Mikerphone Helles Lager My Old Friend
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What the brewers say
“A crushable double dry-hopped helles lager with Motueka, Amarillo, and Citra hops.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Hops burst to the face. Grapefruit, lemon, orange, peach, mango, pineapple, strawberry—all of the tropical fruits that shouldn’t ever be in a helles. Pine and slight dankness. Malt plays second fiddle, obviously.”
Flavor: “Rich tropical-fruit blend with a superclean malt backbone. Subtle biscuit, bready malt flavors that quickly give way to dry citrus hops notes of lemongrass, orange peel, and grapefruit. Finishes with a smooth fruity bitterness that lingers pleasantly with a slight stickiness.”
Overall: “The dry hopping is well executed given the light and clean body the brewer started with. It’s a tasty beer, but it’s hard to call it a helles in any fashion. It’s quite citrusy and crisp and finishes like you just took a bite of an orange and got some peel with it. I love the concept of a ‘citrus-forward helles,’ but I’m not sure that style lends itself to this combination of flavors.”
