Give Em Helles
McMenamins Inc.

just okay, a little amateurish to me for an operation thats been around for a long time now, should be cleaner and lighter than it is, a fuller flavored and feeling example of the style. im not in love with the lagering or the yeast itself, seems a little stressed, perhaps not long enough conditioned for it to seem refined, but its not totally sloppy either. some unfiltered haze to this which is not what this style is about, and very little head despite it having enough carbonation on the palate. the aroma is meaty for what it is, a little more pale and toasted, not sweet but hearty, less german than expected too, although still european and a little dusty. there are some back end hops but its modest, and there is a little metallic tinge to the whole thing which comes out more as it sits a moment. the flavor follows, not a great lager yeast complexion, not tight and clean, and with more malt weight than the beer needs, this really doesnt hit like a classic helles, and even though some elements are there, this almost plays more like a cheaper euro pale lager to me, sort of lacking both personality and expertise, which is not what i have come to expect from these guys, especially the personality critique, they are usually all personality! still a drinkable beer with some refreshment value when its cold, especially with salty and spicy foods, but i wanted and expected a lot more from this one. some tweaks are needed to get this up to standard...