Samuel Adams Heaven or Helles

September 2, 2016 -

Tried this one also with dinner. Really enjoyed this. Probably because of the Tettnang hops. I really like the light bitterness that they bring. Cool and nice, this beer is something that I would put in my rotation.

Let's see what all Samuel Adams has to say:

"Light and golden blonde, this seemingly innocent brew is hellishly drinkable. ‘Helles’ translates to bright in German, befitting this fresh lager. We brew our version in the Zwickelbier style meaning that it’s lightly filtered, resulting in a slightly hazy lager that tastes like it’s fresh from the tank. Spicy, floral hop notes from Saaz and Tettnang hops are complemented by a touch of honey malt sweetness for a drinkable yet flavorful brew."

Hops - Saaz and Tettnang, Tettnanger Noble hops
Malts - Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Bohemian Pilsner Malt
Yeast - Samuel Adams Lager Yeast

I always love it when they put some history with it:

Floral and slightly grassy, Saaz and Tettnang Noble hops add a brightness that perfectly complements the Noble hops. Helles differs from its Pilsner neighbor by balancing the hops with soft, delicate malt notes. To develop the light honey character we use Bohemian spring barley, still made using the labor intensive technique of floor malting where the barley is hand turned daily to carefully achieve its light golden taste.

Inspired by the fresh from the tank lager experience, our Helles is brewed in the Zwickelbier style (named after the tap used to sample straight from the tank). Its slightly hazy appearance comes from less filtration creating soft fruity esters not typical of lagers.

Helles originally developed as Munich’s answer to the Czech Pils that was taking Europe by storm back in the 1800s. The style was also light golden but leaned more towards a balance between the spicy, floral hops and subtle bitterness paired with light honey malt character. Today, the Munich Helles style is the perfect session beer, enjoyed by the liter at beer halls and gardens throughout the city and beyond.