Stone Spröcketbier

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Rated July 2014. 22zo bomber (OK Stone, I’ve been lucky enough to feast on fresh Kolsch in Cologne a few times and loved it. This had better be good or else :) ). The bomber pours with a very un-Kolsch like body that’s very dark and supporting a full mocha head. Wow. The aroma offers up chocolate malts, light citrus hops, spicy hops and then smooth smelling dark roasted maltiness. Very different aroma but it fits together nicely. The taste starts with a pleasing mix of dark roasted malts, a dash of chocolate malts and then bitter hops that build into sort of a lime and bitter floral hoppiness. The hop bitterness and the malt dark roastiness merge toward the finish in a complimentary manner. This is pretty crisp and stays far away from the sweet dreadful over sweet Kolsch that is all too common with American (failed) attempts at the style. This is a very cool brew and it actually has slivers of the Kolsch experience in its freshness, crispness and in the periphery of the hop bill. I like it.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Pours opaque coffee brown with a thin but fine-bubbled head. Roast malt aroma has chocolate, rye, earthy and nutty notes. Flavor trots toasty, chocolate, rye, and muted coffee and charcoal tones. Firm texture is smooth and a little fizzy. Catch your gear in this sprocket!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Sampled on 9/18/2104. This rye black Kolsch(?) pours a deep black color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is roasty malts, a touch of rye and some sweetness. A medium bodied dark rye beer. The malts are roasty and sweet, malty and grainy. The hops are spicy and herbal. Decent carbonation. A nice mix and match of rye spiciness, caramel malts, dark fruit and chocolate malts. Very easy drinking. Not sure what I was expecting with this beer, after reading the write up. But I kind of like it. Would make a decent session ale. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Black with ruby highlights and a thick cap of tan foam. Dark malt aroma, a little burnt and roasted with bitter chocolate, faint hop character. Soft on the palate, light bodied with modest carbonation, smooth and a bit dry from the dark grains. Malty with moderate bitterness up front, chocolate and a hint of toffee/hops mid-palate, finishing on the bitter side. Lingering citrus/lemon bitterness. Overall, it was pretty decent, didnt even taste like a kolsch.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

A black colored beer with a big frothy textured brown head rising above. There's great hang time on the head. It settles eventually into a thick ringlet and persistent cap. Rye and an earthiness in the nose. Spicy rye malt and earth grassiness in the tasting. Moderate bodied, crisp and easy drinking crispness

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours like a schwarz color wise. Nice head. Good aroma of rye and dark malts with a pilsner like hop undertone. Flavor refreshing, but fairly complex all the same. Good hybrid style.