3 Ravens Hell | 3 Ravens Brewing

3.7/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, golden amber colour, with a fine, slightly sudsy, but persistent head of off-white. Body is light and liquid, although it seems just a little flat. Not bad overall, but missing the wow factor.

Nose is mildly grainy, with a smooth, lightly crisp estery character, giving a slight whiff of banana and some green herbal hop characters. A hint of marzipan comes through as well. Interesting enough, if a little flat.

Taste is very smooth and light, and extremely quenching and drinkable. Light, slightly nutty characters on the palate, with just a tingle of herbal bitterness on the finish. It's not really, classically similar to a German Munich Helles, but it's close, and in any case, who cares: it's smooth and damn drinkable.

Exceptionally drinkable lager. Clean, smooth and fresh, with the edges polished to where they need to be. It's not a flavour bomb, but it's really clean and really nice to drink. I'd be perfectly happy drinking this regularly, and it would be a great beer to give to someone who's starting out on a craft beer journey.

★ 1,063 characters

3.4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours pale amber with a small head.
Nose shows sweet light malt with cardboard and vegetal characters along with some soft banana.
More of the same in the way of flavours, but with some cereal notes and less vegetal character.
Very easy drinking stuff, some interesting flavours too.

★ 283 characters

3.08/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear amber colour with a small, airy white head. Poor head retention.

Distinct banana esters with some mild phenolic. Almost as if the hefeweizen yeast got into the lager.

Lightly malty with the same yeast profile found in the aroma. Fruity and a touch spicy. Nice but not a Helles.

Medium-light body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

A lovely drinkable beer but it suffers from stylistic flaws that take it away from what it should be an into another realm of style.

★ 486 characters