Swingtåget bottle 2024-10-02 Göteborg AR: rustic bready, rye, grass AP: clear coppery, frothy head F: rustic bready, rye, grass

Bavarian Helles by trusted Kulmbacher, bottle from a shop in Frankfurt. Snow white, moussey, medium thick, breaking head on a clear pale yellow-golden robe. Aroma of dried white bread, wet flour, chamomile, ferrous spring water, oxidized green apple slices, vague green banana and a whiff of 'putteke', as we say in Flemish. Sweetish onset with vaguely sourish undertone, hints of old apple and pear, mild minerally carbonation; smooth pale cereally maltiness, white-bready, even slightly brioche-like in its sweetishness, in the end very gently bittered by floral and grassy hops, adding subtle aromas of sweetclover, chamomile and meadowsweet. As is to be expected from the style, the finishing bitterness is very soft so that the emphasis remains on the sweetishness of the malts. Decent and quite refined, solid example of a Helles.

50cl flip top bottle from Prisma, Tallinn. Pours clear, pale golden with a white head. Mild malty aroma with slightly grassy and herbal notes, hints of ripe fruits and cooked vegetables. Medium to moderate sweet with relatively low flavour intensity and ditto bitterness. Meh.

Plechovka od kamaráta. Vôňa sladká kukuricova zelezita. Farba bledá s rýchlo padnucou penou. Chuť sladovo horkasta.

0,5 l swing top bottle, pseudo retro label. Clear golden with an one finger white head. Grassy smell, little bit metallic. Grainy caramel taste, low but present hop bitterness. Okay.

0.5 l bottle from 'REWE' (Wyk auf Föhr), as 'Mönchshof Hell', 4.9% abv, best before January 2024. Clear, golden with a medium large, frothy, almost stable, white head. Sweetish, slightly malty aroma of grains, cow fodder and light straw. Gently sweet, slightly, malty, moderately bitter, a little floral taste of grains, straw, cow fodder and a touch of vanilla, followed by a short, moderately bitter finish. Almost medium-bodied, gently effervescent mouthfeel, soft to average carbonation. Very mediocre Helles, far from great.

Swing-top bottle, 0.50l, courtesy of Cerar Family. Aroma is grassy, grainy and floral. Pours clear pale golden color with large soapy white head and average sparkling appearance. Tastes refreshing grainy, biscuity, yeasty and herbal with smooth and mild spicy mouthfeel and medium bitter finish. Medium body, slick texture and average carbonation in palate. Bavarian almost heaven…

It's fine

Appearance: Clear gold, decent white frothy head. Aroma: Malt, crackers, herbal hop, light honey, fruity hints. Taste: Medium dry. malty. Clean. Crackers, hop, fruity hints. Mouth feel: Light to medium body, average carbonation. Summary: OK. Pretty drinkable.