Schloss Tor
Helper Beer

This too was my first beer from said brewery. In a similar vein, I too was impressed. So I get no points for originality, but truth is truth.

Pours yellow golden with ample clarity making this a professional looking beer. I also believe I had this at the Bee(r) Hive or whatnot. Friendly bartender with assets but they were all helpful. Pretty pungent lager yeast going on, I like it, dry sulphur, but not the fart kind. Pilsner grain smells, floral Saaz hopping at a rate somewhere in between Germany and California, Utah, makes sense.

A taste that bring the same golden waves of pilsner grain, floral lightly bitter Saaz, mineral and herbal content right to the mouth. Both crisp and dry mouthfeel, prickly carbonation, a pleasure and ease to drink. And that was during an indoor setting at the bar. Sure, not a bad place, but man, I could totally imagine loving this on the river. Get some jet ski growling take turns and crush this in between. Its not a bad, more of a "sweet, sweet fantasy baby."

my first from these guys, great branding and esthetic for them, and a really good german pils here, seems highly authentic and thoughtful to me. clear yellow to golden with racing carbonation and a fine inch of airy white head, looks resplendent and lovely. the nose is crisp, tight, and dry, with floral hops coming in earlier than usual, and a simple crackery organic seeming pils malt base, some minerals, mild yeast but obviously a lager, simple in a good way, nothing off at all. the flavor is excellent, better than the nose, with a cool grain profile that suggests this might have been decoction mashed, very full spectrum, they got a lot out of this very pale grain, and it definitely has some old worldy german character to it, as does the yeast. hops are fresh, well dosed, and with soft citrus, chamomile, and green tea notes, just lightly bitter on the swallow but it stands out with how dry this is, really snappy and quick, refreshing with all the carbonation, and infinitely drinkable. a really impressive introduction to helper beer, need to make my way down there at some point to check out their spot, this is a great pils, really refined and dialed in, about as good as anything in this style made domestically i have had lately, cannot wait to try more from them!

edit: every bit as good the second time around, these guys are well ahead of the curve, super solid offering here!