The Minus Times: Helles Bock Style Lager
Foam Brewers

 

 

Helles Bock

The Minus Times: Helles Bock Style Lager

Foam Brewers

Bock - Hell / Maibock

Bright gold, big fluff, still and calm look. Buttery toast and banana malt taste. Laid back, solid gold look. Big fluff. Always an interesting malt experience.

Can. Bright gold with island ring and lace. Malty honey aroma with some grass and a little mint. Sweet but medium for style honey bready malt with slightly bitter for style piney minty leafy finish. Medium body with zippy carbo that overaccentuates hops. Pretty good.

Can purchased at Lila’s in the Lobby in Rochester, NY.

This one smells slightly grainy and sweet, but in a positive way, with lemon peel, cracker, and spicy hops.

I forget that Foam is usually pretty adept at making lagers, as they are more known for IPAs and whatnot. It’s toasty, grainy, and lightly sweet, with a slightly peppery/spicy hop character. It’s well balanced between malt sweetness and dryness – it’s done quite well in my mind.

This is light bodied, clean, crisp, and nicely drinkable.

I was pretty happy with this one overall.

Picked up a single 16oz can the other day at The Beer Store in Nashua, costing me $4.00. Canned 19MAR24.... enjoying out in The 'Zebo on a cool, late summer afternoon....

Poured into a Willi Becher.... it's a bright golden color, with a touch of haze and steady, vibrant carbo. Up top sits a 1/2" dollop of fluffy, white, marshmallow-like foam. A slow ebb leaves solid lacing on the glass. Aroma is bready and doughy. Has some honey and floral hopping. Body is medium to medium-plus, and it's pretty smooth on the tongue. Just a light bit of prickle.

Taste has more lovely malt action. It's semisweet, with more cookie dough and a bit of grainy toast. Has a smidge of honey with some green apple and pear. There's some floral action in the clean, crisp finish. Drinks like a Maibock to me, and a solid one at that. Prost!!!

4.17/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2447

Canned 2024/03/19 "What the helles" for a fun message
Pours a thick frothy semi dense 1.5 finger head with good retention, thick lacing foam, hazy pale orange color

Nose lots of doughy pilsner malt, cereal grain, a bit of straw, light toasty note, bready, a bit of a sweet malt and honey bread, light floral herbal hops

Taste brings more of the malts, semi sweet with a grainy-sweet malt and bread dough, cereal, grain, a touch of yellow cake batter, rich malt, then a mild herbal floral hop note with lower bitterness, faint citrus note, finish dries a bit but not too much, a bit more hop bitterness turning a touch spicy

Mouth is med bod, a bit creamy, med to lower creamy carb

Overall OK, the base malts were good, hops were on the light side, a bit low on carbonation, felt like it was canned a bit too early and didn't have time to clarify and dry on the finish

 

This is a worthy beer. Glad to see Foam make solid traditional Euro styles.

Poured from a chilled pint can into a Belgian snifter. A decent amount of foam topped a beautifully rich golden a bit hazy brew.

For an almost 7%er, this beer drinks super easy. There is almost a Belgian hint in both the rich grassy aroma and the first caramelly sip. But then the taste settles and becomes representative of exactly what you'd expect here - a golden Helles Bock.

I liked it, a lot.