Now Beer This: What In The Hell Are You Drinking?

I gotta admit, I’m more than a little proud of that clever title.

I have had the pleasure of stocking a bottle shop recently — Craftboro Brewing Depot, specifically (it’s a brewery too, go check it out) — and I wanted to make sure we had interesting, but not easily encountered, international beers that were worth trying. Some foreign tastes to broaden palates, new brews for beer nerds to peruse. I took a chance on Kloster Andechs Vollbier Hell — and I was not disappointed.

At this time of year, beer enthusiasts and regular folk alike are excited about Oktoberfest and the traditional Märzen (roughly translating to “March beer,” if you’re curious) that’s enjoyed at that sort of function. Märzen is an amber beer, slightly sweet and what most of us usually think of when we think of German — or Oktoberfest — beer. Funnily enough, that “March beer” was brewed in a time when the production of beer was only permitted between September 29 and April 23 (from St. Michael’s Day to St. Geroge’s Day). The usual hop content was upped in order to help preserve the beer during times when new beer couldn’t be brewed, and that made the Märzen a fall-festival favorite — since the beer was kept in cellars over the summer and breweries sought to clear out their stocks at fall festivals to make way for the next year’s batch.

Märzen brews aren’t really my thing, but a good Helles (or Hell) is exactly my thing. Oktoberfest beers can be a little difficult to classify, since they’re a brewing style that’s more associated with a time of year rather than a particular taste or method, but these are the two usual suspects for traditional Oktoberfest offerings. In a lager-heavy environment, it’s time for expert brewers to really shine with basic beers executed flawlessly.

So, what the hell is a Helles? Well, it’s the name for lagers that put the focus on the finest Pils malt used in the brew, as opposed to putting the focus on the Noble German hops (which Pilsners traditionally do). So you get a clean, refreshing, malt-focused beer with a touch of bitterness to help you on the way.

To get back to the beer we’re discussing today, Andechs’ Hell was a joy to try. The first thing you notice about it is how amazingly golden it is. It virtually glows in a glass, and you could drive your car looking through it (not recommended, but you know what I mean). Aroma is of corn, which is probably DMS, a by-product of the brewing process that is often pursued on purpose by some traditional German breweries. After that, you get a bit of floral hoppiness in the nose. Taste is of sweet, but not cloying, light malt, reminiscent of baking (I thought croissants when I drank it, but that could just be me), followed by just a slight edge of floral bitterness to help balance out the experience.

Just as the weather begins to cool, it’s a perfect time for this kind of beer. What are you drinking these days? Tell me about it!

Until next time… go getchoo some!

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