Helles Lager
Great Central Brewing Company

Beer Under Glass 2024

 

16oz draft pour into a pint glass shows a pastel yellow body with a briefly floating 1/4" head of tight, white bubbles that dissipates to a wispy cap and leaves a clean glass behind.

Muted aroma is grassy and sweet, but the sweet malts dominate the flavor.

Mouthfeel is light and oily with a wet finish.

Overall this won't hurt anyone.

Canned 2021/07/16
Pours a fizzy bubbly 1/2 finger head with lower retention, no lacing, mostly clear golden straw color

Nose a lot of pilsner malt, some doughy bread and straw, lots of corn, but also some cake batter sweetness and a bit of vanilla icing, sweet corn and straw leading to a hint of citrus and fruity aromas, touch of mineral, light earthy noble hop

Taste brings a sweet cereal grain, grainy-sweet pilsner malt, more straw, sweet corn, bread dough, etc, but a bit more cake batter again but not a lot, semi sweet overall presence especially that sweet corn but not DMS creamed corn thing, a little earthy vegetal corn stalk character, light bitterness and light earthy leafy grassy hop character, a bit of fruit again, dry crisp finish with a bit more bitterness

Mouth is med bod but feels a bit fuller rich, med to a bit lighter foamy carb

Overall not bad, more like a generic lager, decent malt profile but doesn't seem rich enough to be on par with the great German born Helles beers, but that being said it's well within the general style guidelines I feel, and easy to drink in summer

 

Can. 4.7% ABV. Straw colour. Slight haze. Thick white head.
Sweet bready aroma with hints of sulphur.
Light spice when tasted with a dry completion.
Light and refreshing.
True to style. Very good.

 

 

My first from Grand Central... yet another great concept for brewing. (And it certainly makes sense to contact brew good recipes.... as there is often a big mis-step from being a good home-brewer to make a profit as a brewer. So, GCB helps everyone.) So I will add GCB to my lengthening list of taprooms in my hometown that I want to visit, but have not time. I might push them to the top of the list once they start brewing for a Belgo-phile like me.

I have never liked how a Helles Looks, and this is no exception (sickly pale.) I'm getting average Smells of sweet malt and a small bit of floral hops. I Taste some bittering hops and they are necessary and then, in the mouth, they become peppery.

For food, the slightly peppery hops make me think burgers. So, I had a veggie burger (TJ's Cowboy Quinoa, love the alliteration.) And the Lager was suitable, tho did not enhance my burger.

OA: a great concept but an average Helles, a style I have only modest love for. Yet, I do look forward to a visit once GCB has diversified.

 

Pours a clear crisp bright gold color. Fantastic clarity. Thin white head dissipates steadily leaving no lacing or residual head. This would be much higher except for the quickly disappearing head.

Smell has notes of grain, a hint of floral hops, and a touch of spice.

Taste follows the nose with some grain, mild floral hops and a touch of peppery spice on the backed that is merely complimentary. A touch of sweetness, but the finish is actually somewhat dry with a touch of that spice balancing the sweetness. Everything about this is bright and drinkable.

Feel is light, crisp, very drinkable. Bright carbonation.

Overall this is an outstanding American example of the style. Its too bad this doesn't see cans/distro, I would make this my go to summer beer.