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I recently went to Nuremburg to stay for 2 days and do some Christmas shopping. I had to check for winter gloves and other stuff. So while in the city center we had a stop at a bar for a beer. I ordered the Helles on the tap which was the Grüner Helles. Helles is traditionally served in Bavaria so I guessed it was a good choice, and I had only heard compliments about it.
Malty in the beginning, hoppy at the end, this traditionally brewed "Fürst Wallerstein Hell" (hell is Germany for bright / light) is a beer for the evening. The light tasty sweetness invites you for another sip, or even more other sips. At the background someone might notice a floral aromatic smell which enhances the overall composition very positive. Consumed pure or as a "Radler" it is the ideal treat for the summer, but also for the winter, because it is very well balanced with a very nice full body and therefore it goes well with many dishes.
Beer enthusiasts from the Nördlinger Ries have created the receipt for this beer. According to the label they created a traditional Bavarian “Helles”. Ok, Helles it is today.
I first took some photos. It always takes some seconds to get good photos without using flashlight. I don't like reflections from the flashlight in the picture.
There are discussions in the brewing world which might never ever stop. To filter or not to filter is the question of this hour. Some say it’s better to filter, because it gives stability. Other will tell you that filtering a beer will kill its character. I would say there is a 50/50 chance and it often depends on the beer.
This time I’m having a Kloster Urtrunk on the table. The label states itself as Export style Helles. I haven’t tasted any unfiltered Helles till now. Actually unfiltered Helles has become very unusual nowadays.
Sometimes breweries from outside Bavaria try to produce beers originated in Baveria. Many times breweries from other than the origin of the style having difficulties to produce other beer types than local (depends on the brewers experience) or the common ones. Some years ago I got a call from a brewery trying to produce a Dunkles. They used a Baverian dark malt which formed golf to tennis ball like compounds during the fermentation. The brewer didn't know that the malt needed a protein rest at 45° C in order to break down compound forming proteins.
You never know what you get until you have finally tasted it. Or as I put it here: what you taste is what you get. Amber in its color, bitter and wort emphasized in its taste makes this Landbier a good one.
It's kind of sweet, rusty and bitter in the beginning, leaving a warm and sweet taste behind at the end. A nose full of caramel, wort and malt will be with it as well.
For my taste this Landbeer leaks a bit of body. With an alcohol content of 5.0 vol % the malty character could be a little stronger, even the hops could be more emphasised.
Disguising beers from industry scale brewers as „craft beer“ has been an industry standard for years. When the craft beer wave hit Europe lots of industry players hopped on that train. The train is still moving and is probably still far away from its final destination.
