Stowe Style - Smoked Helles
von Trapp Brewing

16oz can poured into a SA pefect pint

A- pours a clear golden color with a one-finger foamy white head that has good retention

S- smells like a classic helles at the base; cracker malt, slightly bready, honey, floral hops. Just enough smoke that doesn't overpower, but adds smoked pork and a bit of campfire

T- slightly sweet and malty up front with some bready malt, honey and floral hops. Mid-palate brings out some smoky undertones, adding smoked pork, hay and campfire. The finish gives more light floral hops and honey, with a light smoky linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that finishes crisp

O- one of the most well balanced (does that exist with this style?) smoked beers I've had. Very high drinkability

The pale yellow gold beer is hazy. A short-lived, off-white head falls from half an inch to a thin blanket within two minutes. A discontinuous curtain of white lace is left on a Harp nonic glass.

The smoke is similar to a smoldering campfire with light summer sausage. The malt is sweet and the hops have a light floral note.

The smoke adds a light flavor to toasted malt. Slight sweetness works with faint bitterness. Bitterness is slightly more present in the finish that is a brief burst after each sip.

This one has a medium body and the texture of soft, Jersey cotton. There is no perceptible alcohol. Prickly carbonation adds to the dry finish.

This is a very approachable beer for those uninitiated to smoked beers. I enjoyed it on a cool, sunny, late summer afternoon paired with smoked Gouda. The Gouda is far more smoky than the beer, and I found they worked well together.

 

From a can. Pours a golden yellow with the solid two fingers of long lasting white foam. Light smoke on the nose, mostly smells of earthy/spicy hops and crisp malt. A bit of smoke on the initial flavor followed by spicy hops and crackery malts. Medium bodied and quaffible.

11/01/24 can @ home

Lightly smoked but incredibly quaffable.

 

 

 

Review: 2179
Name: Stowe Style Smoked Helles
Brewery: von Trapp and Live Oak
Location: Stowe, VT
Style: Rauchbier
ABV: 4.7%
Date: 10/22/2024
Smoked Helles is going to be my sixth beer from von Trapp. I am delighted to see them teaming up with Live Oak. I was fortunate to visit Live Oak when they were having smoked beers. I have tried Live Oak Rauchbier, and it was fantastic. It has gooey meatness with a firm malt backbone. I savored a Smoked Helles from South Carolina in California during a small brewery party I attended. That beer was lovely, fresh, crisp, Maillard, and cracker goodness in a glass.
When I served it in a pint glass at 42 degrees, the pour created a frothy, airy, two-fingered head white head with fair retention. The slow dissipation left some lacing on the glass. The color is pale straw with light golden hues, and the clarity is translucent with lots of carbonation. This beer presents an average appearance for this style, but it's the taste that truly stands out.
Oh my, this Rauchbier is fabulous. The smoke is not overbearing, and it is balanced well with the malt profile, which is cracker, doughy, lightly toasty, and malty sweetness. The hop has some floral blossoms and herbal and earthy notes. The smoke has Maillard, char, and woody. This balance of smoke and malt is truly a delight to the taste buds.
The mouthfeel is slightly astringent, finishing tannic yet crisp. The body is light and has medium-high carbonation.
I am thoroughly enjoying this beer. The smoke is perfect, yet it has a nice meatiness to the overall experience. I am glad I was able to get this beer. It makes me want to return to Live Oak and the Smoke Beer Fest in January.

Had this on tap at Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell, NJ.

A: pours a golden body with a small white head with ok retention and lacing.
S: very Smokey notes with hints of chamomile.
T: nice, meaty Smokey taste (bacony) with subtle chamomile and lemongrass notes to balance. Well balanced smoke beer.
M: medium bodied; crisp
O: nice feel and taste combo; well done

 

 

From the can, it pours a clear to ever so slightly hazy gold color with a small white head that soon diminishes to a thin layer, light ring and some lacing. Aroma is bready with a touch of smoke - just a touch. Pleasant taste, but overly subtle smoke. Overall, it is pleasant to drink but very lightly smoky.

 

The beer is a clear gold color with a small white head that dissipates quickly. No lace.
Aroma is subtle smoke, sweet malt, and grassy hops.
Very nice taste. Smoke still subtle, but integrates well with some caramel and some late bitterness.
Light-bodied, very drinkable.

 

 

On draft at Zeno’s in State College: poured into standard pint glass, color is straw, clear, head is off white but dissipates quickly, no lacing.

Smell is subtlez, light mixed smoke aroma, interesting to read they did a smoked malt blend which is noticeable as it has the beechwood, cherry, and oak characteristics, very light malt.

Taste is blend of light pils malt, blended smoke notes but not overdone, oak/cherry/beech blend works well together, maybe subtle grassed hops.

Mouthfeel is low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, low/moderate bitterness with lingering slight bite on tongue.

Overall an excellent smoked lager and I really dig the mixed wood smoked character - want to try it as a homebrew.

Pours a lovely pale yellow color, clear; 1 1/2 finger thick head, white, sudsy. Fair smell; not much smoke; a bit woody, a bit grassy. Fantastic smoked lager flavor; beechwood smoked taste; very fine malt base flavor, bordering on caramel but not quite; sweet and toasted malts; low-key bitterness. Medium-heavy mouthfeel; smooth; delicate residual sugar stickiness.

The looks and smell are rather disappointing for this beer, but the taste and mouthfeel do make up for those shortcomings. The Bamburg smoked beer effect is very noticeable to those who are familiar with beers from that area (e.g., Brauerei Heller-Trum / Heller Bamburg). This isn't an 'in your face' smoked beer. It brings fair balance to the smoked beer game.

ABV: 4.7%; pouring temperature: 48 °F; canning info: BEST BY 10/22/24
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)