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Happy "Sunday"...

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New England forestry group holding a fundraiser at local Dirigible Brewing. Red Spruce tip on left and on cask with camomile right. Cask is really good.
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Lukr pour on their bohemian pils
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The Bruery is a favorite out of Orange County, California. Based in Placentia, they produce a variety of Ales, Lagers and sours and are well represented in the local bottle shops. Ruekeller Helles is their entry into the Helles market. Ruekeller Helles is a 5.2% ABV Helles Lager “inspired by old-world brewing techniques in the likeness of the traditional name” whatever the heck that means!

I was trying to locate the IBU on this beer, but to no avail. Ruekeller Helles seems to me a bit aggressive on the palate compared to all the other mellow German Helles examples I have. Bitterness almost like a Pilsner in IBU level with a little bit of zingy bite on the front end, weird. I’m still trying to figure this one out.

So at least we have some California brewers taking a swing at bat. The Bruery has a companion Ruekeller Pilsener (yes Northern German spelling variation) which I'd like to try. Actually this one seems to me in Pilsner IBU range, I wonder about their Ruekeller Pilsener – IPA range perhaps? Ha! Prost!


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Wow, supplemental entry! I get home this evening, and what is here waiting for me? Michigan brewed libation for our drinking fun this weekend!

Back story - last week, Beer-Loving Daughter #3 was enjoying the Michigan summers, drinking North Carolina brews. I was drinking one of Michigan’s finest, Bells Two-Hearted IPA here in California.

Well this weekend all three Beer-Loving Daughters will be converging on Rancho Beermeister32 for a summertime visit and drinking festivities. Beer-Loving Daughter #3 sent these in advance. Now that’s well trained kids!

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Drinking a HB Mocha Stout - that is slightly less effervescent than it should be because the tank was in the "order gas" zone for a while. Swapped and will refill the kicked beer gas tank at my leisure. Of course , it could be tomorrow if I feel motivated to get 'er done. Ha.
 

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Another remarkable Helles comes to us from Weihenstephaner. Hey, they’ve had 985 years to get it right!

This is a terrific Helles. Like many of the Weihenstephaner brews, it is true to style, authentic and very well produced. Delicious malty flavor, restrained hopping, nothing jumping out of the glass to bite you back. This is a smooth and very easy drinking Helles.

I’m really pleased to see the number of US brewers that are now taking on some of the German styles. We went through a APA period, huge IPA phase, then a NEIPA phase, sours in there somewhere, and now a lot of brewers are settling back into some of the traditional styles that never really left our favor. There’s any number of faux German Pilsners, Helles, Dunkels and others on the market.

One thing I wish a lot of domestic brewers would do however is nail down the basics. I think a careful study of the available styles, like we are doing here would result in more closely produced beers. I see a lot of brewers come up with their own interpretations of things. In some ways that’s a good thing, but getting the original style right is fundamental first - before making a bunch of artistic changes!

Part of this effort is getting the hopping levels correct, bitterness, flavor and aroma. From an appearance standpoint, there should be some head, some lacing and in the case of most German Lagers, a crystal clarity. Kellerbiers, Zwickelbiers and Hefeweizens are cloudy; not so with Pilsners, Helles and Dunkels, these should be crystal clear!

Again, Weihenstephaner stands up to the task… They are perfect in darn near everything! 1516 compliant, 4.8% ABV, malty, perfect balanced hopping, it’s all good! Prost!

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Another remarkable Helles comes to us from Weihenstephaner. Hey, they’ve had 985 years to get it right!

This is a terrific Helles. Like many of the Weihenstephaner brews, it is true to style, authentic and very well produced. Delicious malty flavor, restrained hopping, nothing jumping out of the glass to bite you back. This is a smooth and very easy drinking Helles.

I’m really pleased to see the number of US brewers that are now taking on some of the German styles. We went through a APA period, huge IPA phase, then a NEIPA phase, sours in there somewhere, and now a lot of brewers are settling back into some of the traditional styles that never really left our favor. There’s any number of faux German Pilsners, Helles, Dunkels and others on the market.

One thing I wish a lot of domestic brewers would do however is nail down the basics. I think a careful study of the available styles, like we are doing here would result in more closely produced beers. I see a lot of brewers come up with their own interpretations of things. In some ways that’s a good thing, but getting the original style right is fundamental first - before making a bunch of artistic changes!

Part of this effort is getting the hopping levels correct, bitterness, flavor and aroma. From an appearance standpoint, there should be some head, some lacing and in the case of most German Lagers, a crystal clarity. Kellerbiers, Zwickelbiers and Hefeweizens are cloudy; not so with Pilsners, Helles and Dunkels, these should be crystal clear!

Again, Weihenstephaner stands up to the task… They are perfect in darn near everything! 1516 compliant, 4.8% ABV, malty, perfect balanced hopping, it’s all good! Prost!

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"From an appearance standpoint, there should be some head, some lacing and in the case of most German Lagers, a crystal clarity."

:mischievous::bigmug:
 

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