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RE: Beer Review [3]: Helles Belles Helles Lager from Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon
I would love to try an American version of helles, since I quite like German ones. Especially Augustiner Helles which I strongly recommend. I wonder how much different it is German stuff as Americans often change couple of things.
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That would be a good side by side comparison indeed!
Sometimes, you'll even have very similar ingredients (sourced from Germany) but the American version still isn't quite the same.
I think it may be technology related. The best pilsners I have drunk are often brewed into perfection for more than 100 years. On the other hand, I am usually quite impressed by American pilsners made with American hops.
Wow! That's a long time, indeed, to perfect a brew! Ninkasi Brewing only started in 2006, so they have a long way to go! But they can get a lot of hops pretty local. Oregon is a big state for growing hops. There are some big hop farms about an hour's drive from me. They are impressive operations.
Do you do a lot of your reviews as side-by-side flights of one type of beer? I can see how that would lead to some good comparisons. I just have my beer with dinner or lunch, lol. Do you find much variation in the same beer from a brewery over time, made from different batches? It's nice to have a professional beer reviewer here on Steemit!
No, I almost never do comparative reviews. I usually drink multiple styles at one sitting. The only exception is Christmas when I tend to drink imperial porters and stouts, but I rarely write any reviews over Christmas. When it comes to different batches and differences, well yes, there are some. Apparently, it is really difficult to maintain the quality of the beer. The problem appears, especially among small breweries. Larger ones tend to have more even quality.
Thanks! I had a beer from a small brewery this weekend. One from the bottle and one on draft at their place. They both tasted good, but the bottled beer was so carbonated. It foamed out of the bottle for a good 20 minutes, lol. I think I'll have to give them another try and hope for better!
Your seasonality of beers is interesting, too, with your "Christmas beers". Cheers!
I haven't done any write-ups on side by side beer reviews. The closest that I'm planning is a comparions of Chimary Red, White, & Blue from 2011 vs. fresh bottles. I'll post it here when it's done.
Certain beers will change over time and it's usually due to ingredients. However, others like North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw has not changed in years and the brewer is proud that the sensory analysis has been the exact same for decades.
I'm not at that level but maybe with some BJCP classes I could get there.
Thanks. I guess side by side reviews would focus too much on comparison. When we should appreciate each beer on its own merits. Beer teaches a life lesson, lol! Your comparison over time does sound interesting, though. I will try not to compare my own 2011 self with my 2018 self, though! I may not age as well as your beers! ; )
haha, you've got another one for me to look for, in an import, @gensek! This Helles Belles Helles uses some German hops, but they put some American hops in there, too. It would be a fun comparison, for sure! Cheers!