Lager
Altstadt Brewery

So good! Pretty similar to a real helles. It reminds me of a Paulaner Helles, to be honest.

 

Gold pour, touch haze, white head starts strong but drops. Nose is malty.

Taste is honeyed malt, floral hops, light grassiness. Mouthfeel is light but coating. Finish is malty and slightly dry. Not flashy, just a solid lager.

 

By now I'm expecting anything from Altstadt to be awesome, and this one doesn't disappoint

Excellent example of a helles lager, the hops are a bit crispy, and the malty base brings straw, grass , hay, and a touch of flowers growing wild in a field.

This was a single, but I could easily do 6, 12, 15 of these like I have their 15-packs of hefeweizens, because they're a good deal on damn good beer.

I'm gonna have to take a trip to this brewery soon. It's close to enchanted rock and a pacific war museum, so there's lots of incentives I can use an excuse to spend several hours at the brewery. Of course I know those tricks!

 

 

Pours a clear straw color with a fluffy white head that provides a nice amount of lacing. Lots of bready malt on the nose and a nice bit of grass and some lemon courtesy of the noble hops, which is exactly where the taste lands, accompanied by a crisp mouthfeel. Very well executed Helles, IMHO.

At the Republic of Texas restaurant in San Antonio

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to give this a knock for appearance. A German Helles should be crystal clear, this has a noticeable haze to it. Otherwise, it’s medium gold with a moderate white head.
I didn’t notice much from the aroma. Very slight breadiness.
It tastes more like a Czech Pilsner than a Helles. There’s not enough maltiness to it. It doesn’t taste bad, I actually enjoy it, but it’s not in the style of a Munich Helles.
The IBU’s are too high and it’s not malty enough. Like I said, rating this based on style, it tastes fine and is a good beer, just not to style.
Perhaps they add about 20% Vienna malts and decrease the hops.

UPDATE 06/17/23
Perhaps I had a dirty glass or there was some sort of chill haze going on before. This time it was perfectly clear dark gold. It still tastes to hop forward. Too bad they’re not going for a Czech style Pilsner, this really nails it.

Look: Pours a golden yellow in color with a pure white head. Retention is weak with some minimal side glass lace.

AROMA: A little dark flute. Sweet

TASTE: Sweet grain and bread malts, drying.

FEEL: Medium, with low to medium carbination along with a dry finish.

Unique as lagers go with a distinct sweetness taste that sets it apart from most lagers.

Poured from a 12oz can into a nucleated Pilsner glass.
The beer is light golden and clear with 2.5 fingers of white head. Retention is average leaving a cap.
Aroma is medium. The smell is light and bready with some sweet malt, a little hop spiciness and an overall very clean aroma.
Taste is medium. The flavor has sweet crackery malt, a long low spicy hop finish and a hint of mineral taste.
Feel is slightly above medium in thickness which is just right for this style. Carbonation is moderate and astringency is low which together balances out the sweetness.
Overall, it's a very good Helles that is widely available in Austin.

From a can best by 7/26/22. Light amber color with an inch of foamy white head. Grassy hop smell. Medium body and soft feel. Tastes of crackers and a little honey with grassy hops on the finish. Really nice Helles