I have Mr Thomas Carroll to thank for this can of Helles, the first and, so far, only beer under the Tilt & Pour brand out of Belfast. It was brewed at Heaney in Bellaghy and is 5.2% ABV. Any thoughts of pristine classic Bavarian lager are banished quickly by the murky amber body under a space where a head appears briefly then vanishes. "Our take on the infamous [sic] German lager" says the label. Very much so, says I.
The aroma is sweet and candy-like, suggesting clove rock and fruity Skittles. Not very Teutonic, but there's a little buzz of celery or spinach too, so all is not lost. I'm glad the flavour isn't sickly, and instead it has a drier brown bread or rye cracker effect at the centre. That said, it can't shake the higher alcohols, and it tastes a bit warm-fermented, of ethyls and esters -- something that's tolerable for a sip or two but becomes a chore by half way.
I'm no style purist. I'm not upset that this isn't a burnished gold lager, fluffy of texture and exquisitely balanced between spongecake malt and herbal hops. But it's not a good lager at all, leaning too far in to the rustic farmhouse thing, except without the charm. Were it a home brew I'd be suggesting its maker do something about fermentation temperature before attempting anything else similar. Since it's not I'll just say thanks but no thanks.
Porterhouse Barrel Aged Celebration Stout
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*Origin: Ireland | Date: 2011 | ABV: 11% | On The Beer Nut: *February 2012
This is the third version of Porterhouse Celebration Stout to feature on
the blo...
3 months ago
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