Kölsch Ale - Victory Brewing Company

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Kölsch
Victory Brewing Company
Style: Kölsch
ABV: 4.60 %

LOOK: Clear golden color, with a foam cap and leaving plenty of lacing.

SMELL: Distinct lager yeast smell, grass, cooked veggies, stewed hops, fresh bread and a bit buttery as well.

TASTE: Clean bready malt flavor like a typical German Kolsch. Herbal tea like hopping with mild grassy, leafy flavor and bitterness. Bready, well balanced, very lightly bitter lager.

FEEL: Light bodied, stinging carbonation. Light, easy to drink , very mellow.

OVERALL: A pretty nice kolsch, but does not separate itself from many others in the style. Pretty standard, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 15:37:19 | More by Stinkypuss

cfrances33

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Varga Bar in Philly on 8/3/12, served in a shaker.

Pour: Completely clear yellow orange with a finger and a half white head.

Smell: Grassy hops with a light caramel sweetness. Not very substantial on the nose.

Taste: Bready malts sweetness to the max, with a pleasant floral and grassy hoppiness.

Mouthfeel: Really light and drinkable, but still packed with flavor. Very, very refreshing.

Overall: My first kolsch and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2012 21:45:36 | More by cfrances33

nickfl

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured with a small head of white foam on s clear, golden body.  The head settles quickly but leaves good lace.

S - Clean malt and lightly spicy hops with little else.

T - Light, bready malt up front with a little bit of spicy hop character.  Some musty bitterness in the middle with grainy notes in the finish and a lingering bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Not bad, but a littler too hoppy and lacking in malt character.  still vy drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 18:23:18 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewpub in Downingtown, PA

A: half finger head on a clear straw colored body. Scattered lacing.

S: grain and pale malts with slight sweet corn. Light aroma overall.

T: very nice grain and pale malt flavor with perfect degree of bitterness. Corn but not sweet notes. Light earthy hop character late in the finish.

M: light body and high carbonation.

Overall: very clean and drinkable. This is a generally dull category but this one is about as flavorful and clean as the style gets.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 15:45:45 | More by kylehay2004

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the brewery. Pours a very clear, very light golden color with a small, quickly settling white head and patchy lacing. Bready, grainy malt aroma with floral, spicy hops.

Taste has floral and somewhat fruity hop notes that give the beer an appealing, assertive bitterness in combination with crackery malt and a nice spicy note. Low overall sweetness. Lightly lingering bitter aftertaste.

Overall an excellent example of the style. Very crisp, clean and dry. Lively carbonation on a light body. Highly quenching and refreshing, probably the best American-made kolsch I’ve had.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2012 05:15:52 | More by tobelerone

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso Dupont, into a shaker pint. Victory tap takeover for DC beer week!

A white hot colored head is presented sittings on a classic fourteen carat gold crystal body. Carbonation rises from the middle, never seen that before .. looks great, but with no lacing while drinking.

Bouquet is crisp sense and light malts but mildly grassy, and mostly closed. Not much of a nose on this.

Taste brings light bread classic taste, even slightly doughy. Mild pronounced hop but noticeable presence. Strange crazy finish with mild sweetness and noticeable white sugar. Interesting mild soda and lime like finish.

Overall, distinct, different easily sessionable, fairly pleasant. A obit odd just wish this was more breadier. The ultimate Kolsch quest continues in earnest...

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2011 23:11:00 | More by smakawhat

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Victory. Pours very clear gold with white head. Nose is strange lemon, grass, almost an eggy component, minerals in the vein of wet stone. Mouth is sharp carbonation, fairly sharp grassy hops, very grainy. Some spicy qualities come through, not sure if it's through the hops or something else. Very long bitter finish. Sharp, bright, and a bit unusual.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 02:30:22 | More by JAXSON

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Local 44.

Victory Kolsch is a bright, straw yellow with rocky head white head that brings up that cereal grain aroma. The beer is very clean and crisp with just a little barley flavor with woody spicy bitterness that is under control. This is a very refreshing kolsch

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 05:20:39 | More by Soonami

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

32oz growler from Whole Foods.

A- Bright gold almost coors light gold with a nice bubbly white head, dragging lace.

S- A really nice nose full of citrus and earth with light spice. Small oranges with grain and earthy hops, A spicy background. A great nose.

T- Really digging the simplicity of this while being bold. Getting a nice mix of orange, grapefruit drops and grassy hops, all being extremely light. A grainy middle finishing dry and lightly yeasted with a bready quality.

M- Very Very Very light and refreshing and gulpable. Carbed up to the point that it's known this beer is not dead. Not bitter in the least sense.

D- A drinker for sure, a whole growler would not of been enough. This just went down real easy and Im glad I picked it up.

Serving type: growler

09-08-2010 00:43:22 | More by onix1agr

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ the VBC on 7/24/10. Served in a Willibecker glass.

Pours a crystal clear gold, with 1 ½ fingers of foamy tight-white head. This retains with a ½ finger of foamy richness that doesn't quit, leaving the walls of the glass coated with thick sticky swathes of lace. The aroma is almost perfume-like in the nose (just as a good Kölsch should be) with a fruity and floral presence that effortlessly breezes up the nostrils. Bright textures of spice, earth, and citrus peel, with a sweet graininess that rises up underneath. I'm also getting that classic smelling egg/bread mix of the flavors here from the yeast as well. Just a nice tightness to the flavors in the nose, which makes this feel spot-on.

The taste is tangy sweet gains intermingled with softer fruity flavors and some lightly earthy and green tones shining through as well. Earthy rind and spice are present, spreading bitterness out into a dry and parching finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a fantastic crispness to that gives the flavors an assertive crackle on the palate, while some smooth slickness on the edges of the profile really keeps things moving easily. This feels great.

This is one of those Victory beers that I seem to always miss each summer but I must say that this more than met my expectations after finally getting to try it. With tight flavors here in the nose and mouth and a crisp and dry body keeping the drinkibility here VERY high, this is definitley in the top tier of American-brewed Kölschs that I've had. Well done indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 19:33:24 | More by Kegatron

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a tall cylindrical glass at the brewery. It appeared clear, brilliant gold with a tall white head.

This is the best kolsch I've ever had. No question about it. It's a light, dry, and imminently sessionable beer with all the subtle nuances the style has to offer: fresh-baked biscuits, mineral-rich water, golden bread, peppery hops, and a light fruit punch. The malt taste is clean and the hops provide a delicate but delicious finish. I wish I'd found this early in the summer, it's a fantastic beer for any season, but this would be sublime on a sweaty, sunny day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2009 00:44:23 | More by tempest

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a kolsch glass. A glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As served the beer is a clear bright golden yellow color with a ¼" to ½" white finely bubbled white head that lasts for most of the beer as small ring and light layer of foam over the surface of the beer. Throughout most of the beer, sipping leaves lightly speckled scattered lacing.

Smell: The aroma is both hoppy and malty with some light earthy and floral notes and some bready and honey sweetness.

Taste: The clean, refreshing flavor is grassy and herbal with some biscuity sweetness and some light bitterness

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is light to medium body with some long lasting carbonation. The finish begins with the mix of sweet malt and bitterness from the hops and then fades to a dry finish.

Drinkability: This beer is an easy drinking kolsch and a tasty brew for drinking several with good conversation and friends over dinner. I'd be happy to have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2009 00:26:55 | More by drtth

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I got this at Victory Brewing company in Dowingtown, PA. It came in a tumbler glass.
Appearance: The body is a clear yellow color. The head is a finger tall, bright white in color, small sized bubbles, fine retention and stellar lacing.
Smell: The aromas are not much of anything.
Taste: The flavors are malty, earthy and pine.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is crisp and dry.
Drinkability: This beer is very drinkable.
Don't drink and review.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 00:44:17 | More by treehugger02010

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.05/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 7/10/08. On tap at Blind Tiger. Pours a light golden yellow with a small white head. Aroma of light fruits, light malts, wheat. Flavor is initially lots of spices, followed by bread/wheat malts. Finish of stale wheat. A decent beer that was ok except for the finish.
6/4/6/3/13 (3.2/5)

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2008 18:12:17 | More by LilBeerDoctor

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served as a bright golden colored beer with moderate white puffy head.

Smell shows a light fruitiness combined with a touch of flowery hops.

Taste is light, yet crisp. A fruity sweetness is moderated by a pleasnt hop presence.

Very refreshing and easy to drink.

Went well with my meal. Complimented it well.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2008 21:13:04 | More by tgbljb

AltBock

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Victory's Kölsch Ale was on-tap at the brewery on 7/26/2008. Instead of drinking it there, I decided to take this one home with me in one thier growlers.

When poured into a Victory pint glass, this Kölsch is a clear pale lemon yellow. When I say pale, I mean pale! On top of this pale beer was a creamy 3/4 of an inch head of white foam. This head of foam had excellent retention that left behind a spotty white film and an abundance of sticky white streaks of lace around the glass.

The aroma was light and too faint. The only things I got out of the aroma was malted wheat witha splash of lemon zest. That was it. The aroma was the only problem I had with this beer.

The taste was on the malty side with lightly burnt malted wheat, a touch of lemon zest, subtle dried grapefruit, a hint of dried citrus hops, and then finishes up with a taste of wheat bread. Not too many flavors in this beer, but in the end it was nice little malty beer.

This was clearly a light bodied beer with a malty aftertaste of malted wheat, wheat bread, and the slightest touch of bitter citrus hops.

A light beer that's not light in flavor. Session beer all the way! I didn't have any problems drinking a growler of this beer. A great Kölsch!

Serving type: growler

07-27-2008 17:50:23 | More by AltBock

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Union Jacks Inn on the Manatawny as of this review.

Poured a clear golden yellow color with a nice 1 finger's width of fluffy eggshell colored head, long lasting retention and good lacing. Smells strongly of floral hops, with some honey sweet hints. Taste is a lightly sweet maltiness with lots of grainy notes followed by a big crisp floral hop finish combined with a little extra punch of more bitter hops at the end. Medium light in body wth good carbonation. Very smooth and creamy, yet with a crisp finish. A very sessionable ale with good flavors and a nice balance, looking forward to having more when it is in season this summer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 00:45:13 | More by HopDerek

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Straw color and seemed a bit flat.
Not much nose to it.
The taste was lacking besides being a bit sweet. Not much finish to the beer or anyhting in the front it's smooth.
Very thin mouthfeel and was disappointed.
I would have 1 and it was sampled at the bewpub. Maybe my tatse buds were off. Good lawnmower beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2007 19:06:24 | More by bierman2000

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at the restaurant.

A: The ale is a pale yellow, crystal clear brew with a slight ring of head.

S: Earthy noble hops are the dominant aroma in the nose.

T: The ale starts with a grainy malt flavor that soon gives way to a crisp, dirty hop flavor that is intriguing. Those hops definitely have the subtlety of noble hops and add a firm, biting finish to the ale.

M: Very clean on the palate, this is a good pounding beer.

D: Very drinkable, too bad it is not bottled.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2006 16:53:50 | More by akorsak

RBorsato

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted on-tap 9/25/06 at Tria in Philadelphia, PA.
Advertised as "rare" at 5.1% ABV.

Gold colored with a low white head. A nicely balanced malt, fruit, and hop aroma. Similar in flavor with malt dominating, a touch of ale fruitiness, and just enough hops to balance. Light bodied with a fairly clean finish.

A fairly nice Kolsch -- wish I could compare to a true German example.

($5.50 / Pint)

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2006 20:48:44 | More by RBorsato

HugoGrim

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at the Victory brewery in Downingtown, PA.

A clear pale golden body with a large fluffy marshmellow head. Lots of carbination visable in the glass. Head dissapated into a thin, bubbly trace which laced down the glass a bit.

Aroma is clean and muted. Yeasty bread with sweet malts, some flowery hops, and a hint of citrus.

A nice subtle flavor. Crisp and clean. Full flavors of grainy bread and a dash of spicy hops to accent. Sports a dry finish which I enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2006 16:35:58 | More by HugoGrim

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice clear golden yellow and has puffy white head. On the nose there are scents of pine needles, citrus fruit,flowers, hops, spices, and dry malt. On palate...a citrusy fruity hops and a nice biscuity malt flavor going on. Crisp...really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2006 19:21:45 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

Gavage

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Clear yellow in color with a white 1/2" head. The head disappeared rather quickly and there was no lacing to be found. The aroma was of sweet malt and grass. The flavor was sweeter than expected, but it worked as there was a nice bitterness to balance it out. Grass tones lingered in the background. Light bodied.

Mouthfeel was clean and refreshingly crisp. No lingering aftertaste. The drinkability is as high as you can get, as this is truely a tasty afternoon session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2004 21:15:34 | More by Gavage

GeoffFromSJ

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is just a top-notch kolsch. Probably the best kolsch I've ever drank. Come a nice golden color with a sizeable head. It has a nice, spicy taste. Similar esters to German wheat beers. It makes for a very tasty beer, since the esters are pleasant but not too overpowering. The mouthfeel is very smooth. Definitely the best and most drinkable kolsch I've ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2004 20:19:03 | More by GeoffFromSJ

goindownsouth

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A solid Kolsch, to be sure. This one has definately seen some improvements since the last time I had the pleasure to try it. The crisp looking brew offered a well carbonated appearance wrapped in its golden color and one-finger head. The aroma was slightly sweet and more hoppy than I expected. Although a wee tad on the stringent side on the palate, still a fine brew to pair with any of Victory's fare.

Prosit!

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2004 01:37:39 | More by goindownsouth