Smoky Mountain Velas Helles Lager

Brewed by Smoky Mountain Brewery & Restaurant
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Gatlinburg, Tennessee USA

Thanks to Suttree for this one. Pours dark straw with medium, fizzy white head. Aroma of malt, firm honey, some hopcit. Nice aroma. Tastes smooth, malty, with tons of honey flavor and some fruity hops. Very smooth palate, which gets more citrusy as it warms. This is an outstanding Helles.

2004 bottle from Hop and Leaf. First of all let’s clear things up, Helles beer, by definition does NOT have little flavor to talk about. It is supposed to have a light body, not light on the flavor. My pour was clear and filtered looking, weak golden-yellow, whispy white head, mostly dissipating. Could stand to have a good deal more head retention, less filtration and a darker burnished copper hue to it. Aroma of lightly sour yeast, lightly toasted grains and some corn-like notes, though that may just be the yeast. Flavor is of a very apparent German sour yeast, with notes of pils malt (honey) and a some lightly stale apple flavor on the finish. Fairly crisp as well. Lightly watery with low hops apparency. Could stand a good deal more malt. Just because this is a light colored lager, dosent mean it has to be light flavored. Some of the most flavorful beers I’ve had have been from this style. If they would market this as a plain American pale lager, I would be more impressed. This dosent cut it for a beer of this style.

Hazy gold color with a small white head and light lacing. Aroma was that of vegetables, most notably creamed corn. EDA also mentions dough, which is somewhat there, though over powered by the corn. This tasted better when I sipped the beer, and didn’t breathe through my nose. The taste was sweet malts, lightly sour. Not one I would choose again.

This beer is exemplary for the style; Helles beer, by definition has little flavor to talk about! It is SUPPOSED to have a light flavor profile. This beer has won GABF awards, for God’s sake! It is a nice simple yellow color, with a thin white head. Nice malt nose, followed by a large malt taste and terrific mouthfeel. Very true to style. Hops present, but nicely folded in with the malt.

Bottle. Clear light gold color with a smallish white head that diminished rather quickly. No real aroma. Flavor similar the the aroma. Thin body. Nothing special here.

Draught. Pretty gold color. Smallish head disappears quickly. Bready aroma, maybe also some creamy oakiness? Profound bread-and-butter malt flavor, appropriate to style. Rich malty finish gives the impression of being more full bodied than it really is. Carbonation a little light but ok. Hint of grassy hops at the end. Well made Helles.

Bottled, thanks SpringsLicker! Aroma of wet hay and yeast. Pale golden with brief head. Medium sweet and nicely rounded, but with cellary apple tones.

Looks like any big Macro, except for the creamy looking head. Aroma is like a can of macro with tin included. No real aroma. Taste is a bit of light dough with a bit of a sourness to it. Are all of their beers sour? Quickly, the head thins out to almost nothing. This may be my last attempt at a TN beer. Very light.