Jun 23, 2017
Claim 52 makes an odd little Kölsch.
The Kölsch, as traditionally brewed in the northern German city of Köln, is cold fermented with ale yeast and then goes through a prolonged aging period, similar to a lager. It’s a hybrid of multiple brewing traditions. Most brewers making Kölsch produce a very clean, very pale beer with only hints of yeast. Claim 52 is a full on pale ale.
The yeast is throwing off a lot of fruity esters. It’s not quite like a banana flavored hefeweizen, but much more than I’m used to. It’s nice though. The esters add an extra layer to the crisp body and the light herbaceous hop notes. It’s not completely out of the Kölsch box, but Claim 52 is defining some of the limits.
