Long Trail Ale: Ramble

Out of Vermont, Long Trail Ale is one of my favorite local New England breweries. Long Trail features a fantastic array of year-round beers as well as seasonal beers that I highly recommend trying. This spring, Long Trail has come out with a Kolsch style beer called Ramble. Originating from Cologne, Germany, Kolsch style beers are slightly bitter from hops, but for the most part are extremely refreshing. Ramble is a unique Kolsch style beer in that it is brewed with lemon zest and ground peppercorns. The combination of lemon zest and ground peppercorns might sound disgusting, but it really is not. There is a slight peppercorn flavor to the beer, but it is not overpowering. The balance between the spicy notes of the ground peppercorns and the bright flavor of the lemon zest makes Ramble a refreshing option. It has a fairly average ABV of 5.25%, which makes this beer fairly tame. Ramble is a must have spring seasonal beer this spring.