Choice Helles Lager
Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- Lager - Helles
Ranked #55 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #20,071 - Avg:
- 3.96 | pDev: 5.05%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- From:
- Pipeworks Brewing Company
- Illinois, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating/Seasonal
- Wants
- 1
- Gots
- 3
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Notes:
Reviews: 8
| Ratings: 21
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Reviews by darktronica:
darktronica from Indiana
4.28/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pale golden in color with a full finger of head from a modest pour. Yeast roll and bright hop character on the nose, a very nice balance between crispness and malty sweetness.
Sep 02, 2019
4.28/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pale golden in color with a full finger of head from a modest pour. Yeast roll and bright hop character on the nose, a very nice balance between crispness and malty sweetness.
Sep 02, 2019
More User Reviews:
VelvetExtract from Massachusetts
3.86/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sep 02, 2019
3.86/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sep 02, 2019
dexterk1 from Illinois
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aug 16, 2019
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aug 16, 2019
bschmidt_37 from Illinois
3.92/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Jul 25, 2019
3.92/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Jul 25, 2019
cryptichead from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jul 06, 2019
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jul 06, 2019
Bshaw22 from Wisconsin
3.79/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
pours yellow with a small white head. Clear.
Smell is a little grassy/grainy/lemony. Maybe a little earthiness.
Flavor is grain, grass and slight hop bite. Finishes a little sweet and smooth. Pretty light overall yet help up by the grains. Very drinkable. Leaves a little aftertaste of bitterness in your mouth. Not blown away by this, but pretty good light crusher.
Aug 19, 2019
3.79/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
pours yellow with a small white head. Clear.
Smell is a little grassy/grainy/lemony. Maybe a little earthiness.
Flavor is grain, grass and slight hop bite. Finishes a little sweet and smooth. Pretty light overall yet help up by the grains. Very drinkable. Leaves a little aftertaste of bitterness in your mouth. Not blown away by this, but pretty good light crusher.
Aug 19, 2019
PJCarnell from Massachusetts
3.75/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nov 04, 2019
3.75/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nov 04, 2019
smartassboiler from Illinois
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jun 09, 2020
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jun 09, 2020
uncleotis from Illinois
4.1/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Oct 14, 2019
4.1/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Oct 14, 2019
brewskis from Indiana
4.03/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aug 17, 2019
4.03/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aug 17, 2019
beergoot from Colorado
4.16/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pale, straw yellow body; good carbonation; nice head, a bit soapy and rocky, lasting. Fine aroma of light grain and pilsner malt; esters; a touch of freshly cut pear. Clean taste; very light bread crust; hoppy and spicy notes, peppery initially and then mellowing out. Crisp and relatively light body; fairly dry mouthfeel.
This is a mighty fine pilsner. It has a gorgeous light body and decent, lasting head. The taste is well-balanced and nuanced with soft grains and excellent hop flavor, not too bitter. There are some mighty fine American brewed pilsners coming out of late, many just one-offs (e.g., TRVE / Untitled Art Pilsner). I hope this one stays around for a while. It's mighty good...
Aug 08, 2019
4.16/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pale, straw yellow body; good carbonation; nice head, a bit soapy and rocky, lasting. Fine aroma of light grain and pilsner malt; esters; a touch of freshly cut pear. Clean taste; very light bread crust; hoppy and spicy notes, peppery initially and then mellowing out. Crisp and relatively light body; fairly dry mouthfeel.
This is a mighty fine pilsner. It has a gorgeous light body and decent, lasting head. The taste is well-balanced and nuanced with soft grains and excellent hop flavor, not too bitter. There are some mighty fine American brewed pilsners coming out of late, many just one-offs (e.g., TRVE / Untitled Art Pilsner). I hope this one stays around for a while. It's mighty good...
Aug 08, 2019
emerge077 from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jul 22, 2019
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jul 22, 2019
Hopheadjeffery from Illinois
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted in a Spiegelau lager glass from a one pint can on July 21, 2019. Look is pale golden yellow with a thin bubbly head and spotty lacing. Really nice interpretation of the style.
Sep 25, 2019
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted in a Spiegelau lager glass from a one pint can on July 21, 2019. Look is pale golden yellow with a thin bubbly head and spotty lacing. Really nice interpretation of the style.
Sep 25, 2019
Beerhemoth from Illinois
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aug 29, 2019
4/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aug 29, 2019
jlindros from Massachusetts
3.68/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Canned 7/01/19
Pours a light airy bubbly head, med to lower retention, very little lacing, mostly clear light pale gold color
Nose light doughy grainy-sweet malt, tons of pilsner malt and corn DMS even beyond Helles style, strange gristy earthy malt, light floral herbal hops, background fruity lager note and hint of sulfate
Taste grainy sweet gristy malt, not so much doughy but grainy pilsner, some corn DMS again but more fitting to style, light floral herbal hops with light bitterness, little fruity note, not sure if from the hops or lager yeast, very light overall, little sulfate and mineral note, very light overall and a sticky finish with bit more crisp bitterness from the sulfates
Mouth is light bodied, medium higher carb, not very crisp or soft lager, sticky finish
Overall it wasn't that bad, but not a style I'd expect Pipeworks to nail as they make big beers and this, while it should be lighter, shouldn't be lifeless, and the characters in there were not up to style, especially the sticky finish, but drinkable for a hot summer day
Aug 18, 2019
3.68/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Canned 7/01/19
Pours a light airy bubbly head, med to lower retention, very little lacing, mostly clear light pale gold color
Nose light doughy grainy-sweet malt, tons of pilsner malt and corn DMS even beyond Helles style, strange gristy earthy malt, light floral herbal hops, background fruity lager note and hint of sulfate
Taste grainy sweet gristy malt, not so much doughy but grainy pilsner, some corn DMS again but more fitting to style, light floral herbal hops with light bitterness, little fruity note, not sure if from the hops or lager yeast, very light overall, little sulfate and mineral note, very light overall and a sticky finish with bit more crisp bitterness from the sulfates
Mouth is light bodied, medium higher carb, not very crisp or soft lager, sticky finish
Overall it wasn't that bad, but not a style I'd expect Pipeworks to nail as they make big beers and this, while it should be lighter, shouldn't be lifeless, and the characters in there were not up to style, especially the sticky finish, but drinkable for a hot summer day
Aug 18, 2019
kevanb from Illinois
3.61/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
16oz can, dated 04.30.2020, poured into a 12oz tumbler glass.
The beer pours a fairly cloudy golden color, straw and lemon hues with a nice finger or so of foamy head that has modest retention and little lacing. The aroma is nice, crisp noble hops, earthy with a bit of citrus, lightly floral and grassy with a nice pillowy soft base of cereal grains. The flavors are good, a bit muddled but with a nice crisp hop character, grassy with a bit of wildflower and lemon peel and lots of pale grains, cracker like with a lingering mineral water flavor. The mouthfeel is good, lively and crisp, coating light body with an easy finish.
Verdict: A decent Helles from Pipeworks. It's certainly refreshing, simple as you'd expect from the style but the flavors still feel a bit muddled and it's not quite as bright and refreshing as many other examples.
Jul 13, 2020
3.61/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
16oz can, dated 04.30.2020, poured into a 12oz tumbler glass.
The beer pours a fairly cloudy golden color, straw and lemon hues with a nice finger or so of foamy head that has modest retention and little lacing. The aroma is nice, crisp noble hops, earthy with a bit of citrus, lightly floral and grassy with a nice pillowy soft base of cereal grains. The flavors are good, a bit muddled but with a nice crisp hop character, grassy with a bit of wildflower and lemon peel and lots of pale grains, cracker like with a lingering mineral water flavor. The mouthfeel is good, lively and crisp, coating light body with an easy finish.
Verdict: A decent Helles from Pipeworks. It's certainly refreshing, simple as you'd expect from the style but the flavors still feel a bit muddled and it's not quite as bright and refreshing as many other examples.
Jul 13, 2020
marcobrau from Illinois
3.75/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A helles should taste like grain with a hint of hops and a clean yeast flavor and Choice Helles fits this description. The bitterness is a little more assertive than I might like (I'm really not into hops right now for some reason) but the malt is assertive enough to keep one from confusing this with a pilsner. There is a touch of earthy and herbal hop spice which I like. Copious amounts of lacing adds to the attractive appearance of this clear glass of beer. Nicely done Pipeworks.
Aug 15, 2019
3.75/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A helles should taste like grain with a hint of hops and a clean yeast flavor and Choice Helles fits this description. The bitterness is a little more assertive than I might like (I'm really not into hops right now for some reason) but the malt is assertive enough to keep one from confusing this with a pilsner. There is a touch of earthy and herbal hop spice which I like. Copious amounts of lacing adds to the attractive appearance of this clear glass of beer. Nicely done Pipeworks.
Aug 15, 2019
4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aug 05, 2019
4.25/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aug 05, 2019
barnzy78 from Illinois
4.02/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can, date stamp appears to be 07/11/2019. A frothy white head spatters the glass with lacing as it fades atop a clear pale golden beer. Grassy & spicy noble hops with pale malt and a touch of nutty Munich malt perhaps. Nice balanced and easy drinking flavors of pale malt, nutty grain, grassy & spicy hops, and a subtle hint of lemon. Medium body, good carbonation, and a crisp balanced finish. I did not expect this beer to be this good - one of the best American brewed Helles Lagers I've had.
Aug 18, 2019
4.02/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can, date stamp appears to be 07/11/2019. A frothy white head spatters the glass with lacing as it fades atop a clear pale golden beer. Grassy & spicy noble hops with pale malt and a touch of nutty Munich malt perhaps. Nice balanced and easy drinking flavors of pale malt, nutty grain, grassy & spicy hops, and a subtle hint of lemon. Medium body, good carbonation, and a crisp balanced finish. I did not expect this beer to be this good - one of the best American brewed Helles Lagers I've had.
Aug 18, 2019
Spaceman_Jer from Colorado
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sep 23, 2019
3.9/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sep 23, 2019
Jonnybgood from Massachusetts
3.71/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Aug 27, 2019
3.71/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Aug 27, 2019
Choice Helles Lager from Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
21 ratings
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