I enjoy drinking from local breweries (truth be told, I like drinking from almost any brewery) but there's no brewery (that I know of) more local to me than Mayday. All of the others in Tennessee are some distance away that I can't walk to (or back from, more likely). So, I am invested in the success of this brewery.
First sip is brisk. It is all malt and light citrus with some pine eking its way in to cause a bit of a stir and a bit more bitterness at the end, but the solid style of the kolsch is shining through to give a sensation of fullness rather than wateriness as the beer goes down. Is it really not watery? Am I being fooled?
Tip-in is strangely sweet with lemon zest and mild carbonation tingle. The middle rises with carbonation sting and pine nettles while the malt tries (and fails) to assert itself - honestly, you could convince me that this is the raucous tantrum of a non-alcoholic beer right now. The finish is slightly bitter with the malt rising properly before lemon zest joins for the trail-off.
Bottom Line: Most kolsches are better.
2.0/5
