Beer of the Weekend #463: Sidekick Kölsch
The beer of the weekend is an indigenous Iowa brew that caught my eye last week (because it is the perfect reason to bust out my Stange): Sidekick Kölsch, brewed by the Peace Tree Brewing Company of Knoxville, Iowa.
Though the brewery is in Knoxville, “brewed & packaged at Peace Tree Brewing Company, Cold Springs, Minnesota” is printed on the can. Interesting.
Serving type: 12-ounce can. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a Stange. The color is straw and two fingers of off-white foam dissipated fairly quickly, leaving an even skim, a ring around the edge, and trails along the glass.
Smell: Musty adjunct grains. There is a hint of grassiness and lemon, but not much else.
Taste: Lots of adjunct grain and pale malts. It has Peace Tree’s Belgian yeast touch, which is… Meh. There are hints of grassiness and floral hops let you know you are drinking a beer; it has an adequate bitterness to it. There is a light fruitiness and a touch of zest.
Drinkability: Though there is some semblance of kölsch, it is far from what I expect from the style.
Fun facts about Sidekick Kölsch:
-Style: Kölsch. Without the umlaut over the “o” I guess it should be spelled “koelsch.”
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: No clue. It is not on the can or listed online.
-“You might be wondering, why cans?” says the Peace Tree blog post announcing the return of Sidekick. “Well, they are a great container for beer since they prohibit light, allow less room for air and chill quickly. Not to mention, how easy to pack along for camping, boating, biking, hiking, golfing or any other favorite outdoor activity?”
-Here is Peace Tree’s much-hyped description of the beer:
-Sidekick Kölsch comes in a box, which is pretty rare:
-Admittedly, one of the reasons I bought this was because I always liked the movie Sidekicks.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C-.
Though the brewery is in Knoxville, “brewed & packaged at Peace Tree Brewing Company, Cold Springs, Minnesota” is printed on the can. Interesting.
Serving type: 12-ounce can. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a Stange. The color is straw and two fingers of off-white foam dissipated fairly quickly, leaving an even skim, a ring around the edge, and trails along the glass.
Smell: Musty adjunct grains. There is a hint of grassiness and lemon, but not much else.
Taste: Lots of adjunct grain and pale malts. It has Peace Tree’s Belgian yeast touch, which is… Meh. There are hints of grassiness and floral hops let you know you are drinking a beer; it has an adequate bitterness to it. There is a light fruitiness and a touch of zest.
Drinkability: Though there is some semblance of kölsch, it is far from what I expect from the style.
Fun facts about Sidekick Kölsch:
-Style: Kölsch. Without the umlaut over the “o” I guess it should be spelled “koelsch.”
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: No clue. It is not on the can or listed online.
-“You might be wondering, why cans?” says the Peace Tree blog post announcing the return of Sidekick. “Well, they are a great container for beer since they prohibit light, allow less room for air and chill quickly. Not to mention, how easy to pack along for camping, boating, biking, hiking, golfing or any other favorite outdoor activity?”
-Here is Peace Tree’s much-hyped description of the beer:
Some beers fight for attention and then there are some unsung heroes. Wearing the mask of a lager, this filtered enter ale is crisp yet refreshing yet packs a wallop of flavor. Brewed in the tradition of Cologne, Germany, this Kolsch style ale is the perfect companion for your backpack, tackle box or picnic basket. Ka-Pow!
-Sidekick Kölsch comes in a box, which is pretty rare:
-Admittedly, one of the reasons I bought this was because I always liked the movie Sidekicks.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C-.
