Uncle Johnny's Ale

Thomas Derstein • May 15, 2023

A look at our "new" Kolsch

One of our best sellers is getting a slight makeover in the coming weeks. The beer formerly known as Uncle Johnny's Cream Ale will now be.......drum roll.......Uncle Johnny's Ale! So why drop the "Cream" from the name? Well, we've decided to brew this beer as a Kolsch going forward instead of a cream ale. But don't worry! It'll be hard to notice a difference, and I'll explain why.

A cream ale and a Kolsch have many more similarities than differences. Let's take a look.

Cream Ale (1C)

IBUs 15 – 20
SRM 2.5 – 5
ABV 4.2 – 5.6%

Aroma
Faint malt notes. A sweet, corn-like aroma and low levels of DMS are commonly found. Hop aroma low to none. Any variety of hops may be used, but neither hops nor malt dominate. Faint esters may be present in some examples, but are not required. No diacetyl.

Appearance
Pale straw to moderate gold color, although usually on the pale side. Low to medium head with medium to high carbonation. Head retention may be no better than fair due to adjunct use. Brilliant, sparkling clarity.

Flavor
Low to medium-low hop bitterness. Low to moderate maltiness and sweetness, varying with gravity and attenuation. Usually well attenuated. Neither malt nor hops prevail in the taste. A low to moderate corny flavor from corn adjuncts is commonly found, as is some DMS. Finish can vary from somewhat dry to faintly sweet from the corn, malt, and sugar. Faint fruity esters are optional. No diacetyl.
Kolsch (5B)

IBUs 20 – 30
SRM 3.5 – 5
ABV 4.4 – 5.2%

Aroma
Very low to no Pils malt aroma. A pleasant, subtle fruit aroma from fermentation (apple, cherry or pear) is acceptable, but not always present. A low noble hop aroma is optional but not out of place (it is present only in a small minority of authentic versions). Some yeasts may give a slight winy or sulfury character (this characteristic is also optional, but not a fault).

Appearance
Very pale gold to light gold. Authentic versions are filtered to a brilliant clarity. Has a delicate white head that may not persist.

Flavor
Soft, rounded palate comprising of a delicate flavor balance between soft yet attenuated malt, an almost imperceptible fruity sweetness from fermentation, and a medium-low to medium bitterness with a delicate dryness and slight pucker in the finish (but no harsh aftertaste). The noble hop flavor is variable, and can range from low to moderately high; most are medium-low to medium. One or two examples (Dom being the most prominent) are noticeably malty-sweet up front. Some versions can have a slightly minerally or sulfury water or yeast character that accentuates the dryness and flavor balance. Some versions may have a slight wheat taste, although this is quite rare. Otherwise very clean with no diacetyl or fusels.

In the cream ale style guidelines, it mentions that faint esters are acceptable, so we have been using a Kolsch yeast in Uncle Johnny's for a while now. Some strains have given us great red apple character, while others gave us notes of pear. The joy of coaxing these flavors out of the yeast is one of the reasons we have decided to make the change to a Kolsch. We will be dropping the flaked corn from the recipe so that flavor is no longer competing with the yeast esters. And although we fell in love using Tettnang in our cream ale, we will be leaving behind the notes of apple/pear we discovered this hop can provide. Instead, we will be using Hallertauer Mittelfrueh for a more traditional noble hop character that also does not compete with the yeast character we hope to achieve.

So, what should you expect from the new (and improved in our opinion) Uncle Johnny's Ale? For starters, new glassware! Traditional Kolsch is served in a 200ml (6.5 oz) stange. Ours are a tad bigger at 12 ounces and you'll be able to get those at $3.50 a pour. Next, the corn and hops will no longer be competing with the yeast esters, so notes of pear should shine through more prominently. Finally, a different water profile will accentuate dryness and highlight the balance between the malt, hops, and yeast. We're excited to add this historical style to our flagship lineup, and hope you enjoy the subtle changes we have made!

Cheers!

Thomas Derstein

Head Brewer

Dodge City Brewing

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