5 Seasons Munich Helles

Brewed by 5 Seasons Brewing Company
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Appearance: Light, clear copper body with a half inch of creamy, white head. Smell: Comparatively light aroma smelling of pale and pils maltiness with some sweetish hints. Taste: Blend of pale, pils, and maybe a hint of bready malts as well. Decent amount of sweetness throughout. Spicy hops, though with a restrained bitterness, leaving you with a sweet finish. Mouthfeel: Just barely medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: It’s decent enough, but there are far better brews to be had here at 5 Seasons.

Draft. Golden with a creamy, lasting head. Caramel aroma. Flavors of grain, dry grass and nuts. Light body is slightly tingly and dryish.

Dark gold body with a white head. The aroma was meaty with some bread. There was also some rich almond notes in this one. The taste was rich biscuit with some almond shell. Nice clean, dry finish.

Golden appearance, with a small frothy head, that recedes quickly. Very clean pour, and nose, a light bit of floral and biscuity qualities. Slightly sweet on the palate, very bready, with a hint of honey. Well balanced, but not very exciting, but quite drinkable.

Tap at brewpub: Clean golden hue with small frothy head and good lace. The aroma has notes of apple and apricot esters, grainy, butterscotch, and flowery hops. The taste is pale sweet malts with some fruity notes. Dry biscuity finish. The mouth feel is clean and crisp, refreshing. Solid beers but nothing too excitable, needs more noble hop bitterness.

From tap at brewpub : Clear pour, very clear, with a medium gold color and no head. Not much nose. Fruity taste and finish, with a nice crispness. Medium body, sticky feel. Wasnt overly impressed.

My Bottom Line:
Crispy straw and delicate noble hops are sent to a drying finish where prickly carbonation tends to override the mild cereal and hop apport. This is yet another efficient session beer from 5 Seasons, but one which appears storyless when compared to their Seven Sisters Münchner.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam settles onto the clear gold.
-The body is lean and perhaps more approachable to neophytes than their Seven Sisters, a fantastic Vienna.
-Even though it is malt driven, few malt flavors really shine; it is not crunchy enough for my tastes in Helles.
-Supporting hop bitterness is really low, which seems to be what the brewer wanted, but I would personally have preferred a tad more noble hop presence.

On tap at the brewpub.

The lightest offering they had, but light years beyond some lame pale lager. Flavor is crisp and smooth with a hint of doughy sweetness. Mild hoppiness and a clean, smooth finish.