Freedom Organic Helles Lager, Freedom

Freedom Organic Helles Lager (4.8%)

Helles or Hell for short means “light” in German and is the term given to lager beers that are a notch below Pilsner and considerably lower in alcohol than a strong Bock beer. It’s the everyday beer of Germany – equivalent to a pale ale or bitter in the ale family.

Freedom is a specialist English brewery that started life in London in 1995 but moved to Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire to use the pure spring waters from a bore hole on a farm – and Staffordshire is famous for the quality of its brewing water, with Burton-on-Trent a brewing centre of international repute.

Freedom makes a full range of lager beers, produced in a modern brewhouse where the beers are properly aged or lagered: Helles is stored for two months following primary fermention. It’s brewed with organic malts and hops and is suitable for vegans – no isinglass finings are used.

The brewhouse is energy efficient and brewing water is cleaned in a series of reed beds in the grounds of the brewery.

Helles is made with pale lager malt and Hallertau Tradition hops. It’s a pale gold in colour and has an inviting toasted malt aroma with notes of honey and gentle floral hops. Honeyed malt dominates the palate with an underpinning of spicy hop notes. The finish is bittersweet to start but leads to a dry finish with good floral and spicy hop notes developing, balancing rich malt and honey.

A case of 12 bottles costs £19.99. www.freedombrewery.com/shop/