Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

I am totally stoked to drink this beer! I have been a fan of Leinie's beers since my first visit to Madison, WI in 1992 and when I found this as a single in my neighbor's cooler, I pounced on it like a panther. I had to await my picture's (yep, that's mine) approval before I would open it and now the stars have aligned as I prepare for an afternoon and evening of college hockey.

From the bottle: "Refreshing Kolsch-style beer with a touch of rye and three specialty hops"; "Carefully brewed by the Leinenkugel family for five generations".

My unrestrained pour created a finger-and-a-half of fizzy, foamy, bone-white head that seemed determined to fizzle its way out of existence. Color was a straw yellow with NE-plus quality clarity and loads of CO2 bubbles in evidence. Nose smelled of lemongrass and silage (corn), the latter of which was not totally unpleasant, but not totally welcomed, either. Mouthfeel was effervescent with a very light taste of lemon and canned corn. It was more innocuous than unpleasant, IMHO. Finish was dry, slightly bland and generally unobtrusive. There was nothing intrinsically wrong with this beer, but it was just kind of bland, even for the style. It lacked Ooomph!, which I have gotten from other beers of the style.

Speaking of which, I was amazed at how many Kolsches I have reviewed on this site. Believe me, it was not by design as I am a self-proclaimed hophead and Kolsch can leave me unfulfilled.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 19:59:11 | More by woodychandler

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.44/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a fluted pilsner glass.

Look: Clear golden color. White fizzy head with decent retention. Watery lines of lacing.

Aroma: Faint sweetness, some rye, grains.

Taste: Basically like the aroma, trying to find any hints of other flavors but can't.
Faint lemon peel, if that.

Mouthfeel: Dry, light, refreshing.

Overall: Simply a very easy drinker, much like a light adjunct lager. Only the faintest of lemony notes made this anything different. Won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 22:55:23 | More by JuicesFlowing

SometimesIfart

Michigan

1.14/5  rDev -64.4%
look: 1.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

A - Pours a very light golden with a one finger white head. Left no lacing.

S - Upon roughly twenty whiffs, I was not able to pick up a single thing.

T - Well let's see, there's...well, it pretty much follows the nose. This beer is blander than Rolling Rock.

M - Heavily bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - Overall, Extremely bland and lacking in all departments. I'e rather have a Bud Light. At least that has some flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:53:05 | More by SometimesIfart

Goosehunter75

Missouri

3.06/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - pours a very light straw color. Very clear with a big 2 finger white head that was able to hang around for some time

S - Definately a malty beer. Most of the smells I picked up on were malts and grains

T - Very grainy malty tasting. Easy drinking beer with a dry and slightly bitter finish

M - Would call it a light to medium bodied beer. As I said earlier, it had a dry finish but was overall very easy drinking

O - Not a bad beer. One could easily sit down and have multiples of it. Nothing outstanding about it but still a good solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 20:38:56 | More by Goosehunter75

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dull and lifeless dirty golden color. Mostly clear, and with a thin foam halo around the glass. Aroma is sweet, grainy and tea like. The taste is quite sweet, just about cloying, with corn syrup and biscuity malt the major culprits. Little to no bitterness, and finishes pretty weak and watery. Where is the body? Flimsy medium bodied, ok carbonated, but bland and lifeless beer. Overall, another sub par offering from the mega conglomerate.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 04:20:27 | More by Stinkypuss

raznug

Ohio

3.89/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This is a crystal clear as a beer gets and it is straw golden in color and is topped with just a ¼” of angel white colored head.
Smell: This is a very clean smelling beer with a small amount of malt aroma but seems to be a great Kolsch style so far.
Taste: Once again this is a clean cut beer just like the style should be with just a hint of rye malt in the taste, it maybe just a tad but over carbonated on the palate but nothing too bad.
Mouthfeel: This is a smooth and easy drinking beer that flows nicely across the palate. The light body of the beer makes it a great beer for spring and summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 17:52:21 | More by raznug

zeff80

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Poured out a clear, highly carbonated golden color with a one-finger white head of foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of caramel with floral notes. Didn't detect anything rye-like.

T - It had a nice sweet caramel flavor. Mild spiciness from the rye.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A light bodied brew with a dry finish.

O - This is an okay kolsch-style ale. It didn't really get the rye, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:17:08 | More by zeff80

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle, with no apparent bottled on date present. Acquired as part of the Leinenkugel's Summer Sampler pack.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a typical clear gold lager color with about a finger of sizzling white head that dissipates within seconds. Lots of bubbles floating around. No lacing.

S - Smell reminds me of Miller Lite a bit. Chemically treated corn husk and malt. Grainy rye smell. Slight hint of fruity hops, but buried in the background. Doesn't smell very good, if you ask me.

T - Pretty bland and watery. Some light rye and corn again. Slightly fruity, but not even enough to verify what kind of flavor. Artificially sweet tasting. Light, muted hop profile, dominated by the rye and corn.

M - Feel is light, crisp, and fruity. Lightly carbonated. An easy sipping beer for hot days, I'm sure.

Overall, I don't know much about the kölsch style, but I would imagine that this Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler isn't a prime example. A pleasant enough beer, just very lacking in where it wants to go. Boring and generic, yet definitely a beer you could throw back during the summer heat.

Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler ---2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 00:28:07 | More by mfnmbvp

t2thebro

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottlet

A- crystal clear straw color. Thin white head that dissipates quickly.

S- light pale grains, hints of straw and cracker. Slight grassy hop aroma.

T- clean refreshing light beer, light biscuty, cracker grain profile. Light grassy hops, a bit of lemon zest and a tad of bitterness. A bit of a funky aftertaste but nothing serious.

M- crisp, clean, refreshing.

O- I will admit I'm not super familiar with this style. Its smooth, clean, light and refreshing. Usually that means flavorless, but not this beer, good grain flavor, good hop profile for this light beer style, will drink plenty of this in the summer. Not sure if the off aftertaste is something I'm just not used to or if its a bad trait. Its definitely not a deal breaker.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:33:52 | More by t2thebro

barczar

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a brilliant champagne with a foamy one inch ivory head that quickly dissipates, leaving minimal spotty lacing.

Grain, cracker-like pilsner malt, lightly perfumey hops, and a touch of citrus form the aroma. Rye lingers in the background, but there's initially an off scent reminiscent of halitosis or body odor that disappears eventually.

Grain, toasted, bready malt, and a bit of sourness form the flavor. The rye adds a peppery bitterness at the finish. Fairly bready overall.

Body is on the light side, with fairly high carbonation lifting the flavor from the tongue quickly.

More malt character than expected. I'm guessing the tangy flavor comes from the yeast. That off aroma, though is pretty nasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 01:46:16 | More by barczar

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Bright lemon-gold with a pristine clarity shows a healthy dose of carbonation. A frothy ivory white head is strong on the hold while the lacing sticks well.

S: Light tart lemons, faint fruitiness of lime and fresh green pear with a hint of dry delicate apple cider. Surprisingly has quite a bit of zing for a kolsch style.

T: Crisp and delicate tart fruitiness backed by a hint of wheat and pale grain sweetness. A touch of lime and green pear. Really clean tasting, soft fruity hop dryness and some bread.

M: Crisp mouthful, carbonation comes through with a light body that turned frothy on the hold. Light tartness of fruit and acidity.

O: Overally i was fairly impressed by the offering, clean well to do by style, well attenuated and crisp. Lightly tart and fruity and very easy to drink. A delicate and hard style to appreciate outside of germany and not one done usually by american breweries. Have to add the rye contribution was very slight to the point of almost non-commiting and could easily be overlooked as well as easily left out for style sake. Refreshing and crisp for that easy drinking session. A bit fruity per style and the rye seems out of place but besides being outside the guidelines a bit still drinks fairly easily and the light craft, lager drinker will find enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:33:05 | More by beerthulhu

shand

Florida

2.51/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Now, I love a good Kolsch, I love a good Rye beer, and I tend to enjoy Leinie's beers, so I was excited for this one. I must say, though, it kind of let me down. It pours out a clear golden with a finger of white head that quickly drops. The aroma is pretty decent, it's grainy and there's just a hint of rye spice. On the tongue, any hint of Kolsch or rye is quickly swallowed by a generic fruity character that strangles the whole beer.

Seriously, what's up with the fruity character here? I kinda get that fruit is Leinie's thing now, but it's just regrettably out of place here. I like the Shandys, I like the other seasonals, hell, I even like the Sunset Wheat. But this is just pretty thoroughly mediocre. I'd like to see the 1888 Bock again instead of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 17:26:09 | More by shand

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

I can tell that this is in the Kolsch vein, can't tell the rye's there. Poured cold with a small, white, fizzy head that quickly settled to a few small islands and a ring with no lace. Aroma is fresh beer, malt. Color is a crystal clear yellow with plenty of bubble trails. Flavor's like nose. grainy malt cult with carbonic tang and a little bittersweet. Body is ok; carbonation a touch sharp. Finish is like flavor, easy drinking without much character. Average length.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 01:39:38 | More by drpimento

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into an English dimpled pint glass. Served chilled.

A) Straw yellow, somewhat translucent. A finger of white soapy head. This settles to a dusting, with a bit of lacing.

S) Grainy, grassy, a bit buttery, and a hint of fruit, I'm thinking green grape.

T) Light malt, grainy, a little bitterness, mostly a touch of grass. I am still picking up a hint of that green grape. There is a little bit of rye on the back end. Pretty refreshing...

M) Not as light bodied as it's appearance, but too much carbonation for my liking. Goes down easy enough, but not what I would call smooth.

O) This is just okay, but honestly if I didn't live in Wisconsin I probably wouldn't be drinking it. I guess sometimes when you have to run out to Walmart for some random household items, you end up with Canoe Paddler in your cart.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 23:40:31 | More by RoamingGnome

jwc215

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours yellow golden with very small bubbles rising to the top, forming more of a lasting wisp than a head. Minimal vanishing lace slides down the glass.

The smell is grainy, cereal-like. It's yeasty with a hint of floral notes.

The taste is of sweet grain balanced by a hint of lemon-grass and peppery spicing in the finish. The aftertaste is of a macro-lager with some pepper.

The feel is light and smooth with a bit of fizz. The finish lasts a bit.

It doesn't really fit in with "Kolsch" style. It does have a certain dryness to it though - from the pepper. I didn't really catch the rye that was added. It's not bad - but...well - they tried something different that was light. It's okay.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 16:15:35 | More by jwc215

punky796

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours clear amber with about a finger of head that disappears. Looks like a Budweiser with fewer bubbles.

S - Smells of corn, hops, general grains, with a touch of Earthiness not found in other adjunct-type beers that this otherwise resembles.

T - All the same as the smell, but with an addition of some lemon and a TINY bit of the advertised rye.

M - Not bad, healthy amount of carbonation, and not too dry. Decent aftertaste.

O - It's alright. Drinkable, more so than the adjuncts that it looks like, but Leinie's could, and have, done better.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 11:39:34 | More by punky796

Schwarz

Wisconsin

2.94/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Really an eh beer.

Pours with a nice looking half inch head which disappears quickly. Very clear pale gold in appearance.

The smell is warning me off. Reminds me of the scent coming off a stale adjunct. Funky smell, maybe some lemon, possibly the tiniest hint of yeast.

Tastes like a mediocre lager. Some light lemon flavors come through, but it's pretty one dimensional.

Mouthfeel is tingly, some good carbonation, but it finishes thin.

Would not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 22:16:17 | More by Schwarz

harrymel

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Best by 13MAY13

Light grain yellow with white surface sheet. Smells like a kolsch, corn, grain, clean, touch of earthy hops. Clean, some corn, some rice, some grain, a touch of sweetness early on is countered with a decent bitterness and a cheap finish. Thin with hi carb and a dry finish. This is okay. I'd drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 04:56:34 | More by harrymel

jusware

1.93/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

The first bottle I opened had what I call a "snot pellicle". The first swallow was slimy and reminiscent of snot. Second bottle was the same way, but not as bad. This comes from improperly brewing with Rye (beta glucan rest??). This is odd since I couldn't taste any rye. Quite frankly this beer tastes like liquid cardboard with hops and a dash of kolsch and a hint of slime. I'm extremely dissappointed in this beer. I'm a big fan of Leine and a huge fan of the kolsch style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 02:08:49 | More by jusware

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.24/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

12 oz twist-off bottle poured into a Leinie's imperial pint.
5.0% ABV, May0613 on neck.

A - Canoe Paddler pours a pale straw yellow color with bright clarity and a frothy white head that's sustained by the glass' laser etching. Thin fingers of lace are left on the glass as this sips lower the volume.

S - With more character than an average kölsch, Canoe Paddler starts off with a crisp and refreshing nose of European hops; a spritz of lemon citrus with herbal with spice notes that compliment the pinch of rye nicely. Clean pale malt provides a good base while remaining largely out of the way.

T - A touch of lemon dances on the tongue with the carbonation while pale malt lingers in the background, softly providing a simple base for delicate herbal hop notes and rye spice.

M - This is exactly what I look for in a kölsch; crisp, though not overly carbonated, light-bodied, refreshing, and generally clean with a nice trail of dryness and faint hop bitterness. The feel ties the beer together wonderfully.

O - It seems a little early in the season for a beer such as this, but if it sticks around long enough, Canoe Paddler would make an excellent warm weather beer with it's delicate but well-balanced hop flavors and crisp, clean finish. Canoe Paddler will undoubtedly find a permanent place in my summer cooler.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 00:33:22 | More by BeerFMAndy

rangerred

Tennessee

2.75/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear pale straw yellow with a fluffy one finger white head. Pretty good head retention leaving some moderate lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma is very much like a standard pale lager with cooked vegetables, a little bit of corn, along with a hint of rye spice. Not bad but not really that memorable either.

The flavor is much the same way. Cooked veggies with some stale corn along with a bit of metal. Some lightly toasted breat makes an appearance with some floral notes. Kind of an odd aftertaste that is reminiscent of stale cabbage with a sticky finish. Not clean at all.

Overall, I am not really impressed with this beer in the least. It might be decent as a thirst quencher on a hot day but I could think of many other beers I would rather have. Not one to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 01:35:36 | More by rangerred

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.69/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce bottle - $1.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

MAY0613 marked on the bottle neck.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, light yellow body with a medium-small, tight, white head.

Smell: Minor malts with a bit of grain, a dash of corn sugar, and modest hop hints.

Taste: Ultra faint, ineffusive maltiness with a slight touch of rye and light cereal sweetness. Lacking hops, low bitterness. Light finish with a light, lingering hint of malt liquor gankiness.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: A weak offering, a rather poor Kölsch. Didn't finish this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:41:28 | More by ChainGangGuy

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle pours a brilliantly clear yellow color with a decent-sized cap of white head. Retention is ok with a smidge or two of lace.

Nose is not quite as yeasty as most kolsches but if you dig deep enough you can get a whiff or two. Smells more like a sulfurous lager with some crisp grains and light bread crumbs. Not much in the way of hops, and there is no way I would be able to tell this had rye in it.

Taste is ok, really though...I would probably guess AAL if I had it blind. The rye is not prevalent enough nor is the kolsch yeast. That said, I would reach for this over a budweiser any day. The body actually holds pretty well and it is not as thin as first perceived. Meh...I won’t have any trouble finishing the sixer that I bought, but SA Lawnmower beats this hands down as a readily available kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:57:39 | More by twiggamortis420

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Paddlin' the school canoe? Oh, you'd better believe that's a paddlin'... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear pale brass topped by a finger of relatively short-lived off-white foam. The nose comprises banana, light wheat, toast, very light lemon zest, and funky water. The taste brings in more of the same, with a stronger lemon and wheat component. The body is a hefty light, with a moderate carbonation and a dry, crisp finish. Overall, an okay kolsch, but one that doesn't seem to utilize the rye very well, and one that misses the style's mark just a bit regardless.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 06:02:47 | More by TMoney2591

edwinholt

Illinois

2.89/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Not sure why Leinenkugel would release this "summer" beer so early, but overall I would rate it as a entry level Kolsch style beer. It looks fine with a double finger head in a transparent gold with white lacing. It smells to the style - a little malty and a little skunky, but not aversively so. It leads me to believe that they are using WLP029 German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast. There is an average scent of rye and hops as the bottle indicated it is brewed with rye and 3 kinds of "specialty hops". Not sure which hops they are using, but I would guess the IBU is in the 14-20 range. The after taste almost kind of reminds me of their Honey Weiss; it starts to lose it’s appeal as my taste buds quickly adapted to the rye and hop flavors.

It will be interesting to see how the general public takes to this new addition. Well at least they didn't add lemon to this one!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 16:29:54 | More by edwinholt