Endless River - Mother Earth Brewing

NCSUdo

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle

A: Clear pale yellow under a very small white head. No lace, some retention.

S: Sweet, vinous, hints of malt and maybe a pine like hop. Very clean, very balanced.

T: Again, clean and baanced. Vinous, slightly sweet, a little malty, hop bitterness is medium, dry, crisp. Really excellent for me.

M/D: Light to medium bodied, carbonation is bordering on high. Excellent drinkability. This is a very good Kolsch in my opinion, and I would put it up against any domestic Kolsch out there. A beer like this gives me high hops for Mother Earth moving forward.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 00:06:12 | More by NCSUdo

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #36 (Jan 2010):

Extreme pale yellow color with a light haze; crackling white head has good retention. Aromas of shortbread, biscuit dough and a delicate floral hop. Quick on the crispness. A lot of malt flavor crammed into this brew; doughy with fresh-baked crackers and a hint of grassiness. The hops sting the tongue gently with bitterness, and the subtle flavor goes from floral to wild herb. Ghostlike sulfur in the middle. Dry grassy grain and herbal hop finish.

It's impossible to hide potential flaws in lighter beer styles. Thankfully, Mother Earth did not have to worry about this--no flaws. A great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 01:48:33 | More by BeerAdvocate

xipike2000

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my favorite styles of beers and Mother Earth makes a great one! It helps that they are just down the road from me. Like a good hef, the yeast leaves behind a fruity, tangy taste, although a kolsch isn't near as yeasty. The sweetness is balanced by a nice hop bitterness. Hardly a hoppy beer, but just enough to bite the side of your tounge. I highly recommend this beer! In fact, I'm gonna have one now!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 22:02:26 | More by xipike2000

Luigi

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out hazy straw color with a two finger white head that retains and sticks around the glass for the life of the ale.

The aroma is light with doughy slightly sweet malt, honey like. That malt is matched with a bright clean citrus hop.

The taste is light a clean, with out compromising any flavor. Biscuit malt and soft grassy grain. Lemon zest, probably from the perfect use of citrus hops.

Light in body, crisp and clean on the palate, with a small amount of citrus lingering of the tongue.

I held for a long time to try this new brewery out and was not disappointed. Glad to get fresh batches being only an hour away.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:41:06 | More by Luigi

ncvbc

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Good looking. Clear golden. Medium head. Moderate lacing. Smell is clean with earthy, bready, grainy undertones. Some hop character and vinous. Excellent taste. All aspects of nose displayed in balance. Mouthfeel is also quite nice. Light tingle, good dryness in the finish. Could easily drink this one as a session brew. A style that I consider a favorite when done right. This one has that covered.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 01:58:45 | More by ncvbc

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Interesting color. Very pale straw yellow at the bottom but with much stronger golden highlights near the head. Bright pearly white foam dissipates rather quickly though, just a bit of lacing.

S - soft yet very fruit forward aroma. Notes of citrus, lemon and white grapes with just a hint of fresh bread.

T - just a touch of malt sweetness on the tip of the tongue followed by a touch of tart lemony acidity and citrus with a mellow woody, earthy hop character. Tartness lingers after the finish.

M - light bodied and slick but still rounded out with a spritzy carbonation.

D - this beer goes to show that simple can often be incredibly flavorful. Perfect for summer drinking.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 20:15:57 | More by Teleweizen2

ExMachina1

Tennessee

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow! This is a fantastic Kolsch. Very surprising, as this is a new brewery and the Kolsch style is not too forgiving when it comes to flaws and shortcomings.

The beer pours a nice, clear golden straw color with plenty of carbonation and a nice head that settles into a continuous layer of light foam during the drink. Lacing is moderate.

Aroma is fruity and floral with a vague hint of yeast. It's malty and mildly sweet on the palate. A perfect, crisp finish.

Low ABV makes it a real champ on a lazy afternoon--I went through bottles and was none the worse for wear. This is what a Kolsch is all about!

Impressive beer from an impressive new brewery. Looking forward to watching Mother Earth Brewing grow.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 12:50:58 | More by ExMachina1

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a shaker pint. Slightly hazy gold with a modestly sized white head that sticks around for a while. Lazy streaks of lacing.

Floral hop notes among a mix of malty aromas both crisp and lightly sweet- dough, sugar cookies, toasted flatbread. Shockingly flavorful; this is pretty delicious stuff. Floral hops take a backseat to stronger grassy and herbal flavors. Nice yeasty tang. Husky at times. Plenty bitter thru midswallow, but the finish is dry and features lingering grass and grains.

Overall impression: A great brew. I gotta get some more of this pronto.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 22:55:48 | More by PDXHops

tdm168

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pure gold with half an inch of loose, soap-like, bubbly head that has decent retention. The nose is faint and musty with some grassy aromas. The tasty is musty with a great deal of grassy hop character. The mouthfeel is light and crisp with a good amount of carbonation.

Kolsch is not my favorite style, but this is a damn fine beer. The hop character is great, and it drinks well.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 22:37:52 | More by tdm168

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pretty much clear golden, slightly lighter than honey. Head is thin one finger that lasts not quite long enough.
S- Aroma is reminiscent of apple peel, a touch floral (actually not altogether different than Easter lillies I smelt today), and a bit of crackery malt.
T- Initially I'm picking up some doughy and crackery malt, with just a touch of sweetness in it. There is a bit of slightly tart apple flavor in there. Just a touch grassy.
M- Light, but you expect that from the style, pretty even-keeled carbonation, perhaps a touch prickly. Clean finish.
O- Right near the top of the list of kolschs. Definite recomendation for a sessionable beer high on flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2011 03:56:04 | More by jsprain1

daliandragon

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy straw color with off white head. Visible carbonation slows after the initial rush. Lace is wet but persistent. Nose is crystal malt and spicy hops with a grapeskin vibe.

Full bodied flavor with biscuit notes that matures into a noble hop finish and a clean aftertaste. Carbonation is a little high in my eyes but I realize that is being true to the style. A lot to like here, overall. Not a thin yellow lager, this has complexity and drinkability, and certainly qualifies as refreshing as well. i'm not sure i'd drink it mowing the lawn but certainly after.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 00:43:06 | More by daliandragon

burnheartsMKE

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It pours a light golden blonde like a morning sunrise pushing through the hazy morning dew. An inviting aroma of toasted wheat bread gently reminds me I picked the perfect beer. Light in taste with a slight sweet hop spice perfectly placed at the end each sip. Inoffensive in every way possible. Kinder than a Michelob Ultra but made to be enjoyed rather than profited from.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 18:35:17 | More by burnheartsMKE

smakawhat

Maryland

4.21/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a small stange glass.

A real nice golden and supper brassy body. Lots of sticking cola carbonation and crystal clear, with some small rising as well. Eventually the cola bubbles disappear leaving a mix of small and fast rising bubbles . Head is bleach white and very soapy, but has real good staying power even after a good period of time and rest. A real nice looking brew.

Nose is a bit of sticky yeast. There's a bit of earth quality to this with a mild earthy soily dirt and hop front. Hints of toasty white bread and baked oven quality. Fairly solid.

Palate hits the right notes. Light bodied with a wine like dry white simple table but without the sourness. Crisp malt and a fruity grape like finish, but gives a great toasted white bread taste. Extremely clean, but has a real solid malt backbone. Malt aspect creeps up slowly, not much of a big rush though, but subtle and pleasant.

Overall a real solid Kölsch, and probably one of the few that I've had that reminds me of ones that are German. Always in search of the ultimate Kölsch, the Kwest continues in earnest.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:41:57 | More by smakawhat

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

P-Thanks to my buddy Trask for this brew!

A- some what clear yellow green in color. Anice fluffy head that is about a finger with nice sticky lacing on the pint.

S- doughy floral hops. This is very nice, love the aroma. light on the malt as well.

T- A very nice floral and biscuity flavor. This is very smooth and very good. A perfect complement i dare say.

M- light and creamy. It is very smooth yet slightly chewy.

O- Honestly one of the best Kolsch's i have ever had....phenomenal!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 18:08:52 | More by Dodo2step

tchenery

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice bright yellow color. Very clear. Little to no head except a tight lace around the rim.

There's really little to no aroma coming off for me.

The beer has a very crisp taste, very bubbly, dry, light malt flavor with a sharp bitterness on the end.

Very refreshing. Very drinkable as well.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 22:42:21 | More by tchenery

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle from Bruisin' Ales in Asheville, North Carolina. Bottled on: 08/10

Appearance: Pours a faintly hazed, golden body with a large, sudsy, near white head.

Smell: Sweetish, grainy blend of pale and pils malts with notes of hillside flowers and citrusy lemons.

Taste: Pale malts with some light sugary flourishes and hints of crisp grains. Soft florals tones and a taste of lemon verbena. Light bitterness, then a pop of acidity. Medium minerality throughout. Touch of honeysuckle precludes the dry, crisp, yet still smooth finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation provides a modest bit of tingle on the tongue.

Drinkability: A fairly likable Kölsch. Good for the dog days of Summer, but suits me just fine during a coolish mid-afternoon in Autumn. Paired well enough with a grilled shrimp po' boy.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 15:47:56 | More by ChainGangGuy

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to crunkchiggin2002 for this interesting beer.

Pours a light fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades at a med pace with spotty lacing, over brilliantly clear golden straw yellow color.

NOse starts with light grainy malts, little straw and toasted hay, a pislner like nose to start, a hint of a fruitiness, slight wet hay like, just a touch of grassy hops I think. It almost seems like a pilsner like lager, not Kolsch.

Taste start with light grassy noble like hops interestingly, little fruitiness that builds and gives a weird but interesting tangy almost overripened borderline soured fruit flavor. Some light malts, little straw and toasted grain, hint of wet hay, all very light. A light clean and crisp demeanor, and juicy soft malt profile. Finish is is dry and crisp, a decent bitterness in the background with light grassy flavor, and a bit of that fruity slightly soured like flavor.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, soft and creamy, layered almost decoction like, decent carb.

Overall fairly impressed. Most places try to go overboard with a Kolsch, or way under and it has no flavor. For an ale this is loaded with lager like flavors which is great for a Kolsch. Nice malts, soft almost decoction layered feel, and interesting fruit flavor that gives and interesting and weird slight tangy like flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 18:00:06 | More by jlindros

Gilly1980

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brewery is local to me and I have been wanting to sample their wares for a while now. Pours a hazy pale yellow with a white head that is impressive at first but doesn't stick around. Smells of butter and biscuits with a hint of grass. The flavor is bright and pungent. Lots of malt up front and. Aftertaste is floral and herbal with a great hop tingle. Mouthfeel is robust and slightly filmy. Drinkability is great with a low alcohol content and great, well-balanced taste. However, at $9.99 a six pack I'll save this one for special occassions.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 22:29:59 | More by Gilly1980

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bright golden yellow with a nice two finger head of white foam that quickly dissipated into a batch of nothing, a broken crown lining the sides was all that I would get out of this one. Nice carbonation and a bit of residual side lacing helped to push it over the top and made a really nice addition to the overall presence of it.

The aroma was rather bright and summer like, with a light grain and herb like fruit note in the nose. A touch of clove and banana highlighted this one and really did a nice job at bringing the whole thing together. The flavor was much of the same. Surprisingly sweet, with a touch of maybe honey or light caramel, hints of apple and light fresh hay. The banana coming though nicely on the finish with a quick, clean, and very crisp cutoff in the overall taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 03:32:02 | More by mikesgroove

kkipple

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle picked up from the wondrous Brawley's Beverage.

A. Crrrrystal clear light gold. Light and fluffy white head that sadly doesn't last long. Very fizzy in the glass. Other than the sadly gone-too-soon head, nice looking.

S. Mineral water-ish, light and floral, notes of honey, pale malt sweetness and ever-so mild hop bitterness. Light, refreshing, quite clean.

T. Delicious and quite to style. Light and floral, dry, fine interplay of hops and delicate malt. Everything is quite balanced, the mark of a good (read: restrained) recipe. Well-attenuated Good water, or something, this is quite soft and easy to drink. No DMS, not overly hopped -- a fine example of a good (fresh!) Kolsch.

M / D. Possibly under-carbonated, otherwise light bodied, dry, refreshing with a fine hop-bitter and gentle malt sweetness. Easy to return to again and again.

This is quite frankly hard to improve on for the classic Kolsch style, which is growing on me by leaps and bounds. This was fresh (and has a bottled-on date, fantastic!) which is half the battle with getting good Kolsch. This takes a more traditional tack than say, Coast's 32/50. My advice to the Powers-that-Brew:

Improve head longevity and head retention.
Take a look at carbonation in bottle, perhaps increase it?

And bingo! A classic East-Coast Kolsch. Right now, I'm hard pressed to think of one I've enjoyed much more than Endless River.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 23:01:33 | More by kkipple

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (from Bruisin' Ales) into pint glass. Lucky to have grabbed two great local Kolsches in this trip - one of my favorite (and in my opinion, most underrated) styles around.

Pours pale yellow, a bit hazy, with a thinnish half-inch white fizzy head that settles into not much more than a batch of white suds fairly quickly.

Nose is a bit herbal, almost earthy, alongside a raw-grain-like super-pale malt note.

Taste is very clean - lightly sweet, grainy, ultra-pale malt note sets the perfect tone to pair with the light but bright fruity citrus notes, and subtle grassy hop presence. Maybe just a hint of sulphur. Finish carries just a bit of bitterness, more hop flavor than bitterness, some light cereal grainy notes. Really nicely put together beer that hits all the right notes.

Mouthfeel is medium-light, coarse but light carbonation, clean finish with just a bit of bitterness.

Drinkability is, as per usual for the style, excellent. Not quite on par with the COAST offering I just finished because of the minor sulphur presence, but really, there's not much of a limit as to how much of this I could drink before getting tired of it. Tasty, tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 20:57:58 | More by JohnQVegas

Kromes

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A nice clear light yellow/straw color with a thin white head.

S: Smells like a bit of sweet grainy malts with some of fruit (apple, grape) and earthy hop.

T: A smooth grainy malt flavor that transitions into a slight hop and grape seed flavor. The finish is like what you get when you bite into a grape seed. A little bit of grape, a little bit of earthy nutshell and a little bit bitter. It is actually quite good and grows on you.

M: Light and refreshing. A semi-dry finish.

O: A very distinct style of beer. I really enjoyed this. Usually beers this light do not have strong flavors, but this beer in particular is full flavored and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 21:58:55 | More by Kromes

mactrail

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Breezy crisp light ale.

Great aroma of alfalfa and that pollen smell of early fruit tree blossoms. Honey in the malt. Very light body. Really reminds me of Kolsch we tried in Germany; more authentic to me than some other American versions. Rather hoppy with a lingering bitterness. Tangy with nice hint of malt in the nose.

Tasted on tap at Louella's BBQ place in Asheville, NC. Worth a visit if you're hungry and want to try a decent selection of beers on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 03:27:16 | More by mactrail

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear pale straw color with a billowy cap of white foam; great retention and a moderate amount of lacing

Smell: Fresh grass and biscuit

Taste: Biscuity, up front, with just a hint of vanilla; a touch of fruit by mid-palate, but the hops are rather grassy; doesn't finish as crisp as the Germans, as a bit of the sweetness lingers on the palate

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not particularly Germanic in style, but very approachable; a great summer crossover beer

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 22:22:34 | More by brentk56

callisbeers

North Carolina

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

I will start by saying that this is generally not my style of beer but I bought a mixer of all their beers. Also, this should probably be reviewed during the summer months after a long, hot day outside. I found this beer to be very refreshing and light. Beautiful gold color with a nice head on top. Everything tasted just right. I may have this as my go to summer beer when they put it on tap for home kegs.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 20:21:54 | More by callisbeers