Kipona Fest - Appalachian Brewing Company

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at the Collegeville brewpub

Reddish-copper color, dark but still clear, with a small white ringlet for a head; no retention or lacing to speak of. Aroma is sweet and malt-driven. As expected, very malty taste, sweet, toasty, caramel and a touch of brown sugar; hops are mildly earthy and almost non-existent. Smooth and easily drinkable, medium-bodied. Pretty good. One of the better selections I had from Appalachian.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 12:48:54 | More by Rifugium

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the ABC brew pub in a ceramic mug. Appearance is hard to judge fully in ceramic - looks like a nice shade of brown the mug with a decent head at pour but dissipates quickly. Good malty taste with a slight hint of brown sugar. Mouthfeel is somewhat disappointing - minimal carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2012 20:23:05 | More by Oakenator

confer

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Maerzen season!
I have been unimpressed with ABC in the past but this on is an exception.
It starts a little darker than alot of the maerzens. Nice shade of brown and crystal clear. Lacking in head retention though.
Smell is all malt with just a hint of toastiness.
Taste is like dark molasses again with just a touch of toastiness. It does finish on the thin and watery side.
Overall another good fest time offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 20:18:43 | More by confer

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from a bottle with a "bottled on" date that I can't decipher. Mahogany brown in color with a prominent amber hue and very good clarity. Poured with a brief head that quickly dissipated to wisps of foam. Toasty malt and rich caramel malt aromas - very earthy with a faint nuttiness. Delicate smooth, creamy feel. I've never tasted a marzen quite like this. Toasted and caramel malts up front and into to the middle that transition to a delicate malty roasted coffee flavor at the finish. Similar to the aroma there's a touch of nuttiness toward the finish as well. Finishes clean and crisp with a lingering roasty, coffee aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 19:16:36 | More by IronLover

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear caramelly amber color with no head to speak of. Scent is light with light crystal malt sweetness and faint buttery quality. Clean taste with more crystal malt notes, light caramel and faint butter... Not much else going on. Bubbly but lacking crispness, lightly slick. Decent lager just lacking a bit in the malt quality department.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 16:06:31 | More by rfgetz

stakem

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Review from notes taken on 8/30/10.

On tap at the Harrisburg location, served in an oversized mug and quite cold. This brew appears with less than a finger of tan colored head that receeds fairly quick leaving a bit of patchy lace about the glass. After about 2 minutes all that remains is a ring around the inside of the glass.

The aroma initially does not offer up much of anything. As it warms, some slight caramel malt sweetness comes forward with some lightly toasted fresh grain scent.

The taste is mildly bitter upfront with a taste that is not readily identified but is reminescent of hops but without the hop flavor. Lightly smokey and toasted grain flavor is noted before a brief amount of caramelized malty sweetness. A bit of the alcohol is noticed in a slightly solvent flavor. There is an unpleasant aftertaste left inside the mouth tasting a bit like stale grain and plastic.

Medium bodied with a light level of carbonation. I can't say that I am impressed with this offering. Finishing the glass was a chore.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-29-2010 18:24:42 | More by stakem

Tone

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy brown color with a cloudy amber along the edges and bottom of the glass. 1/4 inch head of a pale tan color. Poor retention and poor lacing. Smells of sweet malt, slight roasted malt, slight alcohol, dark citrus, caramel, and grain. Seems to fit the style of a Marzen/Oktoberfest. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp with an average carbonation level. Tastes of roasted malt, sweet malt, slight hop, yeast, and hint of dark citrus. Overall, a much better flavor and body than the aroma and appearance.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

12-18-2009 05:04:21 | More by Tone

drcarver

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - a medium brown body with an off white head. Decent lacing, nice retention.

S - Sweet doughy malt.

T - Sweet, brown sugar like flavor with roasted malt. Sugar hangs on the side of the tongue.

M - medium bodied. Alcohol and astringent aftertaste

D - Goes down nicely and at 5% could easily session this beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

10-05-2009 21:47:56 | More by drcarver

AltBock

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with a label that has two different drawings. The bottom half is very colorful. It has purple, yellow, and orange maple leafs with the name of the beer in big orange letters over it. The top half has the brewery symbol of a big bridge in Appalachia somewhere. The right side has a bottled on month. I can't tell what month it was bottled because nothing was notched.

When poured into a Stoudt's pint glass, this Marzen was a clear amber with a splash of cranberry red added to it. Sitting on top was a small and fizzy head of foam. This fizzy head of foam quickly fizzled into a tiny string of white rings and about 2 spots of lace.

The aroma of "Kipona" was on the fruity side of things. The one fruit that I was able to pick out of the aroma was the scent of juicy red apples. Following the fruits was a hint of toasted malts, a touch of sweet caramel, and a tiny speck of salty yeast.

The taste was a mix of toasted malts and juicy fruits. The tastes didn't come one at a time, it was more like one big flavor burst. This flavor burst was lightly dry with toasted malts, a speck of sweet yeast, and a jumble of juicy fruits. Like the aroma, the only fruit I could pick out out of the bunch was one juicy red apple.

This Marzen was a light bodied beer with a crispy and fruity aftertaste of toasted malts, sweet yeast, and juicy fruits. The fruits will linger on your tongue for a few seconds and then it will be gone for good.

In the end, this was a decent fruity beer. I thought it was going to be a joke like their Peregrine Pilsner, but it wasn't. If you like fruity session beers, then pick this one up. For me, one will do it for me.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

01-18-2009 21:22:02 | More by AltBock

JoshW

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a nice amber, very carbonated, good retention/lacing.

Smell of malts and caramel, I even smell a hint of vanilla. Sweet malty taste, very very light hop character. I also taste some caramel, toffee and coffee notes.

Mouthfeel is very light, easy to drink, right before sampling this I happened to eat some venison bologna with a little spice in it and this was perhaps the perfect beer to follow that up with. Good brew from a relatively unknown company around here.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

11-09-2008 16:50:35 | More by JoshW

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark reddish amber color with about 1/2 inch of fluffy light beige head.

The nose is mostly of roasty caramel malts and some spice.

The taste is also mostly roasty caramel malts and spice.

This has a very light mouthfeel, kind of thin, with too little carbonation. Also a bit watery. Very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

10-20-2008 19:06:40 | More by BeerCon5

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single in a mixed sixer at Liberty St. Tavern. Poured a clear, reddish amber with light tan head that lasts to end and leaves rings of lacing.

This brew mixes both German and American O-fest characteristics, which is kind of cool. A lot of times, its either the smooth German, or sharper American crystal malts flavors. This beer has the smooth, almost buttery (possibly diacetyl?) caramel flavors with a thin mouthfeel. It then finishes with roasty note that reminds me of a nut brown ale. The initial taste, however, is a little weak, but this is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

10-13-2008 02:30:05 | More by tempest

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

P- ABC Brewery

A- a nice clear red amber color. A nice lil head but nothing too much. Some lacing but not much to get excited over.

S- malts and grain. sweet malts and a caramel and nut aroma.

T- sweet roasted caramel malts. It also has a flaovr of walnut or chestnut.

M- alcohol feeling and somewhat watered down but not too much. a nice hop to it.

D- This brew seems quite easy to throw back, especially with the abv below 5%. A decent session beer and nice flavor.

Serving type: growler
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-27-2008 17:58:10 | More by Dodo2step

PiecefulToker

Tennessee

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark hazy mahogany brown, with a 1 finger head that quickly dissipates to a thin layer, leaving little lacing.

S: Smells lightly of caramelized sugars, dark dried fruit, raisins, malty, but clean.

T&M: A little disappointing here, nothing too special, but not bad either. Feels too thin and watery, carbonation a little low. Tastes of roasted malt, some of the dark dried fruit I picked up in the smell, and slight malty sweetness. I expected more, but this is a decently balanced brew.

D: Really high, as this goes down easy and is light on the stomach. A decent session beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 401 Buford Avenue, Gettysburg

09-14-2008 07:15:48 | More by PiecefulToker

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the brewpub.

Pours a clear, deep amber (with a caramel colored sheen to it) and a finger of creamy off-white head. Thin creamy retention yields some nice looking lace. The aroma is fairly sweet with notes of caramel and floral hops and citrus behind it.

The taste is very rich and sweet with rich caramel and toffee character. There is a bit of a hop profile in there but it isn't nearly enough to pull back that sweetness. Citrus is also present but it's more sweet in nature and adds yet another layer to an allready bordeline cloying taste profile. Finishes sweet and dry and on the palette. The mouthfeel is medium body with a heavier and syrupy feel at times from the sweetness. There is just a prickle of carbonation to keep things from feeling flat.

I understand that a Marzen isn't supposed to be overly hopped but man, this really could have used more hops and toasted malts to add balance and crispness to this. Without, this was overly sweet and quite boring to drink at times.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-02-2008 16:36:28 | More by Kegatron

ckeegan04

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark brown with lighter brown highlights around the edge. One finger off-white head slowly fades to nothing and leaves light lacing.

S - Aroma of dark roasted malts. Caramel and a light nuttiness. Also a faint alcohol aroma which is surprising given the sub 5% ABV.

T - Sweet malts dominate. Light caramel taste. No hop profile to speak of. A little too one-sided for my liking, but still a good tasting beer.

M/D - Light bodied and very smooth. The sweetness coats the mouth and leaves a long lingering sweet taste. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-26-2008 03:19:26 | More by ckeegan04

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured cool into a lager mug.
A - A garnet lager bordering on brown w/ a 1 finger white head.

S - A doughy slightly nutty scent w/ plenty of yeast odors with a minor malt note. This smells a lot like their Irish red.

M - Malty w/ average carbonation and a hint of nuttyness and a big dose of yeasty smoothness.

T - This lager is doughy like bread that is half-baked, slightly sweet w/ a nice herbal hop tinge in the background. The yeast taste is dominant and lacks any particular character. The taste is smooth and generally malty like you would expect a lager to be w/ a nutty accent.

D - A tasty fest for the most part, which is well paired w/ sausages. I found the taste to be just ok and something I would probably avoid in the future. This doesn't have much in common w/ German Marzen's which makes it seem like an ordinary lager.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-12-2007 22:18:13 | More by Slatetank

HugoGrim

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on tap at the ABC brewery in Harrisburg, PA during their annual Oktoberfest celebration.

Served in a standard pint glass. Body is a deep ruby/brown color, darker than most of the style. Very little head by the time it got to me.

Quite malty in the nose, though not much else. Lacking complexity.

Flavor sports malts, some hops, and a dark dried fruit element of apricots and possibly apple. Went well with my dinner of bratwurst and kraut, though not the best example of the style in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

10-11-2006 16:38:16 | More by HugoGrim

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a medium reddish-brown color with moderate tannish head. Modest lacing. Smell is rich and malty with a strong mixture of late summer fruit (apples, pears). Taste follows through with a firm maltiness, combined with caramel and toffee. Some bread-like notes also present. Finshed fruity-sweet in the mouth . Very refreshing. Great drinkabilty. Paired well with a steak wrap and french fries at Ron's School House Grille.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-25-2006 23:51:09 | More by tgbljb

JohnnyM2002

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the tap into a 4 oz tasting glass (at ABC).

Pours a dark reddish-brown with a medium-sized head (.5-1 inch). Smells of roasted malt and toffee. Went down extremely smoothly...malt, dried fruit, and a hint of cinnamon come together very nicely in this autumn brew.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-18-2006 02:09:13 | More by JohnnyM2002

TheDeuce

New York

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Decent version of Octoberfest/Marzen style beer, very red and bubbly carbonation when it was first poured to me, decent head. Taste and smell are of malt, slight fruit undertones as well, smooth going down with a dry finish, too try for my liking but that is nitpicking.Flavorful as well.

A different and flavorful seasonal, distinctive from others I've had, overall a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-11-2006 18:01:54 | More by TheDeuce

gestyr

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep red. Very small head, no lacing, head lasted to bottom of glass

Smell: Malty. Very malty.

Taste: Sweet malt with a touch of bitterness, very well balanced. A good representative of style

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth

Drinkability: Very drinkable. A good session type beer.

Overall, a good marzen. Brings back memories of my time in Germany. Too bad it is a seasonal offering. I look forward to next August

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-30-2006 21:30:44 | More by gestyr

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Simple in character and typical of most octoberfests, the color is a dark mahogany w/ ruby highlights throughout. The tannish head piles on the pour to about 3 cm, but quickly dissipates to a nice eggshell surface layer. Clean.

Pretty aromatic. Crisp, fruity aroma of apples and brown sugar malts. Maybe a little floral hops on the nose to keep it from smelling TOO SWEET. Nice.

Sipping is nice as the sweet brown-sugary malts hit my palate followed by a slighly alcoholic apple/grape twang. A bit of hops help to keep this from being overly sweet, but this is still nice.

Crisp with carbonation, but smoother than most Oktobers I've tried in the past. Maybe a bit of alcohol on the tip of my tongue on the finish.

Very drinkable fall brew! I'm excited to pick up some more of this. One of ABC's nicer offerings!

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 401 Buford Avenue, Gettysburg

08-30-2006 00:46:25 | More by Fish113d

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kipona is ABC's oktoberfestbier, served on-tap at the Harrisburg location.

A: The lager is a deep copper red that comes close to ruby. There is a small ring of head and no lacing.

S: The beer has a full-bodied malt smell that is several shades stronger in terms of depth.

T: The malts used give the beer a fuller chewier taste. Those malts are predominantly biscuity in flavor with hints of caramel from time to time. The hop body is nonexistent.

M: The beer sits well on the palate, with a full sweetness being the primary flavor.

D: Very drinkable version of a marzen style, good for several pints.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-06-2006 15:37:30 | More by akorsak

SchmichaelJ

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

For the third year in a row, I anxiously awaited the release of ABC's Kipona Fest. Unfortunately this year (the first in which I decided to review the seasonal), I was a bit disappointed. This particular pint poured a ruby red color, but looked somewhat thin - the small head rounded off to form a relatively calm and virtually headless surface after a short time. A sweet, lighter malt smell was the defining characteristic of the aroma, with just a touch of something fruity. The light malt in the aroma became a heavier malt in taste, with supporting hops only present at the edges. The finish was sweet and a bit sticky. The body felt much lighter than I remember, and was only mediocre for a Marzen. This pint of Kipona was decent drinking, and was slightly better than average for the style. But I wasn't exactly pining for more as in previous Augusts.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-26-2004 01:24:15 | More by SchmichaelJ