Ankerbrau Nordlingen Grandl Helles Lager Bier
Review Date 1/11/2016 By John Staradumsky
For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 from Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported German beers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1st through December 24th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!
I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are no bocks or doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I got mine a Costco here in Georgia and paid $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.
Welcome to day two of the German Beer Advent Calendar! Today for your drinking pleasure we have Grandl Helles Lagerbier, a Bavarian Lager “aged patiently-For a golden color and a classy taste” according to the can label. On their website, the brewery describes the beer a bit differently: “Ein Lagerbier mit erfrischend würzigem Geschmack.” If you don’t speak German, that means a lager beer with a fresh spicy taste”.
Grandl Helles Lagerbier is a product of the Ankerbrau Nordlingen Brauerei of Nordlingen in Swabia, Germany. It’s a family owned brewery using traditional German brewing methods and a major contributor to the local economy. The brewery produces a number of brands in addition to Grandl Helles Lagerbier.
Grandl Helles Lagerbier has an alcohol content of 4.8% by volume. My can was packaged on July 2nd 2015 and has a best by date of September 1st of 2016.
Grandl Helles Lagerbier pours to a pale golden color with a light creamy head and a soft biscuit malt nose. Taking a sip, the beer is crisp creamy malty up front followed by a very gentle hop bitterness at the last. Grandl is clean and crisp and well balanced, and a bit less hoppy than the Alpen Stoff I drank before it. Grandl has more crisp biscuity malt flavor, though, and as a Helles as opposed to a Dortmuner Export I would expect less hops.
I really enjoyed this bready, biscuity fresh malt delight, and I’m glad to try this beer in the Advent Calendar. If I were to see it sold separately, it’s a beer I would certainly buy again.
I’m greatly enjoying my Beer Advent Calendar with the day 2 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 22, and another assortment of 24 in 2016. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.
The beers of the 2015 Beer Advent Calendar:
Day 1 Alpinebrauerei Burgerbrau Alpen Stoff
Day 2 Ankerbrau Nordlingen Grandl Helles Lagerbier
Day 3 Herrnbrau Tradition Bayerisches Festbier
Day 4 Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf Publiner
Day 5 Hofbrauhaus Friesing Huber Weisses
Day 6 Lowenbrauerei Passau Urtyp Hell
Day 7 Spath Brau Osser Osser Gold
Day 8 Hosl Marzenbier
Day 9 Wittmann Urhell
Day 10 Kloster Urstoff Marzen
Day 11 Egerer Eaglebrau Weizenbier Dunkel
Day 12 Egerer 1516 Schloss Weisse
Day 13 Barbarossa Pilsener
Day 14 Lausaria Romergold Export Hell
Day 15 Egerer Winter Weisse
Day 16 Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Day 17 Egerer Winterfestbier
Day 18 Egerer Konig Wilhelm Ur-Weisse Dunkel
Day 19 Egerer Das Besondere Festbier
Day 20 Egerer Baren Weisse
Day 21 Bierkutscher Edel Pils
Day 22 Alpenkonig Gold
Day 23 Egerer Altbayrisch Dunkel
Day 24 Edel Bayer Urtyp Hell
Glad I tried it? T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft