Down The Road Rasenmaher Kolsch

Down The Road Brewery in Newton is gradually rolling out their introductory lineup of beers. They recently released Rasenmaher Kolsch on draft and in 12 oz. bottles. If you grab a bottle you’ll probably notice something interesting in their artwork. The label depicts Down The Road character Hans Mowermann pushing a lawnmower in his lederhosen. In his free hand, where you might expect to see a frosty mug of beer, there is a small “censored” label instead. The original art included the mug of beer, but the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (who approves all labels for alcoholic beverages), nixed the art. The full story can be found on Down The Road’s blog HERE. Apparently the TTB consider a lawnmower to be heavy machinery, and every beer contains the warning to not operate heavy machinery if you consume alcohol. I’m glad Down The Road chose to use the censored label instead of re-doing their artwork, it adds a little intrigue and immediately draws the consumer’s eye. While Rasenmaher Kolsch is a perfect Summertime lawnmower beer, it is going to be one of Down The Road’s flagship beers and thus available year-round.

Down The Road Rasenmaher Kolsch pours a clear pale orange with a mild white head. The scent is a mixture of noble hops with just a touch of German-style yeast. The taste starts with the pale malts, notes of crackers and grain. This is perfectly complemented by the noble hops, which add moderate earthy and grassy flavors. The German yeast is less expressive than Belgian styles, but adds some subtle hints of banana and clove. The beer is very light and easy to drink with some spritzy carbonation and sessionable at 4.5% ABV. Rasenmaher Kolsch is a great summer beer, full flavored but crushable, I’ll knock back a few of these on the porch and add this to my BBQ rotation. I’m glad only the label was censored and not the beer! Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.

Previous Down The Road Reviews:

Down The Road Pukwudgie Pale Ale