Typically, Kölsch is an uncomplicated beer with delicate hop and delicate malt flavours, leaving plenty of room for a crisp, dry, super-refreshing finish. It was originally brewed as competition to Dusseldorf’s very similar Altbier. It is less bitter than the standard German lager beer, Pils. Kölsch is a local beer speciality, brewed in Cologne (Köln), Germany. What does Kölsch taste like? In appearance, it is bright and clear with a straw-yellow hue. Of course, as any good brewer knows, that still leaves considerable wiggle room. Tom Acitelli June 11, 2015. Auch der Hopfen lässt sich deutlich herausschmecken. Kölsch (German pronunciation: ) is a style of beer originating in Cologne, Germany.It has an original gravity between 11 and 16 degrees Plato (specific gravity of 1.044 to 1.065). Kölsch was then seen as a milder option to the standard German pale lager. The Kölsch Konvention also demands that the beer must be pale in color, be top-fermented, hop-accentuated, highly attenuated and between 11 and 14 °P. Bottom line, kölsch is an ale but it shares similarities with a lager. Therefore, based on the yeast used for fermentation and how the terms Ale and Lager are used in the 21st Century, it would not be inappropriate to refer to Kölsch as an "Ale". Wikipedia describes Kölsch as warm-fermented at a temperature around 13 to 21°C (55 to 70°F) and then cold-conditioned, or lagered. Otherwise, somebody is going to tell me that "Steam Beer" is not a Lager. How to Pronounce Kölsch . When brewed, a kölsch beer is made using top-fermenting ale yeasts; however, after the yeast has been activated, the brew is cooled and fermented at a lower temp, which is more how lagers are brewed. Kölsch is a classic beer style that was first brewed along the Rhine, in Cologne, Germany. JoeinDahlem beers 1664 º places 356 º 04:44 Mon 11/30/2015 . It is a clear beer with a bright straw yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. Kölsch is warm fermented with top-fermenting yeast, then conditioned at cold temperatures like a lager; it is often referred to as a hybrid of ale and lager. Das Kölsch ist ein obergäriges Bier, das sich durch einen milden Geschmack und fruchtige Noten auszeichnet. In Köln und Umgebung ist das Kölsch seit jeher das beliebteste Bier. In german speaking countries the term Lager is used solely for bottom fermenting beers, so of course Kölsch is not a Lager. Die sogenannte Kölsch-Konvention von 1985 regelt genau, wann sich ein Bier "Kölsch" nennen darf und wann nicht. Message . Kölsch, according to the Kölsch Konvention, can only be called Kölsch if it is brewed in the Cologne metropolitan area. Kölsch: Where Ale Meets Lager And everybody wins in the summer. Once upon a time in the late 19th century, the straw-colored, light-tasting lager style called pilsner — originally from the Czech city of Pilsen — was taking the European drinking public by storm. If you asked a german speaking person if Kölsch is a Ale or Lager (using the english words) probably it has no meaning to them because the words are translated different.