Recently, I visited Avenida's "Collective Beer Market" along Macleod Trail here in Calgary. They are a special liquor store, with a twenty tap rotating growler station and a huge selection of craft beer from around North America. Since the Craft Beer Revolution took off in Alberta in 2014-2015, the province has seen an explosion not just in the number of breweries, but in the variety of beer as well, and that store is perhaps the best way of experiencing what Alberta has to offer today.
In spite of the size and scope of the Alberta beer scene, there was a lack of beers in the category of Kolschs, Pilsners and Lagers, as they require too much time to brew properly. Only in the last year or so have Alberta breweries expanded out of ales and stouts to these brews, with some exceptional offerings from Fahr or even Grizzly Paw.
As it's summer time, a nice kolsch sounded great, and Folding Mountain, of Hinton, Alberta, has a good reputation, so I gave this one a chance. The beer has a great smell, but doesn't present like a standard kolsch, being cloudy like an NEIPA. It also has more "kick" than one might expect. However, it remains a pleasant tasting, smooth beer with a nice finish.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Would recommend to Kolsch fans. Would have again.
