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

The color of the Karnival was really pleasant. It poured a really smooth and bright golden straw color. It had a nice fluffy white head and some moderate carbonation bubbles jolting to surface, forming a nice retention. The smell was full of bread and biscut malts. The grainy smell of this really shined. Also in there, but muted, were some citrus notes – almost like a banana, but it wasn’t really profound.

To me, this was an exceptional beer in the taste. The mouthful was nice and light in body with a slight amount of carbonation on your tongue. The bitterness of the beer is more present in the taste but it’s balanced out by the citrus. What you get is a really outstanding balance of a grainy bitterness with some citrus notes. I didn’t get much of the banana citrus like I smelled but the citrus is almost more of a dried orange peel.

I am really impressed with Stoudt’s latest creation. This is flavorful, extremely sessionable and delicious. It puts you in that mood for Spring and Summer. Thanks for your take on the Kölsch-style beer, guys – you’ve done wonderful!

Overall: 9/10