Kölsch - Brauhaus Sion

cpanossian

New York

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First time in Cologne.
Crystal clear pale yellow. Very light sweet, light flower aroma. Sweet aquaous mouth feel and taste. No active carbonation while sitting but each sip bring a light effervesence on the tongue. Mellow barley wort flavors with a basic hop balance. Very simple and unassuming beer style that seems designed to quench thirst first. Fun place too - old dark panelled restaurant hall with a lot of action.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2010 19:53:05 | More by cpanossian

Dinkel

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

02-07-2013 03:37:04 | More by Dinkel

whatsgoody

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

11-25-2012 00:58:52 | More by whatsgoody

slacker79

Ohio

3/5  rDev -15.7%

11-19-2012 20:04:50 | More by slacker79

BanrionMAB

4.75/5  rDev +33.4%

11-07-2012 00:47:54 | More by BanrionMAB

jmn5082

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%

11-06-2012 15:24:39 | More by jmn5082

MrHyde1886

Italy

3/5  rDev -15.7%

10-31-2012 11:23:12 | More by MrHyde1886

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

09-01-2012 23:09:58 | More by t0rin0

selator

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%

04-30-2012 20:05:33 | More by selator

codynevels

California

4/5  rDev +12.4%

11-17-2011 05:32:11 | More by codynevels

mentaltraveller

Illinois

4/5  rDev +12.4%

11-15-2011 23:11:27 | More by mentaltraveller

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.05/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

My 330cl brown bottle claims 4.8% ABV, maybe they've lowered the alcohol content?

Obtained from 'Beers of Europe' and poured into a Kolsch type straight sided glass (from the now closed Privatebrauerei A.Kropf of Kassel).

I've been to Koln many times: almost all before joining BA. Great city with some lovely brewpubs, it's their beer I can't get to grips with. I have always struggled to really enjoy their beers, sadly this bottle is no exception. Only reviewed three from this style before this, but I just don't get Kolsch.

Looks fine in the glass, clean, sparkling and a pale gold in colour, on top a thin yet full white head of bubbly foam.

Cereal smell if pressed to find anything, really it's odourless to the normal human nose.

This Kolsch is a little sweeter than most I've had (years ago I had it fresh in the brewery tap). It still however does nothing for me, it's wet and vaguely alcoholic, it has no flavours or taste other than a slight cereal and hop feel to it. I know it is supposed to be delicate and light in texture, well it certainly is.

I'm trying to find something good to say about it, honest.

OK, it isn't offensive in any way, it's crisp, refreshing and would be fine on a warm summers day with a mega hot curry.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 17:37:50 | More by BlackHaddock

Keffa

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Live review.

6oz plastic taster at Disney's Wine and Food Festival, German booth.

A: Bright golden yellow, small white head settles very quickly to a tiny ring. No real lacing.

S: Very grainy, lemony citrus, and earthy/spicy hop.

T: Similar to the aroma, but sweeter malt, cracker like, light lemon, slight spice and earthiness. Very clean finish and alcohol is decently hidden.

M: Surprisingly medium body, very nicely done carbonation, and lightly oily on the palate.

O: Not bad. Was expecting worse. Easily drinkable, and went well with the 85+, 85% humidity. I'd drink it again, but don't see it happening anytime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2011 19:19:09 | More by Keffa

cobrarax

Sweden

4.13/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pale straw yellow. Large, fizzy bubbles. The foam is thin and doesn't stay around for long.

S: Fresh, slightly metallic, some hop aroma. Hints of malt and some fruity yeast tones.

T: Clean and crisp. Some sweetness balanced by a distinct and simple bitterness. Small hints of grain. The aftertaste is dry and bitter. Very refreshing.

M: Thin liquid. The liquid behaves a little bit like champagne; it bruises up a little bit in my mouth. As with every other thing in this beer, the mouthfeel is fresh.

O: Deliciously refreshing. One of the best kölsch in the whole Cologne. Perfect for hot summerdays, and I wish the Swedish Systembolaget would import them.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 20:56:40 | More by cobrarax

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color with a finger high white head. A very light amount of carbonation is visible in the form of rising bubbles.
S: There are light aromas of flowery hops on the nose along with some notes of bready malts.
T: The taste is relatively balanced between light amounts of malty flavors and mild bitterness from the hops.
M: It feels extremely light-bodied on the palate and is very smooth, crisp and refreshing. A light to medium amount of carbonation is perceptible.
D: The beer is very thirst quenching and sessionable. I could easily drink these all night.

Serving type: cask

10-23-2010 13:01:07 | More by metter98

jneiswender

Massachusetts

2.15/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Had this beer at the restaurant of the Koln Holiday Inn. Served on tap in the strage glass cool.

A-bright white cap, gold body.

S-metallic, slight veggie.

T-muted flavors, watery, bitter aftertaste

M-light and very wet tasting

D-I think there are better representations of this style out there. The flavors of the beer are all around very muted.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 16:43:02 | More by jneiswender

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a bottle of this on a train from Cologne to Munich (brought from Cologne, not served on the train). This was the day after a night of trying as many Kolsches as possible in Cologne. So this is the last one reviewed from my compressed Kolsch experience.

Sion seemed to be everywhere in Cologne, and in fact was stocked in my hotel's mini-bar too. The beer is pretty middle-of-the-road amongst Kolsches, at least in my estimation. It was muted in aroma and flavor, tasting more malty than anything else but really neutral. No fruity esters or musty funk, either of which would give me something to look forward to in a return tasting. A solid Kolsch but nothing to search out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 14:25:36 | More by TurdFurgison

GoBrewOrGoHome

California

4.38/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- clear straw yellow, white head, great head retention
S- little bready, low aroma, black pepper,
T- bready, light sweetness, long lasting noble hop bitterness, vanilla,
M- med-light body, medium carbonation
D- very drinkable beer, the mellow carbonation makes this kolsch quite quaffable

Serving type: cask

03-30-2010 22:06:44 | More by GoBrewOrGoHome

lstokes

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this from a tap in Berlin--maybe the taste improves with travel across the country?

It looks like apple juice with a small head, so the look is not particularly impressive, and the nose is pretty weak, but it tastes nice and drinks well.

I really enjoyed the interplay of the lemon-floral hop bite, the musty honey-and-grape-like malts, a little bit of caramel, and the very clean finish.

The mouthfeel is a little watery, so I have to mark that down, but I happily ordered three of them, and may go back to that bar, just because.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2009 12:26:18 | More by lstokes

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a bottle of this at Cologne (Köln) Central Station as my first Kolsch in Cologne and enjoyed it very much. It was served with a small head and no lace. Color was a clear yellow. Very aromatic, lemony, grainy, and fresh. Flavor was similar, balanced and had a slight bitter finish. Good body and carbonation. Easy session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 19:53:53 | More by drpimento

Bierschenker

Belgium

2.3/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a « Stein »
Bought at a city centre supermarket in Köln.

While pouring in my stein, I couldn't get a real head. Just some sparkling bubbles. No lacing, just a clear see trough golden liquid. A few bubbles touching the surface.
Only a minute malt scent noticeable.
Taste is a bit foul. I can remember drinking Sion on tap in Köln. On tap it wasn't too bad, but this bottle tastes like dirt. A strong malt sensation curves over the tongue. Overall it's surprisingly sweet.
The after taste resembles mud.
Mouthfeel is dry.

I've had better kölsch

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 12:53:44 | More by Bierschenker

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

0.4l serving at Biermuseum in Koln

A- Pale blonde, with 2 finger head that disappates quickly, giving moderate lacing.

S- very very faint malts, no hop aroma

T- bland and watery, some maltiness there, but pretty lifeless overall

M- spritzy, medium carbonation

D- so boring, not refreshing, not flavourful, pass!

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2008 17:02:55 | More by seanyfo

JBogan

Nevada

2.08/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Had this in Cologne at a restaurant. Came in the usual Kolsch style glassware, with a pale to medium gold color and a thick white head. Nice to look at.

Almost no smell to speak of. Perhaps a bit grassy, but that's all I could pick up.

Tasted of a little malt, but otherwise rather bland. Not much going on here.

Rather watery and flat in the mouth. Again, nothing exciting happening.

This beer was a disappointment. After looking at it I expected a bit more, and one glass was enough. No thanks.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2008 19:08:33 | More by JBogan

dherling

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Another kolsch from my tour of Cologne during Karnival. Sion might be the most advertised of the kolsches around here, except for maybe gaffel. It is also the most mediocre. Poured out golden like all the other but the bone white head had poor retention. The taste was bland and cloying, the nose nearly nonexistent. Soe faint grain and hop notes. Not an enjoyable beer. This was the only kolsch I had that failed to mask a meager 5% alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2007 08:58:30 | More by dherling

therica

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first taste of Sion (zee-own in English pronounciation) was in bottle-form, from the Cologne hotel room "courtesy bar" (which courteously charged me E$4.50). I was a bit taken a-back, the taste was much more hops/pilsner than I'd expected. I went out into the old-town and tried some at a few taps, and found the bottled form rather consistent with the tap (although you just can't beat a tap with a bottle).

This kolsch reminded me a lot of the good old now-gone Pittsburgh German beers. It has that nice hopsy-bite and odor, a good zing, not overly carbonated, a modest but tasty head which collapses fairly quickly, a short-lived hop aftertaste but not bitter, and a nice non-offensive belch following.

I've tried on several occasions to detect the slight undertones of the taste. I can only say possibly something like yellow buttered-corn or something, very complementary and somewhat distinctive as far as kolsch undertones go. Plus, a modest malt-taste in the head, the beer and also in the pleasant aftertaste.

I stumbled upon the Sion Brauhaus shortly thereafter! The tap beer at the Brauhaus was consistent with the others around-town. I returned later with my wife and my daughter. We enjoyed a sumptuous dinner, with great service (2 servers keeping an eye on us, for instance), no problems getting seating during dinner-hour. There are plenty of tables and they're not crowded together. The Sion Kolsch went fairly well with the meal, but was better afterwards, since the hop/pilsner taste did compete with some of the food tastes. All of our dinner items were top-notch. The Sion even mixed well with the outstanding cups of espresso coffee which followed my meal.

My daughter opted for local Reisling rather than the kolsch. My wife tried the kolsch but was not overjoyed-- definitely not a "ladies' beer."

On several other occasions in Cologne, we were waiting for a table at other brauhauses. People would walk in, see the long waiting-line, look at each other and say simply, "Sion," and off they went to the Sion Brauhaus.

Overall, I suppose I was more impressed with the Sion Kolsch than the reviewers before me. It seems to be, from my experience, a less-typical kolsch beer, but it sure moved to the top of my list in its own unique category, and one kolsch that I will seek out and be excited to see its name hanging over any doorway.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2005 09:11:35 | More by therica