Noodledoof Helles Lager

If you're going to open a brewpub in a regional town with little prior exposure to craft beer, you're going to want a lager in your lineup (even if a fruited sour had become the locals' favourite at time of writing). As such, Noodledoof have had one on tap from the off, and thankfully resisted any temptation to follow the "Draught" route taken by many and concocting an Aussie bastardisation of the Euro classics. Instead, what you have here is their spin on classic Munich helles.

Golden in colour and malt-driven – bready, grainy with a swirl of something honey-esque – the Hersbrucker hops add a touch of the floral and seem to embolden the hay like qualities of the beer too. The finish is drying rather than overly bitter, ensuring it makes regular appearances in my glass when making my annual summer visit to see Noodles and Dufus.

James Smith