German Helles Exportbier

Includes styles: Dortmunder Export

Recipes:: 859
BJCP 2021:: 05C
Era:: Traditional
Origin:: 🇩🇪 Germany
Fermentation:: Bottom
Conditioning:: Lagered
Color:: Pale
Strength:: Normal
Taste:: Balanced

Profile

German Helles Exportbier, often referred to as Dortmunder Export, is a pale, golden lager that strikes a balance between German Pilsner and Munich Helles. Historically, this style emerged in the 19th century in Dortmund, an industrial city in Germany. It was originally brewed to be a more robust version of a lager that could endure longer storage and transportation, catering to the hard-working locals and also for export purposes. Its well-balanced character offered nourishment and refreshment to laborers while maintaining enough gravity and flavor to be satisfying.

The appearance of this style is typically clear with a deep gold hue, exhibiting a persistent white head that makes it visually appealing. Its flavor reveals itself with defined yet smooth malt characteristics – a touch of sweetness stemming from Pilsner or lightly-kilned malts – and moderate hop bitterness which creates an overall balanced sensation on the palate. The hop elements continue subtly into the taste with restrained spicy or herbal notes, noble hops are commonly used. A German Helles Exportbier tends to have slightly higher alcohol content than its cousin Munich Helles but less hop presence than found in German Pilsners. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation leading towards a crisp finish that provides refreshment and encourages another sip. This beer style is celebrated for its clean fermentation profile, allowing all ingredients – water, malt, hops, yeast – to harmonize flawlessly within each pour.