The Dundee Brewing Company, part of the larger Genesee Brewing Company, are based out of Rochester, New York and are home to a variety of craft beer. They were even gracious enough to send me some samples of a few of their beers. Today, I’m starting with their Kölsch-style Ale, a refreshingly sessionable ale on the first day of summer!
This is my absolute first Dundee beer although they’ve been open since 1994. The labeling on the bottles were simplistic, though provided a nice display for each style. The pour into my pint glass for this Kölsch was absolute crystal clear and golden-orange in color. The head was almost non-existent which is expected for the style, but did leave a thin, sudsy ring around the glass and left literally zero lacing.
Although the head wasn’t present, the nose was still vibrant. Really strong sweet malt is up front, with some candy corn, sour apple and finally floral hops in the end. The overall smell was musky, spicy and sweet with a finish of brown sugar encapsulating the aromas.
The flavors in this mouthful are quick to disappear and had me noticing the finish first, which seems a bit backwards. I’m left with a dry, flat finish on my palate. Sipping again, and seriously take your time with this one to let the flavor profile fuse with your taste buds, you’re hit with the musky flavors. A taste of dried corn husk, extremely mild grassy hops and some spicy undertones round out the profile. The body was light, almost medium, with some complimentary carbonation.
This is a great and refreshing beer if you’re looking for something on the lighter side. The complexity of the actual flavor profile just isn’t there though, for me. It’s too bland, boring and ritualistic. While it seems to be on par with the Kölsch-style, and I do like Kölschs, there is nothing that stands out. The Dundee Kölsch-style Ale is an easy-drinking beer but it just doesn’t add up to something great.
Overall: 7.8/10
