Just a Helles

Nothing fancy today. A standalone lager from the generally-reliable Austrian brewery Stiegl. That said, I'm not a big fan of their flagship, Goldbräu, so was hoping better from Stiegl Hell.

The appearance is flawless, as I'd expect: a polished clear yellow that just about qualifies as golden. It's not your typical plain and smooth Helles, however. There's a herbal side to proceedings here: I get fennel's aniseed, greener baby-leaf spinach and a sweeter red cabbage relish. That sounds busy but it's all very subtle and it's entirely possible to ignore it. The malt base is a little light for Helles, but then the ABV is only 4.5% so perhaps that's to be expected. It's not thin or watery, however, and, passes the basic requirements for the style without taking any major weird turns.

It's a beer that works on two levels, with enough complexity to stand up to nerdy analysis, but still absolutely perfect if all you want is a smooth and sinkable lager. Recommended.