Wednesday, December 06, 2006

St. Peter's Kolsch

I have spent a lot of my spare time visiting the numerous Christmas Markets around the town of Cologne. These are small groups of bungalows in various squares (or Platz) around town. One of the nice things about Cologne is that where there's a Platz there is more than likely a pub or Kolsch Brewery near by. So the other day when I had my fill of Christmas markets I decided to head into the near by St. Peters Brewery near Heumartk for a Kolsch and a bit to eat. I wasn't starving, just a little snack so I opted for the Halven Hahn, nice thick German bread with a huge slice of Dutch Cheese. I ordered my Kolsch and it came out in the traditional 0.2l glass. Bright golden with a thick pillowy and foamy head almost over flowing the glass, yet never cascading down the side. Great amounts of tiny little bubbles like a fine champagne. The nose had some nice green and grassy notes with a bit of stone minerality filling it out. The mouth had those same flavors with the greeness of the beer turning into hop bitterness at the end. As the head dissipated it left behind copious amounts of lacing sticking to the side of the glass. The carbonation was excellent and really cut through the fat in the thick slab of cheese. This maybe my second favorite Kolsch that I have enjoyed here, with Pfaffen still in the lead.

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