Nothing Special
True History Brewery

355 mL can served barely chilled; no canning date. Day 13 of the 2025 Toronto Brewing advent calendar.

Pours a slightly foggy golden-yellow colour, its complexion obscured by the presence of sandy sediment - it would seem that this is an unfiltered lager. More than two fingers of fluffy, soapy white head is situated atop, dropping off rapidly over the next three or four minutes' time; the survivors include a frothy cap and collar, with a modest smattering of patchy lace. The aroma is bready & reminiscent of sourdough, but there are also hints of grainy malts, apple skin and grassy hay.

A flavourful German-style lager that, in spite of its simplicity, impressed me right off the bat. Rich flavour of whole grain bread, biscuits and a touch of honeycomb sweetness; hints of grassy, spicy hops crop up later in the sip. Malty finish that lingers into a mildly sweet aftertaste that fades within a second or two. Medium-light in body, with middling carbonation that gently prickles the tongue, resulting in a smooth, satisfying mouthfeel. Great drinkability, too - I could drink this helles all night, which means one short can is wholly insufficient.

Final Grade: 3.92, a very solid B+. True History's Nothing Special is a bit of a misnomer - I think this is a fine Helles lager, especially when compared to much of its domestic competition. The unfiltered appearance is not ideal, but looks can be deceiving: this is a delicious lager that I would totally be buying on a weekly basis, if it were available locally. Definitely worth a try if you can find it - and with that, I think I've finished all of these advent calendar beers - and only a month late, too! Maybe next year I'll actually manage to do them all in December.

At The Cookie Bar on Drouillard Rd. in nearby Windsor; on tap and chilled, 4oz. in a flight of eight beers. My fourth beer from the Toronto, Ontario brewery; leading an outing of The Responsible Beer Drinking Club...

Decent but not exceptional helles. Decent Drinkablity, hits the style target but I like it when there is more hoppy taste, understanding that's a North American thing.