A Helles is one of the perfect beers for summer. “Helles” translates into bright or light, which is exactly what the beer style is. Originally concocted to compete with the popular Czech Pilsner style, the Helles is a light hoppy lager that is crisp and refreshing, with just enough German hop character to complement the malt character and mild yeast aromas, whilst avoiding being overly bitter. A relatively simple beer in recipe, but a very difficult one to master, this is a style that leaves little to hide behind, and so is to many a true indicator of a brewer's skill. Our Helles consists of 100% pilsner malt, a small amount of bittering hops, including some German Aurum, giving the beer a touch of flowery herbal nuance, and some Hallertau Mittlefruh hops late in the boil for a distinct herbal spice aroma found in more classic German beers. Fermented with a very clean lager strain that imparted a mildly fruity ester character, this beer was cold conditioned for a couple of months to allow those flavours to meld and mellow out, delivering a crisp cleanness that has you coming back for more.