Hoppin' Helles
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

From notes taken in 2014: Pours a clear deep straw producing 3 fingers of finely bubbled, foamy, glowing white, head that leaves a nice ring and wash of lacing. Aroma is a hoppy Munich Helles lager: biscuity malt, a hint of toast, lager yeast, honey, grass, lemon, certainly more hoppy than is expected for this malt forward style. Taste is hop forward for the style which apparently was their goal with grassy & lemon hops, biscuit malt, toasty grain, lager yeast, honey & pepper. Mouthfeel is light bodied with high carbonation, peppery but smooth. Hoppy for the style but don't expect a hop bomb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebranded as "Helles Yeah." Same beer, though.

Pours a bright, transparent amber. Lots of upward streaming bubbles in this pokal. Fine white head is lower retention but leaves a perfect film on liquid surface. Lacing is pretty decent. On the nose, pasta and grain, a strange funkiness that didn't take me long to get used to, and herbal, almost lemony hops. Tastes more like a Pilsner (the hops make the difference) than a Helles. Palate is crackery throughout. Very strong malt presence. There's a grassy-sweetness hiding here as well. Light lemon notes in the front, with hop bitterness kicking in about half-way through, rindy more than herbal, but not too powerful. Peppercorn retro-olfaction. Light bodied and crisp, but high level of long-lasting carbonation, both prickly and sudsy prevent this beer from feeling thin. I swear this beer is underrated. To the taste, as good as just about any pilsner. One of my favorite year-rounds from Leinenkugel.