Uinta Brewing Company - Solstice Kölsch-Style Ale

Pours a brilliantly clear, sunny straw color with a healthy covering of white, soapy head. Decanted into a tall stange, a plentiful series of carbonation jets pleases the eye. As those bubbles burst at the surface, they rouse the aroma compounds, offering up exhalations of very fresh, clean pale grains—exactly what you want to sniff in this style—subdued floral hoppy notes, faint lemons, some suggestions of tossed hay & honey, and an herbal presence in the background. On the palate, expect much of what the nose predicts to land on the palate, with a bit more girth than the aroma hints at. It remains very crisp, and quite light, but abundant in flavor. There is a delicate sweetness that balances very mild hoppy bitterness and subtle levels of spice. Finishes lightly fruity and clean with an herbal, tea-like fade. Overall, this is one impressively balanced beer brewed in a style that is difficult to pin down outside of Cologne, Germany, from where it hails. But beyond that, it’s a true expression of the brewer’s art to produce a flavorful, well balanced, flaw-free beer that is this subtle and complete. This beer has the same ABV as a Bud Light or Coors Light (and the like), yet a vastly deeper depth of flavor—imagine if the masses converted to beer like this and took back the definition of what beer really should taste like from the bland to the grand… Get out there and proselytize proper beer!

The Uinta (pronounced “you-in-tah”) Brewing Company takes its name from a mountain range running east-west across northeastern Utah, located in the Rocky Mountains. The name “Uinta” is derived from the Ute Indian tribe, from which “Utah” also took its name. The Uinta B.C. began in 1993 to bring fresh, high quality, craft beer to Utah in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner. When founder Will Hamill established Uinta, he succeeded in merging his love of brewing and his passion for the outdoors. Originally from Maine, Will enjoyed a lifestyle very much like many other Utahans when he arrived in the state, including kayaking, skiing, and biking. But, something was missing – the great craft beer that he had enjoyed in his native state. To satisfy his own cravings, Will took to home brewing and quickly became consumed. After years of perfecting recipes, he was producing beers that not only satisfied him, but also impressed his friends. At that point he enrolled at the University of California at Davis to study brewing and develop his knowledge of the industry. When Will began Uinta, it was at a very modest facility – a small, converted auto mechanic’s garage. From these humble beginnings, Uinta began brewing and distributing beer to local pubs and restaurants, and three years later demand had escalated enough to install a bottling line. By 2001, the brewery had outgrown its original location, so a 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility was built with energy efficiency as a prime goal. Not only was the new brewery outfitted with the best in brewing technology, it was built to be completely wind-powered. Yep, the brewery is 100% powered by Mother Nature herself, becoming the first business in Utah to achieve that milestone. But, Uinta’s commitment to the environment doesn’t end there; they established a recycling location for brown glass, donate their used grain to local ranchers to use as feed, purchase recycled paper, and use natural lighting in the brewery as well as energy-efficient electric fixtures. Great job guys, we’ll raise a glass to that! To learn more about Uinta Brewing Company and for scheduled tours, call (801) 467-0909.