After spending some time at the Wright Brothers Memorial and Visitor Center, an absolute must-see in Kill Devil Hills, I knew where my next stop was. I flew to Outer Banks Brewing Station. Established in 1992, the building represents a turn-of-the-century Lifesaving Station from the beaches of the Outer Banks and the bar is a lifesaving boat. I believe it is one of only two breweries on the OBX, a number far below what it should be. That's my opinion, but I'm never wrong.
After looking through the menu, I did the old standby and was mad at myself for doing so. I had their Avalon Amber Ale. It's too easy of a choice. My first reaction was, I liked it. Malty with caramel notes. The Pacific North West hops give it some balance. At first, I didn't think it bitter at all, but I failed to pair my beer well with dinner and the two did not go that well. The beer became far more bitter as my meal went on, but I really blame the food this time. I had a steak sandwich that had a homemade cheese sauce that was too rich. There's no doubt the sandwich bastardized my beer. My fault. Do better.
I decided to clean my palate and try another beer. This time I choose their flagship beer. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You should always take time to have the flagship beer any brewery offers. Every once in a while, it isn't that good, but usually you'll find out why they sell the most of that beer. In this case, it was a Kolsch called, Olsch! My first experience with drinking a Kolsch was bad. Had I known the standards by which a Kolsch must be made at the time, I would've understood why this home brew Kolsch sucked so bad. Kolsch is a beer which originated in Cologne, Germany way back in beer history in 874 AD. Rigorous standards in brewing Kolsch came about with the creation of the Kolner Brauer-Kooperation in 1396. Lagers were all the rage in Germany for hundreds of years, but Cologne decided to break from the trend and made a law that only top-fermented ales could be made in Cologne. Kolsch really blurs the lines between top and bottom fermented beers. Top fermenting is normally done at higher temperatures, resulting in a fruitier and bolder taste, like an IPA. Where bottom fermenting yeasts made at cooler temperatures give you a crisper finish like a Pilsner. Kolsch is done with top-fermenting yeasts and finished at colder temps. It creates a unique beer that is light and drinkable with fruit or spice flavors. A best of both worlds sort of thing. During the destruction of WWII, many breweries in Cologne were lost. It took years for the survivors to re-establish themselves. In 1986, twenty-four breweries in Cologne got together and created the Kolsch Konvention, where they established that only beers made in Cologne could be called Kolsch and came up with these standards. A Kölsch must be: pale in color, top fermented, brewed between 11 and 14 degrees Plato, hop accentuated, filtered, served in a stange glass with a white head. The IBU range can only be between 18 and 30.
That was a long way to go to tell you about the Olsch!. It was a tad darker than I was expecting, which could've been the lighting. It had a bit of maltiness, but more sweet and was drinkable and light. It's IBU is 19. I thought it was pretty solid and can only guess they followed the guidelines, but it did set my Kolsch experience straight. I liked it. It has its place and I only wish I had had a Kolsch when I was in Cologne many, many years ago. Heck, I have a reason to go back. They also make their own ginger beer and root beer. My kid liked the root beer. I was happy that the Olsch! worked out and I bought a t-shirt. Outer banks Brewery Station has been around long enough that they are well established in the community and have all kinds of events they hold there. The Olsch! has been their beer from the beginning and is worth trying. Every one next to us was drinking it and reordering it, so there you go.
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