Ein, zwei, drei, bier

The Helles from Saxon brewery Einsiedler has been around for a couple of years, in both supermarkets and specialist beer shops. The distributor has now seen fit to venture three more from the brewery which I bring to you today.

Continuing the Bavarian stylings we get Einsiedler Weissbier next. Das Hefetrüb promises the label but it's really not very cloudy, pouring a coppery amber colour and almost see-through. Otherwsie they've got the authentic Bavarian characteristics spot on: there's lots of clove in the aroma, as well as a hint of celery from the hops. It's softly textured with a busy prickle of fizz and the flavour is subtly constructed. There's no foghorn of clove or banana in the flavour but a clean and subtle spiciness. The headachey esters which can be weissbier's undoing are absent and it's very easy drinking without seeming bland or watery. I don't drink a whole lot of weissbiers these days, but should the fancy take me, I will definitely be looking this one up.

On to the lagers then. I don't know if Einsiedler Böhmisch has been in continuous production since the early 20th century but they've used an original poster from 1907 as the label. I can't tell you much about the German Böhmisch style either, though I'm sure it is/was well defined. Thinking of modern Czech offerings I expected pale so was surprised and delighted by the Märzen-esque rich amber colour. A weighty texture goes with that, feeling more than its mere 5.2% ABV. The next surprise, then, was the flavour. Although it smells simple and wholesome there's a weird sweetness -- perfume and bubblegum -- as though the esters from the weissbier have migrated into here. A hard bitterness follows, one that's almost woody and smoky. I guess the intention is for it to taste old-fashioned and rough around the edges. It does, and it made me appreciate the century of scientific progress that has made German lagers crisper and more drinkable. Maybe al fresco summer drinking wasn't the correct use case for this and it needs to be consumed by the fire in a dark wood-beamed inn. I'll wait until I have that opportunity before giving it another go.

And so to the one I was really looking forward to. We are badly off in this country for a regularly-available quality schwarzbier. I'm hoping Einsiedler Schwarzbier won't let us down on either of those fronts. It's a perfect cola-coloured reddish brown and topped with a proper off-white head. The aroma is sweeter than I'd like, more caramel than the preferred aniseed. Aniseed does arrive in the flavour, thankfully, alongside some marjoram and dill herbal complexity and a little toasty roast. There's still a sizeable caramel element, but the dry and bitter side does a good job of balancing it and it all finishes properly cleanly. This is also another big-bodied one, even at 5% ABV, but it's much cleaner than the Böhmisch and easier to drink too. The brisker toast of Köstritzer is still my go-to, but while it can't be got this will absolutely do.

That Hells/Weissbier/Schwarzbier combination makes for a nice matching set of well-made traditional German beers. I always have room for more like that in my fridge.

It's Hell, up north

An unexpected new Helles arrived on the local off licence shelves here a couple of months ago. "I'm having that," I said. It's important to grab these things when they're available as you never know how long they'll last.

Einsiedler Hell announces the label on the bottle, and that it's from Saxony, not Bavaria. Intriguing! It's not as clear as a Bavarian would like it, showing some quite large particles suspended in the gold. It's just about full-bodied enough, with the right honey malt flavour but not the white bread or spongecake consistency found in the best of these. Where it really gives away its northern roots is in the hopping: an intense grassy kick, running the risk of turning to a plastic bitterness but balanced by the malt.

This is an interesting crisp twist on standard Helles, enjoyable for that, and in its own right.