Is the Helles style making a craft comeback?

I like a hint of sulfur in my lagers but prefer match over egg. Hopefully I can age ot out.

 

Rye marzen? That sounds divine.

 

I've been buying Old Nation Helles Lager (the makers of M-43). It is very tasty and full bodied. I was glad to see it at my local market. The new Altes beer is very good also. I hope to see more Helles coming our way.

 

Yes:

Raising Helles

Ein Helles

Hella Yummy

Cruise Control

 

Great article and a good read for those interested in the decoction question. The Ayinger guy sounds just like the Spaten guy I heard years back -- wonder if they're reading from a script?

That said, I'd like to know what Ayinger is doing to get such good flavor in that Pils... maybe they cranked up the old system?

 

I was able to try this beer at a couple weeks old as the result of a trade. This was right before the merger / buyout. The beer was excellent, but never hit shelves here fresh. After the merger (and Shane's departure), "hazy" became the focus at Sixpoint, and I honestly began to over look Sixpoint all together as their new direction and my taste did not align.

More to the point of the thread, craft Helles examples seem easier to find these days that five years ago.

 

I've always wanted to like House Lager, especially with the ubiquity of 15 packs, but I just don't. It just never did anything for me. I also prefer (clear) Sunny Ridge over Post Shift, but like the latter enough to buy it from time to time.

 

Didn't realize it ever left.

 

I knew I liked this guy.

Right on.

 

This was how I had the opportunity to sample it as well, though the beer I had was brewed almost a year before the buyout. I'd heard Shane was tweaking the recipe after the batch I received, but the sale and his departure happened and I never heard any more.

I stand by my original review, the beer was drinkable and without flaw, it just didn't have as much character as a good Munich Helles.

To the OP, my favorite for a good American-brewed Helles comes in the Zwickel form -- Urban Chestnut's Zwickel. And what d'ya know? It's decoction mashed.

 

Pfffft, you guys...


Sunny Ridge is a little too frou-frou with the orange marmalade sweetness. But if a kick ass blue collar, lunchpail brew is your thing then Post Shift couldn't be more well named.

 

Saw your question last night.

There was a poster under the kettles that said they draw off and cook a portion for Weiß and Dark biers. If that is true, then no.

 

I haven't had the Altbayrisch in a long time -- have to try it again, but it's so hard to find fresh.

 

How much does a Helles go for in Pennsylvania? Haha, I kid.

Back when I lived in Pittsburgh,10 years ago, Helles was was already around thanks to Stoudts, Penn, SlyFox, etc. Always inexpensive and delicious.

 

I'm going to toss in another Jack's Abby beer into the discussion: Red Tape. Perhaps the only Dunkel in the US that I've tasted so far which is actually worth being called a Dunkel. From what I understand, they do some decoction mashing on it as well. I also liked their Saxony Lager, but they discontinued that, sadly. It makes me miss New England.

Perhaps if I could put a controversial idea out there (maybe @steveh could agree), that what makes a lager truly special is the decoction mash. Otherwise, I find that most lagers without it are just another beer...

 

You might want to try this one when this year's oktoberfest beers come out:

https://greatdivide.com/beers/hoss-rye-lager/

 

Any lager that I've really loved has been decoction mashed, it really adds that body that I haven't found in normal lagers.

 

The taste.

I'm not sure I can quite put my finger on it. I think too sweet / not crisp, like the lagers I've had in Munich (Augustiner, for example). Maybe the sweetness, coupled with the low IBUs of the style make it, to me, a little unbalanced. We polished off Maß after Maß of Augustiner, Spaten, Paulaner, etc in the Biergartens and tents in Munich and I never felt like it was a chore. I feel like two liters of House Lager would be a challenge. I like several other beers from them, and their beer hall is cool, but that beer is just not for me.