Hells Lager
Camden Town Brewery
- From:
- Camden Town Brewery
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Helles
Ranked #382 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #36,738 - Avg:
- 3.49 | pDev: 12.61%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 43
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 05, 2026
- Added:
- Nov 14, 2011
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 31
SCORE
80
Good
80
Good
What the hells? Thanks for asking.
Hells is the lovechild of our two favourite German beer styles - helles and pilsner. Clean, crisp and dry, it's the beer we always wanted to drink and the reason we started our brewery.
Hells is the lovechild of our two favourite German beer styles - helles and pilsner. Clean, crisp and dry, it's the beer we always wanted to drink and the reason we started our brewery.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington
3.77/5 rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I had this beer on-tap in a tall half-pint fluted glass at the brewery in London.
Appearance: light yellow-golden hue with a crystal clear body, a good effervescence, and a finger of frothy white foam.
Smell: lightly sweet with a rainy grainy character. There’s a little bit of a cider note here, though, which isn’t ideal.
Taste: like the aroma, a bit grainy with that same cidery character to it that just doesn’t feel quite right for the style. It’s not bad, though, per se.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.
Overall: a decent enough helles; it’s crisp, but not quite clean.
May 05, 2026Appearance: light yellow-golden hue with a crystal clear body, a good effervescence, and a finger of frothy white foam.
Smell: lightly sweet with a rainy grainy character. There’s a little bit of a cider note here, though, which isn’t ideal.
Taste: like the aroma, a bit grainy with that same cidery character to it that just doesn’t feel quite right for the style. It’s not bad, though, per se.
Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.
Overall: a decent enough helles; it’s crisp, but not quite clean.
Reviewed by dcscientist from Colorado
4/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I saw this all over London, and it's a solid Helles. Maybe a touch bitter for some, but a good representation of the style. Definitely can see how they call it a hybrid of a Helles and a pilsner. I've had one of their other beers, the straight pilsner, and liked this one more.
Feb 25, 2025
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa
3.5/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the amazing Carlton Tavern next to Paddington Rec Ground. Grassy helles.
Jan 04, 2025
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.54/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
My second from Camden Town, I bought it at a convenience shop at the London Bridge train station. But I also bought it because I'd just been in Camden Town which is a London district that has another main train station, Kings Cross/St Pancras, now famous for being redeveloped from a Coal Dump to a tourist destination.
I'm avoiding a beer review because Hells Lager is a bit of a disappointment. On the plus side, it is 12 ounces ... which I appreciate; as 16 is often too much for me. Hells is a no-pretense beer that is simple, yet OK as an experiment between the gentle Helles and the hoppy Pilsner.
But... I'm trying to understand why ABInBev bought Camden, a five year old, in 2015 for the handsome price of 83 Million pounds. Somebody got a deal and AB got a lesson.
Oct 26, 2024I'm avoiding a beer review because Hells Lager is a bit of a disappointment. On the plus side, it is 12 ounces ... which I appreciate; as 16 is often too much for me. Hells is a no-pretense beer that is simple, yet OK as an experiment between the gentle Helles and the hoppy Pilsner.
But... I'm trying to understand why ABInBev bought Camden, a five year old, in 2015 for the handsome price of 83 Million pounds. Somebody got a deal and AB got a lesson.
Reviewed by Alexc11 from Canada (QC)
3.78/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Had this on tap in Scotland.Pours bubbly clear golden colour. Attractive thick head receding to a thin ring that maintains throughout the session. Strong lacing. Faint cereal/malt aroma. Sweet malt taste. Elevated carbonation. If there’s bitterness I didn’t detect it. Lifgt and crisp.,Enjoyable. If it’s not Scottish it’s crap!
Aug 10, 2024
Reviewed by jjamadorphd from Florida
3.98/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A nice solid brew to start my visit to England...
Visiting my son in the air force and stationed outside of London, I dropped into one of the local markets and picked up a few brews that caught my eye - this was one of them. In style for the time of year, I found this to be a very clear Helles and with a nice bright, white head. The smell had a nice fruity and bready scent to go with it's mouthfeel landing somewhere between light- and medium-bodied. The taste was more bready than fruity with a tad bit of hop-forwardness coming through. Overall, I enjoyed this, and I'm glad I still have two more to partake...
Jul 12, 2024Visiting my son in the air force and stationed outside of London, I dropped into one of the local markets and picked up a few brews that caught my eye - this was one of them. In style for the time of year, I found this to be a very clear Helles and with a nice bright, white head. The smell had a nice fruity and bready scent to go with it's mouthfeel landing somewhere between light- and medium-bodied. The taste was more bready than fruity with a tad bit of hop-forwardness coming through. Overall, I enjoyed this, and I'm glad I still have two more to partake...
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania
3.5/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into water glass: color is gold, transparent, head is off white and presents about 1/4 inch thick, head dissipates to nothing but a ring, some spotty lacing.
Smell is a little subdued, sweeter malt, a little bit of adjunct like note, but grassy and herbal hops, some honey.
Taste is similar with sweeter malt, not so pilsner focused but drinkable and pleasant, mixed hops with a grassy note.
Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness but more carbonic bite.
Overall an interesting split style but want more pilsner quality from the malt aroma and flavor.
Jul 01, 2024Smell is a little subdued, sweeter malt, a little bit of adjunct like note, but grassy and herbal hops, some honey.
Taste is similar with sweeter malt, not so pilsner focused but drinkable and pleasant, mixed hops with a grassy note.
Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness but more carbonic bite.
Overall an interesting split style but want more pilsner quality from the malt aroma and flavor.
Reviewed by AronRobinson from England
3.85/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3.85/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A good helles-style lager. Drinking it draught in The Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London. A rich lager noticeably different from a pilsner style, but still refreshing. Great lacing, tasty enough to last a while, so the ABV suits it very well.
Jan 21, 2024Reviewed by BurtonRed from England
3.58/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A solid lager, tastes more like a Czech Pilsner than a Helles though, with it's crisp bready malty profile. Sweeter than most German beers even helles style
Nov 17, 2023
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.29/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.29/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Draft at Ibis Heathrow. Clear, light golden with a tight, creamy head. All is on target for a Helles lager, light graint aroma, a bit of sweetness and bready malts in the taste. Nice, creamy mouthfeel too.
Mar 01, 2023
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.15/5 rDev +18.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev +18.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Draft at 3 crowns pub in Piccadilly
Frothy creamy head with good retention and lacing, clear pale color
Nose cereal, grainy sweet malt, straw, pilsner malt, clean lager, light herbal hop
Taste more grainy sweet pilsner malt, cereal, straw, grain, fair herbal hop with med light bitterness, drier crisp finish with touch of spicy hop bitterness
Mouth is med to lighter bod crisp lager
Overall nice Helles
Dec 29, 2022Frothy creamy head with good retention and lacing, clear pale color
Nose cereal, grainy sweet malt, straw, pilsner malt, clean lager, light herbal hop
Taste more grainy sweet pilsner malt, cereal, straw, grain, fair herbal hop with med light bitterness, drier crisp finish with touch of spicy hop bitterness
Mouth is med to lighter bod crisp lager
Overall nice Helles
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