Schlenkerla

Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier Can

Helles Lagerbier.

There are few breweries as iconic and uncompromising as Schlenkerla. For centuries, this historic brewery in Bamberg, Germany, has been synonymous with one thing: rauchbier, or smoked beer. Their flagship, the Aecht Schlenkerla Märzen, is a liquid time capsule, a powerful and smoky beer that is the very soul of the city. But for those who know Schlenkerla's legacy, there is a quiet, artful twist in their lineup that often goes unnoticed: Schlenkerla Helles.

This beer is a brilliant paradox. It's a Helles, a style known for its clean, malty simplicity, brewed by a brewery famous for its smoke. Yet, the story goes that Schlenkerla Helles is brewed with unsmoked malt in the same brewhouse as their other beers. A subtle ghost of smoke from the well-used equipment is said to linger, giving it a fleeting, whisper-like quality that is a testament to its heritage.

The recent availability of this beer in a can presents a unique and compelling difference from the traditional bottle. Unlike the filtered bottle version, the canned Schlenkerla Helles is unfiltered, a detail that perfectly preserves its radiant golden haze and frothy white head, but delivers a welcomed and enticing ‘wet rock’ minerality. The aroma is clean and malty, with notes of fresh grain and a gentle floral hop accent. On the palate, it delivers a crisp, refreshing experience. A soft, bready malt character is perfectly balanced by a firm, noble hop bitterness. But for a fleeting moment, a hint of woodsmoke—a shadow of its famous siblings—flits across the palate before disappearing. This subtle note is what makes the beer so compelling. It's not a smoked beer, but it's a beer that knows smoke, and that's the beautiful, brilliant secret of the Schlenkerla Helles.