Sudwerk Lager Münchener Helles

Brewed by Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Davis, California USA

Bottle Date of 07.31.07, Sampled September 2007
The beer pours with a frothy, initially three-finger thick, fairly large bubbled consistency, light tan colored head. The beer is a brilliantly clear, rich gold color. The aroma has a nice mix of spicy hops and clean malt notes. The hop character provides aromatic notes of fresh cut herbs, some grassiness and a touch of lemon zest. The malt character provides aromas of toasty grain dust, soda crackers, biscuit, and lightly toasted grain.

Quite crisp up front, with a solid hop bite. The beer finishes with a slightly astringent, almost herbal, bitterness that lingers on for quite some time. There is also some bready malt notes in the finish that are quite dry and austere in some ways, but does provide a quite noticeable note of toasty-bread flavors as well as touches of fresh cooked soda crackers. Up front there is a very light malty sweetness, which provides a touch of honey flavors. This has a fair amount of body to it; it is of course quite light feeling and easy drinking, but it does have a noticeable body and does not seem thin at all. The hop flavors at times contribute notes of mint, fresh cut / slightly green hay, and a definite herbal note.

This is quite hoppy and I am enjoying the interplay between malt and hop flavors quite a bit. I will admit that at first I thought this beer was a bit week, but I think that was due to just having woken from a nap. The beer certainly has a decent body to it and I like how both the malt and hops cling to the palate at first, but then cleanly disappear. This is a really solid example of a Helles.

.5 Liter on tap at the brew pub. Metallic, crisp, hoppy nose with some floral and grassy notes. There is also a light biscuity maltiness, too. Transparent copper-orange body with a long-standing, firm off-white head. Sweet, malty, doughy, chewy start. Quite bready and iscuity in the middle. A bit of creaminess as well. Light, non-bitter, spiced, herbal hop flavors to finish. Drinkable, but lacking in terms of flavor. Could definitely have some more assertive hop flavors.

Bought this at John’s Market Portland and drank it as road pop on my way back to the hotel. Malty and balanced in a style that is hard to make. Page 239 of Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide only 364 out of his 500 Classic Brews to go.

Pours spot on for tea, with an initial 1-finger suds head, no real retention and spotty lace. The nose, at first nondescript, becomes somewhat fruity and malty as the brew warms. Good malt characteristic upfront, immediately countered by an acidic citrus..... this has a nice balanced finish between caramel and lightly peppered hops. The mouthfeel is light, not necessarily thin, but with a confectioner’s sugar effervescence. Carb levels may be a bit high, which may transfer into a palate out of character, but overall, not a bad offering.

Gold pour. Aroma of grainy malt, some hops. Smooth, crisp taste with subdued hops, pale malt, and a refreshing culmination.

Bottle purchased in the brewery’s town. Nice clean aroma. Neither malt nor corn. Maybe a bit of citrus. Dark gold color, white head. Kind of looks like MGD. Starts with light malt, seems to move to hints of citrus, and, Lord have mercy, hops arise. There is on ongoing light hoppy citrusy finish. Much, much better than the popular American lagers.

Bottle: Lager: Gold, nice head and lacing. Nose of light citrus and metal, light malts. Flavor of light sweet malts and a floral tail. Finishes lightly bitter. Decent, everything is light, but it’s clean. I can respect the maltiness in a helles, but the metal in the nose is odd.

On tap at the brewpub. This is widely described and packaged as the "Helles." Rich dark gold with a white head. An interesting strong bitterness reminiscent of the pils, but the lager has a little more malt body. Has a nice medium palate affording a decent alpha of hops. Seemingly a very quick finish. Very good helles.