Sixpoint: Alpenflo Helles Lager

not killed - just needs extended lagering time

 

Still looking for it in South Central CT.

 

I'll be back in the state's in a month and am definitely looking forward to trying this. I think I'm wierd when it comes to beer in that I didn't drink till I was of age and then skipped right over aal's and popular beers and jumped into craft. In the process I've discovered well made lagers are easily some of my favorite beers (I like well balanced beers that don't punch you in the face a lot more than ones that just scream their flavor from the mountaintops), and from all I've heard of thi's one it sounds amazing, so hyped to try it soon.

 

Looks like this just landed in Houston, so I'll have to get into a 12-pack this weekend.

 

I'm curious, do you achieve further attenuation with this beer during lagering or is the gravity static during the lagering phase?

 

With all the money I have I'll just pay people to keep replying.

 

An absolutely stellar beer. Kudos, @Sixpoint !!

Will serve me well during the upcoming NHL playoffs.

 

Need my PayPal account number?

 

I've had 2 cans per night for the past three nights. Drinking #5 and 6 right now and my thoughts are almost exactly in tune with @herrburgess and @TongoRad.

Brilliant clarity with a big head that shows great retention. Truly a beautiful looking beer. There's balance between the malt and hops in the aroma but I am definitely getting big whiffs of corn, almost reminiscent of an AAL. Very crisp and clean flavor with a noticeable herbal hop bite, balanced nicely again by the malt. The finish is extremely dry, one of the driest beers I've had in recent memory. Medium-light bodied.

For the sake of constructive criticism, it's missing that sweet, rich malt flavor that I love in a Helles. It's very crisp and lively, as opposed to being soft, which I think also causes it to feel a little thin and not as full.

On the other hand, it's ridiculously easy to drink. I love how dry it finishes... keeps me coming back sip after sip. I typically stick to one or two beers a night during the week, and drinking this over the past few days has made that really difficult. I could put away six of these in a sitting with ease.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable Helles that, with a few minor tweaks, has some serious world class potential. Cheers to you, @Sixpoint! The hard work you've put into this beer is evident and much appreciated. Looking forward to future iterations of this beer. I see myself buying many more 12- or 6-packs, whatever format it lands in.

 

Hmm, what do you think is going on here? Do you think you are picking up a little bit of DMS? Dimethyl Sulfide is classically described as having a corn-like aroma/flavor. I readily pick up DMS in Rolling Rock and for me it is more of a creamed corn type aroma/flavor.

Cheers!

 

I think I'd have to pay you NOT to reply to threads involving German styles.

 

It's very possible that I'm picking up DMS which - correct me if I'm wrong - isn't totally out of line for a Helles. Makes sense now that you mention it.

 

The higher concentrations of SO2 -- especially as can result from horizontal lagering, and can be brought out (temporarily) by force carbing -- could be at work here. Will buy another 12-pack and see if it has mellowed somewhat (which can happen in my experience). Great beer.

 

FWIW, I detect much more of a "perm" smell and not so much creamed corn. I think it's SO2...which would mean Sixpoint is doing everything right (as German processes stylistically produce much more SO2) but that the beer may need a bit to round out a tiny bit.

 

For example...drinking my 3rd (okay...5th) Bierkeller Helles of the night right now, and some of the SO2 I wasn't digging at week 9 (and right after carbing) has mellowed now at week 11. Prost, y'all!

 

There has been some subsequent discussion about Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). For me I typically perceive an aroma of a struck match when a beer has notable SO2. I often pick up this struck match aroma immediately after opening the cap of a fresh bottle of Jever and upon the initial pour I smell it out of my Pilsner glass.

Any chance you are picking up something like this in your Sixpoint Helles?

Cheers!

 

I'm anything but a Sixpoint fan boy (in fact I had a very extensive and honest review of barrel aged 3 beans removed for voicing how letdown I was) but Alpenflo delivers.

I haven't done a formal review yet but it's one of the better beers I've had this year to date.

Weihenstephaner Original is one of my top 5-10 favorite beers ever. I literally have it rated at a straight 5. Alpenflo is right there with it. And next time I find Weihenstephaner fresh(ish) I'll try them side by side.

It's refreshing literally and figuratively to find such a high quality German style beer now be available regularly. And even more refreshing to see a brewery invest outside of IPA, stouts, and anything else "trendy". I dream of the day German style beers gain traction there are more than 2 or 3 (mediocre) options in a beer store with 100 beers. Hopefully this beer sells well and other brewery's grow a pair and diversify as well.

Very, very, very happy that there is now a beer like this that I can hopefully grab with relative ease year round.

 

The sweetness is the first thing that I tasted. It is not a clone of Augustiner-Bräu.....enttäuschung

 

It's well-accepted that quantitative changes in SO2 levels become qualitative changes. SO2 is not just SO2 any more than CO2 is just CO2.

 

@rypkr Did you purchase it in Pennsylvania.. and if so which part of the state?