Ein Helles
Counter Weight Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: crystal clear; deep gold in color; 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap; light lacing;

S: light grain; grass;

T: light grain, grass, white bread, a hint of lemon; mild to moderate bitterness on the finish;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: refreshing;

L: Pours a beautiful straw color with excellent crystal clarity. The pour yields a finger and a half of head with pretty good retention. Leaves a bit of spotty lacing on the glass as it goes down. This is a nice looking beer.

S: On the nose I get a nice bouquet of grass and grain. Also, a bit of noble hop spice coming through. Excellent and to style.

T: Follows the nose pretty closely. I get herbal notes of fresh cut grass, a very light earthy spice, and a grainy malt character. There is a bit of sweetness that comes in rear mid palate, but is quickly cut and balanced by a light spicy bitterness on the finish.

F: This has a light body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing with a nice clean finish that has just the right amount of light dryness to bring you back for the next drink.

O: This is a top shelf American Helles style offering. Everything about this beer is spot on. Unlike many craft lagers it is not over hopped and does every thing a Helles is supposed to do. It actually reminds me a lot of Jack's House Lager with a tad less sweetness. As BranfordBound notes, this is definitely a summer crusher and at 5% ABV it has potential for session drinking after a hard day's work in the yard, field, or where every you happened to spend your day toiling in the sun. Highly recommended.

 

 

An absolutely delicious Helles lager from Counterweight. Total crusher for the warm weather months. Stylistically very similar to the actual tried-and-true lagers from Germany. Slightly sweet, herbal hops, grainy, cracker like finish. Easy to quaff.