Bomber Brewing Company / Trolley No. 5 Brewpub Over the Mountain Kölsch at 5.2% ABV | 18 IBU (C$3.00 at Oak & Vine, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Feb-2018, acquired 19-Jul-2018, reviewed 23-Jul-2018)
Appearance: clear medium gold with one fat finger of fluffy white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grass, crackery malt, floral, light citrus. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (3/5)
Hold on… just yesterday, I had a Banded Peak/Persephone hopped Pilsener collab that billed itself as “two likeminded breweries on opposite sides of the great divide”, and now I’ve got a Bomber/Trolley 5 “boundary-crossing collaboration” dry-hopped Kölsch? Are AB/BC collabs a “thing” now? Who’s stealing from whose playbook? (And, let’s be honest, there’s not a great deal of difference between Kölsch and Pilsener, is there?) Though, I’ll tell you one big difference: this isn’t nearly as good as yesterday’s. Yeah, it’s hoppy, but it’s all Hallertau, and for some reason Huell Melon has never excited me. This is big on grass, but not much else – so you end up with a Kölsch that tastes like a Pils. And truth be told, smells sorta like a mass-market Lager. OK, maybe it’s a bit elderly to be expecting the hops to sustain fully, but I really don’t think there was ever much more than grass here to start with. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
