Kolsch is the kind of hyper regional beer style that I love. An ale brewed like a lager, only allowed to be brewed in the City of Cologne and served in its very own glass called a stange. It would be very funny if the good people of Cologne were so protective of a beer that wasn’t very good anyway – luckily for them, Kolsch is bloody delicious. Slow Lane’s Stanger Danger is no exception.
You’ll often see people and breweries talk about how beer should only contain water, malt, hops and yeast, but it’s pretty rare that a finished beer will literally only contain one of each of these ingredients. For this beer, Slow Lane have stuck with Cologne malt, Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops and a Kolsch ale strain to go for something that’s completely true to style. Although I’ve never been to Cologne, this is exactly what I imagine a Kolsch to be, and I might as well just copy and paste the BJCP style guidelines here. Grainy white bread malt, pronounced noble hop aroma, low level biting bitterness, perfectly poised and fresh as anything. God, what a bloody delight.
Judd Owen
