Review: Genesee Tropical Pineapple Kolsch

Is there a new beer of the summer?

Genesee previously tapped into the fruited Kolsch market with its runaway hit Ruby Red Kolsch. RRK launched in 2018 and has been a massive success for the state’s oldest brewery.

According to Genny, sales of RRK have grown by an average of 66 percent every year as it has become the top and fastest selling beer or seltzer in major upstate retailers (hint: it’s Wegmans).

Genny is hoping its latest specialty creation, the Tropical Pineapple Kolsch, can match (or surpass) the insane success of RRK.

A brewery representative was kind enough to deliver a 12-pack to my house around lunchtime today. And because it was the middle of my workday, I had to wait five hours before diving in. (Dumb adult responsibilities. But seriously, I’m really enjoying the challenges presented by new career.)

Trop Pineapple hits the Rochester market on May 4 and then will be available in Buffalo the following day. It’s already available on draft at the Genesee Brew House and will be featured at the upcoming Lilac Festival.

The wait was worth it.

Kolsch, which is known as a hybrid style, is usually lower in alcohol content and perfect for those humid summer days. (Or really just sunshine, because who knows when we’re gonna get some warmth in the Rochester region.) It originated in Cologne, Germany. Kolsch is fermented with an ale yeast at warmer temperatures and then, just like a lager, it is conditioned in cooler temperatures for an extended period of time.

Like RRK, the Trop Pineapple weighs in at 4.5 percent alcohol. It also features the same Kolsch base as its grapefruit brethren. As soon as you pour the beer, you’re smacked in the face with a juicy tropical aroma with an underlying breadiness. Because it’s a classic German style, you knew the clarity and appearance would be spot on. The taste, deceptively, doesn’t totally follow the nose. The promised sweetness is subtler and the base beer still shines.

Genesee Brewery @GeneseeBrewery

Captain Kolsch recently went on a tropical vacation, and while he didn't get cornrows, he did develop a taste for pineapple.

This is gonna be a controversial take, but I enjoyed the Trop Pineapple more than the RRK. Both are quality beers, but this one fits my flavor profile preferences a bit more. It drinks like a classic-style beer with a touch of fruit added, not a beer where the fruit completely masks the base beer.

This is an ideal summer sipper (or crusher). But it finishes crisp enough to leave you wanting more. And it’s really impressively balanced.

And for those wondering, Genny Bock is still the king of the brewery’s seasonals. But this one is clearly in the upper echelon of its releases. The clean, malt-forward styles are really where the brewery shines. Now, we just need Genny to resurrect the Northern German Pilsner and the Dundee Pale Bock. Give this newsletter writer what he wants!