Is the Helles style making a craft comeback?

One of my locals, Industrial Arts in NYS, just released one. It's a part of their yearly "Landscape" series of beers which includes a different lager for each season. This one is naturally called Spring Landscape. The whole series has been excellent from the get-go (I think this Spring is the start of the third year).

 

As much as I did enjoy it, between my locals and regionals (VT, MA brewers) I'm so well stocked with great lagers these days that I can't say I missed it all that much.

 

Abita obviously isn't at the top of anyone's trendy list, but I love that these 19.2 oz cans exist (even if I've never felt the need to actually buy one):

 

Elmhurst Brewing here has just come out with a helles lager and a helles bock. I know they're close (or maybe the same to some), but to me there was a difference. The helles bock was a maltier. But I enjoyed them both

 

New Oberfalz makes the best Helles I've ever tasted... it is just crazy good....Abaddon from Modern Times is really good too but that New Oberfalz...geez...

 

Weihenstephaner Original Premium is called Original Helles in Germany. I know you're using hyperbole, but the companies clearly think "premium" means more to an average US consumer than "helles"... and of course they're right.

With that English word choice, I assume that at one point they felt that a distinction from US "domestic" lager mattered more than a distinction from other beer "styles" (or colors) on the shelf even if their use of the word "premium" doesn't adhere to how it's used as a price segment for US lager. I have no idea what the history is of those beers in the US (various name changes, date introduced) - it would be very interesting to know. (yah got anything @jesskidden ? ) They sure as heck couldn't drop "helles" and use the word "light" instead.

When Spaten first put their pale lager to market, before they decided on the name Helles Lagerbier, they considered calling it Edelbitter (noble bitter) or Herren-Bier (men's beer).

 

The victory classic lager is a winner I'll be slamming 15 packs all summer. I'll give the Schflay one a try but don't expect much. I doubt I'll try the canarchy lager but I'd imagine it would be like previous lagers and suck.

 

I hope so and here is a domestic example Im really getting attached to.

 

Ones I've had in the last couple of years.

Aldstadt Lager, the menu called it a Helles. The grain flavor lacked the rich depth of a good Bavarian Helles.

FW Lager, a decent one, middle of the road, no defects.

ABGB they have some variability with this one it goes from good to very, very good.

SN Mills River, had a Helles that had to be from the pilot system, taproom only. It was the best US version of a Helles that I've had. I had been in Bavaria not to long before that, so I was appreciative drinking that one

 

His post piqued my interest as well. From their website, looks like they are doing free Chicago and Chicagoland delivery for a limited time. I think I just might put an order in and give it a try.

 

Helles Ya! from Funkwerks is remarkable imo.. especially for a brewery known for literally anything but lagers.

Its definitely one of the best beers of any style available in town (zero hyperbole here), and that’s certainly saying something for Fort Collins.

 

Around here, definitely. Several of the better breweries around me are paying more attention to lagers generally and Helles’ in particular. They seem to be getting better at it to.

 

"craft comeback" have to be two of the most frightening words in the beer lexicon

 

Maybe someone will finally make one with enough hops

 

There are a few American-brewed German-style beers that take me back to Munich, Alpenflo just wasn't one of them.

 

I think Jack's House Lager is decent, albeit not one of my favorite versions of Helles. Personally I think the style is lacking in New England, at least in terms of the style being widely available.

Hill Farmstead obviously isn't widely available. And despite the fact I'm unabashedly a huge Notch fan boy, and consider them the best lager producer in New England, I've only seen their Helles on draft at the brewery.

Someone asked me what my favorite US brewed Helles was in the New England forum, and I was about to jump all over that answer when I realized...umm, wait, who's doing one that I can find on my shelves right now? At least one that's a good example of a Helles.

Bissell Brother's Lucent is excellent. The brewer's had just come back from Munich seeking inspiration for brewing their own Helles. It wasn't until they had Voll Projekt's (Notch) Helles Spezial that they found what they were looking for. Granted, that is an export strength Helles.

Beyond that, I can't think of many off the top of my head. As @steveh said, this is the kind of style that when you come across a good one, you're immediately brought back to Munich.

Needless to say, I'm not "in" Munich very often in New England.

 

The Wooly Pig from Ohio is the best one I've had so far, really brings Augustiner to mind; especially that sort of 'fresh wind-blown laundry' quality that I assume comes via slight dms.

 

Honestly, it does come off as a bit of a paradox when you try to describe that quality; but that's the best I can do, kind of sulfury but mostly 'fresh'.

 

Italian Pilsner is where my mind went after reading the first couple comments. I've seen a couple of these pop up in the Philadelphia area recently. It seems like a fair percentage of craft drinkers have started to move a little more towards lighter, more sessionable styles. Not long ago I had a czech pils(served from a side pull) at a brewery called Human Robot in Philly and was blown away.