting from the smell. It has a slightly dry finish with with some hop notes. Overall this is a great beer. It hit the spot on an extremely hot day. It is incredibly refreshing. I haven't had too many Kolschs, but this is definitely the best one I have had.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2010 00:52:46 | More by ugaterrapin

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from thagr81us. Thanks Calton! I've been waiting to try this for a while. Bottled 23 Feb 2010.

Light yellow with a dense egg-shell white head with excellent retention. Moderate lacing is present as well. The nose is quite excellent. Light, bready, fruity, a little wheaty, a little honey, a little citrus, there's a lot going on. The hop character has a light earthy spice as well. As it warms, the floral honey character grows. I really dig this.

The palate opens light with a blend of bread, raw wheat, a mild grain character with some grainy astringency. Mildly fruity and honey-like in the mid-palate, my first few sips have a slight butteriness that decreases as it breathes. Hop character is light, a blend of delicate spices and a little citrus-like, more an herbal citrus rather than a fruity citrus. Light in body with moderate carbonation, this beer does feel a little slick on the palate. That slickness, along with the mild astringency, takes away from the beer. Enjoyable stuff, I'd drink an awful lot of it. I'd argue that the Stoudt's Koslch is better, though

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 03:43:32 | More by DefenCorps

DeutschesBier

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's hard to find a good Koelsch, but COAST just made the search a little easier. It has the nice golden appearance of a German style Koelsch. This beer just looked refreshing, as it was 100 degrees out that day. The crips, clean taste was everything I hoped it would be, and one of the best examples of the style I've had since I had authentic ones in Germany. I could drink this beer all day, no problem. A fantastic example!

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 23:05:12 | More by DeutschesBier

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy bright straw color with a thin fizzy white head that is fueled by the active carbonation. Some spotty lacing.

S: The nose is dominated by sweet pilsner malts and a floral hop aroma. Mainly the malts though.

T: Bitter hops up front with some grainy pilsner malt. The middle lets you in on a hint of noble hop flavor with a grainy sweetness lingering. The finish has some slightly citrusy hop flavor with more sweetness from the malt.

M: Crisp, well carbonated, clean, light bodied.

D: Fantastic brew, thanks to Greg for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 22:18:02 | More by Patrick

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bomber from Five Points Bottle Shop, Athens, GA. Poured in to a flute.

Appearance: Pours a pale, light citrine - that is, a faintly green-ish yellow gold - transparent though not radiant, with a fair amount of gentle-looking and evenly paced carbonation, of average size and disposition, perambulating upwards to a half finger of virginal snowy head with surprisingly good retention for a beer of this style. Even after it begins to fade, the remnants of the head have good cling, with a firm collar and plenty of crisp surface dusting. The lacing on this one is also surprisingly nice, and for a brief moment had me considering knocking this up to a 4.5, with plenty of full and uniform patches with interweaving intricate arms.

Aroma: Bright and simple cereal grains meld with cloves, faint peppery hops, spicy, freshly mowed grass, and a few other flashy fruit notes. A pretty complex if subtle aromatic mixture.

Taste: Sweet, golden malts - surprisingly rich, wholesome, flavorful, not the typical neutral, light flavorless malts you get in so many beers that look like this - suggest wheat, well-attenuated wildflower honey, and dry, biscuity cereal grains. These blend very nicely with a great amount of slightly fruity esters - very light, bright, and high on the tongue - some mild hop bitterness, and tons of great grassy, lightly spicy hop notes. This is one flavorful kolsch that fits all the good notes you'd expect to get out of such a brew.

Mouthfeel: A little uneven - likely by virtue of the thinner body, the relative attenuation of the malts, and the high (but not too high) level of effervescence in this one - but in a bright, crisp, sunny, bubbly way that isn't offputting and instead I'd have to just call "noticeable." All of the aforementioned, though - the dryness, the thickness of the body, and the level of effervescence itself - are nice, even if the unfortunate byproduct is worth a slight point loss.

Drinkability: I feel an oncoming urge ... someone find me a lawn to mow, stat! This is a fantastically easy-drinking beer, and I was a little blown away when I saw it really was only 4.8% abv (and how fantastic that it's offered in a 22 oz. format!). A summer beer to be envious of, or to enjoy copiously if you are fortunate enough to live in South Carolina, so for those who do, drink up, and drink up plenty!

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 03:51:51 | More by CrellMoset

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass on 6/14/10

Bottled on 5/14/10

Thanks to PDXHops

Very light yellow color, straw-like; slightly pale. Two fingers of active foam with lots of bubbles rising to the top. Consistently thin retention. Impressive lacing.

The smell of grass, wheat & hay is plentiful; light & airy. Ever-so-subtle hop hints, mild lemon zest. Earthy with a slight mustiness. Buried in back are notions of biscuit & yeast. Overtones of honey sweetness.

Everything that imparts flavor is done with tact; a "greater than the sum of the parts" sort of thing. A mild spiciness leads off & pairs exceptionally with modest swaths of lemon zest. Wheat & grass tones are settled throughout. Toasted malts manifest toward the finish. Integration is awesome; everything in it's place. Not overly sweet.

32/50 Kolsch is light in body. Initially I expected rather high carbonation (after observing the pour). Indeed, with each pour the carbonation is rather prickly toward the beginning, but it mellows over time, allowing a different take on the flavor components. The finish is zesty & somewhat dry.

This is definitely a case of "less is more." Drinkability is superb. The only way I imagine this could be better would be on tap. Recommended with ease. On a side note - COAST, thank you for dating your bottles.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 18:14:32 | More by Ryan011235

maximum12

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to md655321 for shipping this northwest in a recent trade. And boy, am I glad he included this one. Split with the next-door neighbor after a lawnmowing session. And eventually another neighbor joined in, as well. The sight of drawn beer glasses on a beautiful summer night draws people...bottle dated 4/2/10.

Pours a kolsch, sun-dried straw yellow with snap/crackle carbonation. Smell is faint, with a touch of the summer solstice, hay bales, & just cut wheat. Very nice.

32/50 just set a new kolsch standard for me. The wheat is light, offset with a perfect touch by the gentle malting & a subtle sweetness rounding off the edges, perhaps from the honey mentioned on the label. Hops wipe their feet & smile but never become intrusive. Dry, light, crisp, & I looked down regretfully at the empty bomber beside me when it was over.

Damn excellent beer & that was created for a 78 degree summer evening with friends. Well, done. COAST.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 02:36:48 | More by maximum12

brentk56

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy pale golden color with a two finger marshmallow head; impressive lacing, too

Smell: Cracker malt and grassy hops with a squeeze of lemon

Taste: Opens with the cracker malt and while the grassy and lemon flavors arrive early, the hops and the malt waltz back and forth through mid-palate; after the swallow, the malt adds a hint of honey; the finish is crisp and dry

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Wow, if every Kölsch tasted like this they would be my go to beer style all summer long

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 22:07:06 | More by brentk56

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bomber consumed about a month after the bottling date, poured into a nonic pint glass.

Pours out a pale gold with a bright white head that's initially a light and frothy 2 fingers, but slowly settles into a denser 1 finger layer that leaves some nice crackly lacing from top to bottom.

Pleasantly light nose of husky grains, light fruitiness and some floral notes. Aside from a delicate malt sweetness, the flavors are surprisingly lively given the smooth aromas. There's a grassy bitterness with a spicy bite of freshly ground white pepper. Finishes quite crisp and crackery with a bit of lemony tang. Medium-light bodied with lively carbonation.

Overall impression: Extremely refreshing and enjoyable brew. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2010 01:46:23 | More by PDXHops

wcudwight

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On-tap at Charleston Beerworks.
This has got to be the palest yellow I've seen. It's not urine pale like most macros. This is such a pale yellow it makes me think, "now, this is a real session beer."
I'm not getting much in the aroma but I think that's more b/c of the bar and less to do with the beer. I get some faint grassy type hops in the nose and not much else.
This is good. It's not going to smack you upside the head but instead it will just make you nod and say hmmmm this is a good beer. Sweet malts mixed with some light floral and grassy hops. It's the balance and simplicity that I enjoy in this beer.
Very light bodied and easy to drink. Nice beer to sit back and session for awhile while playing pool or skeet ball.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2010 03:10:55 | More by wcudwight

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden straw color. Nice fluffy white head that leave moderate lacing and hangs around a while.

S: Fruity, yeasty, and light floral hops.

T&M: Very crisp. Floral and mild malty sweetness that fades to a more fruity hop taste and ever so mild bitterness. Nicely balanced.
Fine carbonation that finishes dry.

Coast is defintely the BEST local brewer I've tried in recent years here in the Carolinas. Way to go COAST! Keep it up.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 00:33:01 | More by cdizinno

Gyle41386

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle (4/20/10) into a pint glass.

Clear golden pour. Flurry of bubble activity in the glass. Three fingers of plush white foam retain very well. Gobs of lacing stuck to the glass.

Aroma kind of reminds me of a pils. Somewhat wheaty and musty. A little grainy, as well. There's a honey-like sweetness, and like floral hops.

Flavorful kolsch. Sweet malt, some tart wheat, and a flowery hop finish.

Light bodied, appropriate carbonation. Tingly, yet still somehow smooth. Very refreshing. Highly drinkable, and surprisingly tasty for the style. I'll come back to this one as it starts to heat up.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 00:57:21 | More by Gyle41386

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle into pint glass.

Pours a dull straw-gold, very little head - maybe a bit of white head shows through with an aggressive pour, but it doesn't last much longer than a second or two. Adjusted slightly upward because, at 20%, appearance is worth way too much.

Nose is light but clear - a bit fruity, some cereal grain, just a bit of floral hops.

Taste is... well, tasty. Subtle, dry, and floral up front, fantastically crisp and integrated flavor just begs for another sip. Hops are there and lend so much to the flavor without ever leaping out at you the way one who mainly drinks American beers is used to - floral and a bit fruity, only a hint of grainy sweetness lies underneath, with a very subtle bitterness lingering briefly on the finish. Beautifully executed.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, well-carbonated and dry. Flavorful and perfectly balanced, every sip simply begs for another - near perfect drinkability. Very nice take on what is one of my favorite all-time styles.

To those who say it needs "more flavor" to truly be labeled a kolsch - I respectfully disagree. The aim is perfectly true on this one in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 20:04:28 | More by JohnQVegas