Beers I've Tried: Dom and Früh Kölsch

German beer is not all about pils. There a several regional styles that have developed. Fortunately for me, a couple of these regions are not far away and are quite available here. 

Kölsch is sort of a crossover beer in that the yeast is a ale (or top fermenting yeast) but uses the lighter roasted malts developed for pilsners and is largered.

Kölsch is the beer of Cologne (or Köln as it is called in German). The name Kölsch is protected (like "Champagne") so that only beers brewed in Cologne can use the name. In the past, Samuel Adams' Summer Ale was advertised as a "kölsch-style beer" and is the only American version of this style.

I brought two home recently, Früh Kölsch and Dom Kölsch.

 

Früh Kölsch was my favorite of the two. It combines malt and hops in a way that most beers can only hope to achieve. The head is made up of small, tightly packed bubbles that look like whipped cream. In addition, as the beer sat in the glass there were "string of pearls" bubbles coming from the bottom, reminding me of a good Champagne.

Dom Kölsch is not as malty or hoppy as Früh. It is much closer to the way that I remember Samuel Adams version. A really enjoyable beer with a good malt and good hops. Like the Früh, the head on the Dom has the whipped cream look that I like to see. All and all, an enjoyable, easy drinking beer that I would happily drink again.