Bierstadt Helles

Review Date 5/31/2024  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Munich Helles   Brewery:Bierstadt   Country: USA   State: Colorado   $ Per OZ: $.19 (B)   ABV: 4.9%

Bierstadt Lagerhaus! I finally found beer from Bierstadt Lagerhaus. I was at Woodstock Beer Market by The Stout Brothers, and they had cans of Bierstadt Helles, so I bought one. I love a good bready malty Munich Helles, so this was right up my alley. Bierstadt is renowned for its German-style lagers, and I was finally going to get to try one.

The next opportunity I had to drink beer, this was the first beer I drank. I was not disappointed. Bierstadt says:

Walk into any Munich Bierhalle and you will see 90% of the people drinking one thing: Helles Lager. When people ask for "Beer flavored bier", Helles is what they want.

The battle for bier superiority has raged over the last 125 years, and pale lager won. In fact, Helles was so effective in its pursuit, it almost rendered all other bier styles obsolete. We recommend drinking a liter to get a true appreciation of its majesty.

The beauty of Munich Helles is in its simplicity. Gentle, bready malts with a balancing dry, slightly aromatic hoppiness. That’s it. A lot like Pilsner, but a little more malty and a little less hoppy.

Bierstadt Helles has an alcohol content of 4.9% by volume and I paid $4 for my pint can at Woodstock Beer Market. You can buy it at the Denver brewery for $12. My can was stamped WRECK MY PLANS 03.05.24. The date is I assume when this was canned.

Bierstadt Helles Pours to a pale golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of fresh bready malt. Taking a sip, the beer is delightfully fresh bready, crisp malty and delicious. There’s a hint of bread crust, too, and at the last a balancing but not overbearing grassy hop bitterness.

An excellent Helles indeed and one I suggest drinking fresh. Might just be the second best domestic Helles I have ever had, after Round Trip’s version, but that was consumed fresh at the brewery.