Bristol Helle Raiser Beer

Like my great friend R.E.A., Bristol Helle Raiser Beer comes from Bristol, Virginia, so I was intrigued when a sixer of 12oz cans showed up at my door. The beer is a 4.8% number sold as a “Munich Helles Style Lager”. It’s a clear golden lager with a thin layer of off-white head that fades pretty quickly. The beer comes from Bristol Station Brews & Taproom.

BHRB has a rich, grainy nose. For flavour, has loads of malty grain and finishes with dusty dry hops. Along the way, there is some cereal and corn sweetness.

As an alternative to macro lagers, I thought Bristol’s BHRB was a pretty solid response. It’s too sweet by a tick and not quite strong enough, but it blows the typical American macro pale lager out of the water. I’d have liked more emphasis on a crisp finish, but it still tasted decent.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.