Beer – #150 – Zeelandt – Helles

Something a bit new – Zeelandt – Helles – Brewed by Zeelandt Brewing Co in the style of a Dortmunder/Helles– and they’re in Napier, New Zealand

This Bavarian styled lager has a creamy white head and brewed with NZ hops of noble lineage. Medium to low hop bitterness, this beer is a thirst quencher.

New Brewery, they have two beers, this and a Pale Ale.

Low at 16 on the IBU scale, in a 500ml bottle and at 5% ABV (just under 2 standard drink units), this appears a safe bet.

Nicely carbonated, and I understated that with a whole glass comprising of head. So a new glass and another go. Tad of yeast on the aroma, and a slightly bitter note. Nice golden colour.

Bitter gives over to musty. This is really lively in the glass, and almost uncontrollable head, and you know I’m no expert in the pouring.

I should also have paid a heed to the fact this is a bottle conditioned beer, and that of course comes with the dregs, and that clouds up the final pour. It remains very lively in the glass and still pours a head.

So how does this really rate? Quaffable isn’t something that comes to mind, but it’s not unpleasant, it’s not bursting full of any flavour in particular. It’s not leaving me wanting to take another mouthful to enjoy, but it’s not a beer that you put down and discuss around.

A safe middle of the road beer, doing what it should in the way it should, possibly under hopped, it’s not bitter it’s not sweet. Despite being lively and heady it’s not overly carbonated on the tongue.

The pdubyah-o-meter says a solid effort at 7. Plenty better, a lot plenty worse.