Helles
Tributary Brewing Co.

On tap at the source with Paul
Lightly hazy deep straw bordering on gold with a decent sized bubbly white head that slowly dissipates. Bready crackery maltiness bits of earthy spicy floral hops. Faint stone fruit Pretty tasty.

Excellent Dortmund Helles with an bronze color, deep malt, and crispness with a mild finish. Best starting at 40°. Warming brings out the full flavor.

 

Consumed 7/24/22

Yellow gold, clear, pours with a medium-large white head, retains a small cap and leaves some lacing
Pale grains, pale malts, pilsner malts, light bread, crackers, touches of herbal and floral hops, some light grainy and honey-like sweetness, delicate overall
Light body, crisp, medium carbonation

Tributary's Helles tastes more like a dialed-down pils than a Helles. I expected more bread dough and grains. Regardless, I really enjoy Tributary Pilsner, so it is not surprising that I like this despite not necessarily adhering to the version of the style that I hold in my mind.

 

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 4/28/21 into the test glass
A - Deep golden straw color, lively carbonation feeds a quick to leave frothy cap. Clarity is excellent
S - Pilsner ,malts, white toast, a bit of orange, and grassy hops
T - Add touch of tea, again faint orange, and lemongrass
M - Medium in body, semi sweet start, then a slow move toward center from the hops bitterness. Finish is quick and invites another sip
O - A solid Helles that delivers in every aspect

 

From a 16oz can, dated 04/08/21. Served in a Tributary-branded willi becher because proper glassware.

Pours a crystal-clear honey-gold with a huge bubbly crown of suds. Retention is pretty good, leaving a soapy cap and super-slippery, big-bubbled lacing.

A sweet, delicate aroma reminiscent of dried lumber and homemade bread, toast, tea and flowers.

Tasting lightly toasted sweet whole grain bread, apple butter and sweetened herbal tea with chardonnay fruitiness and a light spicy bitterness to finish.

Feel is smooth, slick and slippery, medium-full mouthcoating body with gentle but ample carbonation.

Overall, this wasn’t a big hit with me owing, I think, to what I perceived as a sweet tea-and-chardonnay character coupled with a slick, slippery mouthfeel - personal preference only, YRMV.

I do love a good Helles, and I know these guys can do it right. Canned 5/11/20

Had to be a lower fill as I was able to completely fill my chalice which I can only do with 12oz cans, not 16oz.

Pours a med foamy frothy head with lower retention, touch of lacing, mostly clear slight chill haze lighter gold-straw color

Nose brings some pilsner malt, fair amount of corn DMS notes, touch of grainy sweet malt, otherwise almost lifeless

Taste has more pilsner malt with more DMS corn, little grainy sweet malt, touch doughy, light herbal hops with mild bitterness, drier finish with a bit more herbal hop bitterness, lingering corn DMS notes, there might be diacetyl but hard to tell behind the corn

Mouth is med to lighter bod, a bit of a soft lager, lower carb, I think a hint of slick diacetyl

Overall this was not that good surprisingly, I think it was a canning issue given that there was probably 4-5 oz of beer missing from the can, and the beer likely didn't sit well with the extra air, although it was likely mostly CO2, even a hint of oxygen would ruin a beer like this, and the lack of pressure probably helped the yeast do a bit more work in the can when it shouldn't have, so something I'll need to seek out and try again if possible