BEER REVIEW: 350

BREWER: Tractor Shed Brewery, Cumbria, England

STYLE: Helles

ABV: 4.1%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

X: @tractorshedbrew

INSTAGRAM: #tractorshedbrewery

DATE OF POST: 21st June 2024

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Imagine this: a picturesque barn, a lone brewer, and the hum of a tractor in the background. That’s potentially the charming setting from where Tractor Shed Brewery brings us Jinny Howelt Helles, a lager with rustic roots and professional polish. 

Pouring this brew into a glass is a joy. It looks like a proper crisp lager, clear and inviting with a nice golden hue. It’s the kind of beer that makes you want to dive right in, especially after a long day of, say, tractor driving.

Jinny Howelt Helles smells like… well, a helles lager. Nothing here to write home about, but it’s exactly what you’d expect. It’s straightforward, no frills, just a familiar, pleasant aroma that says, “Hey, I’m a lager. Drink me.”

On the palate, however, a solid performance is delivered. It’s got that sweet maltiness typical of a helles, balanced beautifully with hops that do a graceful two-step. The finish is a tad thin, but it’s a decent lager overall. Think of it as the hardworking farmhand of beers: reliable, consistent, and always ready for a good time.

This is a beer you can easily enjoy pint after pint. It goes down smooth, making it perfect for those long evenings sitting out on the porch, watching the stars.

The packaging deserves a nod. The owl theme is quirky and fun, and the green night-time colour scheme gives it a cool, serene vibe. It stands out on the shelf, inviting you to pick it up and give it a try. This owl knows how to party.

The name Jinny Howelt also deserves a mention.  It’s a bit of a winner. It’s unique, memorable, and it fits right in with the barnyard charm of Tractor Shed Brewery. You’ll remember it, and that’s half the battle won in the beer world.

Overall, Jinny Howelt Helles by Tractor Shed is a beer with personality and charm. It may come from (claimed) humble beginnings—a tractor shed in a barn—but it’s got the polish of a professionally brewed lager. With its solid taste, great mouthfeel, and eye-catching packaging, it’s a brew that’s sure to please. So next time you’re in the mood for a lager, why not give Jinny Howelt a whirl? Raise a glass to the simple joys of good beer, and enjoy every drop. Cheers!

Sammy’s Rating: 73%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The day was Sunday. The weather was set fair. The destination was Gosforth in Cumbria, 303 miles away.

The driver was my mighty brother-in-law.

The front passenger and DJ was myself.

The rear passenger, navigator, random number generator (would take too long to explain this) and head of watching Greys Anatomy on her phone was my sister.

So why was this crew assembled? Well for a second year we decided to climb a mountain to raise some money for a charity that helped our Mum so much in her final weeks.

Scarfell Pike, the highest peak in England, was our hike.

The drive went well, of course. The plan was to check into the Air BnB, get settled and sorted for the next day’s endeavours, then go to the local pub for a couple pints.

Obviously that went to shit, because after a 5 hour drive the last thing you want to do is get settled and sorted. And the first thing you want to do is grab a cold beer, and that we did.

However, the local shop was about to shut and we needed a couple of essentials for the morning so a very quick beeline was made.

Now, I love being somewhere new as you get the chance to find beers that may not be at all available to you normally. And sure enough, on a dark shelf in the corner of the dark shop were a few beers from Tractor Shed Brewing Co.. So of course I grabbed a couple for me and Sammy boi to test once I returned.

Fast forward to now and it is time for us to put Jinny Howelt under the MOB nose…

Well,what a lovely lager we have here. For a lager JH has a great nose. It’s crisp, fresh and clean. This trio of positive adjectives transfers to the taste too without a doubt. The flavour profile is certainly one of citrus and for me seems lime led. This is an easy drinking, though slightly under carbonated Helles. This is a cracking little beer.

Good work indeed from Tractor Shed.

A report on the climb will come next week as guess what? After Scafell was scaled I picked up another beer for us to test, and yeah next week we are a testin’ it!

Jymi’s Rating: 76%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 74.5%

MOB review next weekend: DOUBLE ROTOR by STRANDS BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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