Many of our favorite kolsches in this tasting were ones that featured a modicum of noble hops, splitting the difference between the likes of pilsner, helles and kolsch. Henniker’s simply named kolsch fits all of those qualifications, featuring a nicely floral note on a crisp malt body, followed by a lingering note of spicy Saaz, like you’d expect to find in a classical Czech pils, but not as assertive. In a sense, it’s sort of what kolsch is all about—a welcoming middle ground between styles that are more focused on specific, more intense flavor notes. Henniker’s is balanced and easy drinking, but with character to spare. That’s the kind of description you want in a kolsch, to be sure.
