Style: Pale Lager & Helles

ABV: 4.8 IBU: 18.0

92/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	2
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	4

Highland Park Brewery Thunderbolt Gold

What the brewers say

“Traditional German-style lager. Clean and drinkable with a crisp, slightly toasty malt finish.”

What our panel thought

“Light lemon aroma transitioning to grainy sweetness—clean pilsner malt and Noble-hop bouquet. Malt is light, soft, doughy, allowing floral, lightly soapy, citrus-hop character to shine. Bright and clean. A bit sweet on the finish. Lingering bitterness helps dry things out. Pleasant.”

What our editors thought

“Faint lily and rose on the nose; light crackery malt. The sip is softly accessible, with round bitterness and extremely light body that sacrifices some malt. Almost disappears in the glass.”

Review printed in: Living the Lager Life (June-July 2020) (View All Issues)

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REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Two Roads Brewing Co. Cruise Control Helles Lager (2019)

Has a very interesting rocky and robust head that is easy to rouse. Flavor balance is more toward sweetness, which pleasantly lingers into the finish. A very clean and smooth-tasting example that is a little one-dimensional. Would enjoy several pints of this on a hot summer day after mowing the lawn.

New Anthem Beer Project Dance Floor Heater

Surprisingly Noble-like aroma, plus lime rind and pith. Nicely balanced flavor. Malt sweetness plays well with funky hops—an intermingling of citrus, tropical fruit, and grassy notes. Dry finish, lingering bitterness. The more I drink, the more it really grows on me.

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Clean, hay-like malt aroma with fresh floral hop notes, lightly soapy. The sip is crisp, clean, with gentle Noble hop character, slowly becoming more assertive in the finish. Misses the mark on snappy bitterness. Agreeable, crushable. Simple yet supreme craftsmanship.

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