Like the sands of the hourglass, these are the beers in our glass... beers from Florida! Every Friday, we take a look at a beer brewed in the Sunshine State, giving analysis to the burgeoning craft beer movement of Florida.
It looks like a lager, and acts like a lager... but does it taste like a lager? Not particularly, though there are similarities. This is a Kölsch style beer - a variety that became famous in the city of Cologne, Germany. It's notably different from a traditional lager, in that the kolsch is fermented warm at ale temperatures and then cold conditioned for a time to reach its peak. Lagers are brewed cool throughout the process.
What this leaves is an enjoyable flavor profile that is probably one of the best steps from macrobrews to the world of craft beer. It's also a summertime favorite (and warm Florida winters).
See also: Vega Lounge Hosted Florida Beer Company Tasting, New Saison Revealed
This particular beer is locally produced Der Chancellor from Tequesta Brewing Company at the northern reaches of Palm Beach County.
The brewers at TBC have been putting this one out for years, and the strengths of their experience come out in force in this beer (It also hit our list of the Top 10 Beers in South Florida!). There's no hiding flaws in this style, it's quite unforgiving. There's no big malts or huge hop additions to hide behind.
As expected, the beer is poured showcasing brilliant straw-yellow color and clarity. A mild collar of lacing holds on to the glass. The aroma is mild yet slightly sweet, with a floral yeast presence. The flavors remind the mind of lightly toasted white bread intermixed with tall grass and a smidgen of pale malt sweetness. Hops are present in an herbal character, and don't produce a staggering amount of bitterness.
One of the features of a Kölsch, and this one in particular, is the lack of that seemingly lager-specific metallic taste that comes along during cold fermentation. This will be unlike any of the usual German lagers that you've had before. In addition, it doesn't lose its flavor profile as it warms, something that American lagers tend to do over even 45 degrees.
Tequesta Brewing Company's Der Chancellor is available at their tap room in Tequesta, as well as across fine dining and drinking establishments in the Palm Beach and Broward areas.
Seek out local beer, and for happy hour, use #FloridaBeerFriday to let us know what you're drinking.
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