Beer of the Week: White Street Kolsch

Beer score: 5.9

Company: White Street Brewing Co.

ABV: 5.2
IBU: 23

Coming to us from the White Street Brewing folks just out of Wake Forest, NC, this brew pours with a nice white, frothy head and appears a sturdy gold color in a glass. Very crisp, very clean, but while this is a solid beer, I'm not sure it was for me. For one thing, the bitterness that hits the tongue right away was a bit too strong for my liking, though there is a light pleasant sweetness on the way down. Oddly enough, after that initial burst of flavor, the taste kind of fluttered away as I swallowed. The scent and taste remind me of wheat, something in a cracker variety, but there are also the barest hints of citrus and perhaps other fruits.

Should you try this? Yes, definitely. It's a quality beer. It simply wasn't my thing. Others might find it more to their liking. Besides, despite my relatively low beer score above, I don't dislike this beer; it's simply not a favorite, though I wouldn't turn one down if handed to me.