Helles Recommendations and Alternatives

odyssey06

I'm a big fan of Helles but there seems to be a limited number of them around.
- Fischers on draught in some pubs
- Weihenstephaner which is available in my local off licence (D3)

I understand that Helles is meant to be a malty, crisp style beer versus Pilsner which is hoppier. So far all the Helles that I've had have been 'hits' whereas Pilsner have been hit and miss.
I also quite like beers in a Belgian Blonde style (e.g. Mescan Blonde).

I've heard that Spaten Lager is actually a Helles even though it's not labelled as such, so I've put that onto my list of beers to try.

Would anyone like to suggest some Helles-style hidden gems lurking on the supermarket\chain shelves - hopefully retailing a bit cheaper than the Weihenstephaner at €3 a pop?

I can hit any of the major supermarket (inc. ALDI and Lidl) or off licence chains, or specialist beer off licences on Dublin northside.

BeerNut

Hard to go past Spaten, TBH, especially at Lidl prices. My favourite of the style is Augustiner Edelstoff which shows up in off licences from time to time. Augustiner does an ordinary Helles as well and it's very good. Give Camden Hells by Camden Town Brewery a go too, if you see it.

CR 7

BeerNut wrote: »

Hard to go past Spaten, TBH, especially at Lidl prices. My favourite of the style is Augustiner Edelstoff which shows up in off licences from time to time. Augustiner does an ordinary Helles as well and it's very good. Give Camden Hells by Camden Town Brewery a go too, if you see it.

I was about to post almost the exact same thing. Spaten is about the cheapest 'authentic' Helles I've seen here(Think it's only in Aldi though).:o

And while Edelstoff was the best one I tried too, I find that it just never tastes quite as good from a bottle over here, looking out at the rain and cold, as it does from the wooden casks while sitting out in the sunny beer gardens over there, at a table of locals, eating various parts of pigs.

Herb Powell

Edelstoff is brilliant alright. Expensive here, though I know some people have imported it directly for handy money.

And I'll also have to recommend Spaten. Won't break the bank, can be found easily, and it's a really nice beer.

FCB1899

been drinking some of this recently.tasty stuff but maybe not everyone's taste.worth a try if you want to experiment

http://www.andunion.com/en/product/unflt-lager/

Irish Craft Brewer St.Mel's Helles Lager is very authentic and seriously good stuff if you see it available.

http://www.bandf.ie/irish-craft-beers-cider/st-mel-s-helles-lager

http://lovindublin.com/feature/craft-beer-of-the-week-st.-mels-pale-ale-brown-ale-and-helles-lager

oblivious

glasso wrote: »

Irish Craft Brewer St.Mel's Helles Lager is very authentic and seriously good stuff if you see it available

I also found Bo Bristle lager on draft a good contender

a_non_a_mouse

Spaten is hard to look past when you factor in price alright, can still see Spaten Octoberfest bottles around in some place for €2 which is cracking value

As well as others mentioned above, I really like Schlenkerla Helles and it can usually be picked up 50c-80c cheaper than Augustiner.

newacc2015

BeerNut wrote: »

Hard to go past Spaten, TBH, especially at Lidl prices. My favourite of the style is Augustiner Edelstoff which shows up in off licences from time to time. Augustiner does an ordinary Helles as well and it's very good. Give Camden Hells by Camden Town Brewery a go too, if you see it.

Spaten is considered the Dutch Gold of Munich's Breweries. Very few of the Bars serve it in Munich. Literally everyone just drinks Augustiner Helles. It is the most popular Helles with the locals. Edelstoff is really only drank in the Beer Gardens and not something you would drink in a bar there. I think it is because its slightly more stronger in Alcohol than normal Helles and is usually a fair bit more expensive than Helles than Edelstoff

Augustiner Helles is by far my favourite Helles. Even in Munich it is pretty pricey in most Supermarkets eg €1.25 for 500ml bottle when other beers are about 60 cent a bottle.

BeerNut

newacc2015 wrote: »

It is the most popular Helles with the locals.

Yeah, but it's not <€2 in Irish Aldis, is it?

newacc2015 wrote: »

Edelstoff is really only drank in the Beer Gardens and not something you would drink in a bar there.

Au contraire, I have. And I'd do it again, just to hear the monocles tinkle to the floor around me.

Herb Powell

BeerNut wrote: »

Yeah, but it's not <€2 in Irish Aldis, is it?

Au contraire, I have. And I'd do it again, just to hear the monocles tinkle to the floor around me.

You can't even get it in Aldi, can you? Or is someone keeping it a secret from me?

BeerNut

Herb Powell wrote: »

You can't even get it in Aldi, can you? Or is someone keeping it a secret from me?

Always seems to be there when I look.

Mesrine65

Herb Powell wrote: »

You can't even get it in Aldi, can you? Or is someone keeping it a secret from me?

Available for €1.89 in my local Aldi.

odyssey06

The ALDI website isn't updated too often for the Drinks section but it has Spaten listed as €1.89 ...
https://www.aldi.ie/en/product-range/drinks/ale-stout-lager-cider/ales/ales-product-detail/ps/p/spaten-original-munich-beer-1/

Herb Powell

BeerNut wrote: »

Always seems to be there when I look.

Mesrine65 wrote: »

Available for €1.89 in my local Aldi.

Are ye talking about Spaten? I meant Augustiner Helles, I thought that's what was being said in the post I quoted.

BeerNut

Herb Powell wrote: »

I meant Augustiner Helles, I thought that's what was being said in the post I quoted.

"It" means Spaten throughout.

munchkin_utd

one worth trying is Harp which is definitely no worse than Spaten.
I was down in Italy and as a dare from the wife tried the harp, just to see how bad it really was.
Was shocked that it was so pleasant and had another go in Ireland, and true enough it is now a fairly decent export/ helles type beer.

Before anyone sneers..... just consider the millions of pints of "good" beer like (irish brewed) Heineken, (irish brewed) Carlsberg, (irish brewed) Bud, (irish brewed) coors lite, (irish brewed) miller etc that nobody sneers about in remotely the same terms as the irish brewed, irish lager Harp.

Its also interesting that Smithwicks was considered sh1te for a couple of decades, all but dissappeared from pubs in Cork, and now is all over the place.
That'd be the power of marketing, in Ireland which is one of the most brand aware (brainwashable) countries in the world

munchkin_utd

...

odyssey06

I'm always open to suggestions from left field, so keep them coming but I think Harp might be a step too far for me... My distant recollections of it would not inspire me to return to it. But if anyone would like to sample it, think I saw it in Slatterys Capel Street Dublin recently.

The 'newer' Smithwicks ales are a strange one, I've had the Pale Ale and Blonde at times and enjoyed it; at other times not so much.

BeerNut

munchkin_utd wrote: »

one worth trying is Harp which is definitely no worse than Spaten.

Definitely worth a blind taste, though it can be tricky to get hold of in Ireland.

munchkin_utd wrote: »

(irish brewed) coors lite, (irish brewed) miller

Ireland's Coors Light comes from the UK and Miller from the Netherlands these days.

PWEI

Weihenstephaner helles is very good & I've got had it here a few times.
Some good off licences sell it, like Sweeney's in Phibsboro.

They also sell Augustiner Helles which in my opinion is the best helles of them all. It's very expensive though, €3.75 the last time I checked.

Had a few Spaten myself on Saturday that I got in my local Applegreen petrol station, 5 for €10. Not as cheap as Aldi but still a good price.

Spaten is considered the worst Helles in Bavaria and Helles drinkers there normally avoid it. I have a very good friend from Munich who only ever drinks Helles & he once said to me he would sooner drink water than Spaten.
I thinks its fine though.

odyssey06

I have a €1.89 Spaten from ALDI versus a €3.15 Weihenstephaner Helles from Martins... hoping to do a taste off this weekend!

poitinstill

havent had harp since punt times.. they sell cans in dunnes is this a valid check vs spaten or is the draught harp a different beast ?
I recall harp ( drank circa 199? in doolin co. clare)

odyssey06

odyssey06 wrote: »

I have a €1.89 Spaten from ALDI versus a €3.15 Weihenstephaner Helles from Martins... hoping to do a taste off this weekend!

And we have a winner... also put ALDI's Rheinbacher \ Reichenbacher (I'm a sherlock holmes fan...) into the mix for a tasting with a buddy and ...
Spaten is the clear winner over Weihenstephaner Helles which just edges the Reichenbacher into third.

blindsider

In the late 80's, all the Muenchner Brauereien Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Paulaner, Lowenbrau etc had a Helles product.

They were 'much of a muchness'.

It was pretty much a lunch-time beer, and you wouldn't settle down for an evening with it - you'd be looking for Weissbier.

Spaten in Ireland is a pretty good value beer, for what you get. It's hard to beat the price v quality, especially on an everyday price i.e. big supermarket specials excluded.

Lidl often to 4 x Franziskaner weissbier for €5...again, hard to beat!

Aldi used to do a nice German-Pils in a 4 x 33cl pack - Wernesgruener....that was a lovely beer, but sadly no longer available......