Hell
Surly Brewing Co.
- From:
- Surly Brewing Co.
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Helles
Ranked #161 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #25,770 - Avg:
- 3.83 | pDev: 10.7%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 371
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 27, 2025
- Added:
- Aug 26, 2008
- Wants:
- 136
- Gots:
- 230
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Not unlike a Zwickel Bier from Germany, Hell is not filtered and fermented with lager yeast. American hops takes a back seat to the Pils malt sweetness and fresh bread aroma. The color is well... hell (Deutsch for light). It's fiendishly drinkable, and you don't have to sell your soul to get another.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Alieniloquium:
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
4.04/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
16 oz. can poured into a British pint glass. Thanks to biglobo8971 for hooking me up with this.
Appearance - Slightly hazy yellow body with a small white head. Not a lot of lacing.
Smell - Grainy and a bit grassy. Smells like wheat with some bright hop flavors. Difficult to discern, though. It also has that distinct lager smell, but it's subdued.
Taste - I'm impressed. The hops come through nicely with some grassy flavors. The malt follows with a grainy, bready flavor. The finish is fascinating and difficult to place. It's not quite bitter, but it's something. Almost like a spice I can't place.
Mouthfeel - Light, but enough of a body to keep the flavors tingling. I could gulp this down if I didn't want the flavors to last. Really well weighted beer.
Overall - I was amazed at how much I liked this. I usually don't like lagers, but I could drink this for hours.
Oct 09, 2011Appearance - Slightly hazy yellow body with a small white head. Not a lot of lacing.
Smell - Grainy and a bit grassy. Smells like wheat with some bright hop flavors. Difficult to discern, though. It also has that distinct lager smell, but it's subdued.
Taste - I'm impressed. The hops come through nicely with some grassy flavors. The malt follows with a grainy, bready flavor. The finish is fascinating and difficult to place. It's not quite bitter, but it's something. Almost like a spice I can't place.
Mouthfeel - Light, but enough of a body to keep the flavors tingling. I could gulp this down if I didn't want the flavors to last. Really well weighted beer.
Overall - I was amazed at how much I liked this. I usually don't like lagers, but I could drink this for hours.
More User Ratings:
Rated by ttoadee from Texas
3.5/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
RB transfer
Jun 27, 2025
Reviewed by whynot44 from Missouri
4/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Clear bright golden color with a decent foamy white head that turns into a thin cap fairly quickly but lasts and produces some decent lacing.
The aroma is fresh bread with some spicy grassy hops notes.
The taste is sweet fresh bread with plenty of fresh cut grass and slightly peppery hops, very nice. The body is light/medium, crisp, good carbonation level smooth and very drinkable.
Altogether, this is a really nice, tasty and refreshing brew, very inviting.
Oct 07, 2023The aroma is fresh bread with some spicy grassy hops notes.
The taste is sweet fresh bread with plenty of fresh cut grass and slightly peppery hops, very nice. The body is light/medium, crisp, good carbonation level smooth and very drinkable.
Altogether, this is a really nice, tasty and refreshing brew, very inviting.
Rated by Tokidrinkstoomuch from Canada (MB)
4.88/5 rDev +27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.88/5 rDev +27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
its some good ass beer
Nov 26, 2021
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota
3.59/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Scrappy notes from 2011.
4pack of 16 ounce cans.
Has a bright gold look, a white capped head, good aromas of bread crust and malt with "spicy hops". Tastes malty with a bit more hops than I was expecting and is kind of sweet like a Zwickel beer. Quite Germanic, easy drinking lighter bodied and a little bit dry. It's very good.
Oct 15, 20214pack of 16 ounce cans.
Has a bright gold look, a white capped head, good aromas of bread crust and malt with "spicy hops". Tastes malty with a bit more hops than I was expecting and is kind of sweet like a Zwickel beer. Quite Germanic, easy drinking lighter bodied and a little bit dry. It's very good.
Reviewed by Jacobier10 from New Jersey
3.99/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12 oz can. Thanks to Chaz for hooking this up!
Been wanting to try this one for years and it did not disappoint. Beautiful, deep gold color with good clarity and a creamy head. Very inviting. Fresh Pils malt up front but there is ample presence from the hops. The flavor brings out more spicy hop bitterness than your typical Helles. Not as much of a malt showcase as others in the style. Very dry in the finish and medium-light bodied.
More hop forward than its German counterparts but tasty enough in its own right.
Sep 02, 2021Been wanting to try this one for years and it did not disappoint. Beautiful, deep gold color with good clarity and a creamy head. Very inviting. Fresh Pils malt up front but there is ample presence from the hops. The flavor brings out more spicy hop bitterness than your typical Helles. Not as much of a malt showcase as others in the style. Very dry in the finish and medium-light bodied.
More hop forward than its German counterparts but tasty enough in its own right.
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