Beer of the week: Helia Porter from Helia Brewing

This 7.4% porter from Vista brewery is an excellent way to enjoy a dark beer even in the summer.

Aug. 13, 2019 12:24 PM PT

Beer Name: Helia Porter
Brewery: Helia Brewing
Style: Robust porter
ABV: 7.4%

Home of the popular Hazy Jae IPA (which the brewery recently started canning), Helia Brewing is a beautifully appointed, coastal-vibe brewery in Vista. Cranking out deliciously drinkable, clean beers that make any craft beer lover crave more, the duo Kelby Pedery-Edwards and Thomas Brogiollo bring quality to the local brewing scene.

PACIFIC recently sat down with the guys to get the lowdown on their Helia Porter, which won the silver medal at the 2019 San Diego International Beer Competition and is the latest Beer of the week.

What’s in the Helia Porter?

According to Pedery-Edwards and Brogiollo, the porter contains 100 percent malt, two U.K. pale malts, Crystal, two chocolate malts and white wheat. The hops are Willamette, Cascade and Northern Brewer, and they use a dry English ale yeast.

What can people expect from this beer?

PEDERY-EDWARDS: A little coffee, chocolate and roastiness, but not in the stout category. It has a refreshing finish that makes you want more.

BROGIOLLO: All that and a creamy, rounded mouthfeel.

What is the perfect pairing with this beer?

PEDERY-EDWARDS: Roast with porter glaze, that’s what it smells like when we are brewing.

BROGIOLLO: Seafood bisque, or something with bacon!

This beer gal’s take: Ahh, the underappreciated, yet delicious porter. Often forgotten in the shadow of stouts, the porter is an excellent way to enjoy a dark beer even in the summer. This one is fantastic, with all of the warm, roasty, chocolate, and coffee notes you crave, but with a vibrant finish, making it perfect for summer evenings on the porch and grill-outs with friends. Pair this with anything coming off the coals, or just enjoy it solo when the sun goes down.

Where to get it and for how long: As one of Helia’s core beers, the porter is available all year long. You can also enjoy a pint at Fish 101 in Leucadia.

Extra juicy tidbit: Don’t miss trying Helia’s Hoist the Main Foggy Pale Ale, a 5.2% beer supporting the Changing Tide Foundation, an ocean conservation charity. Look for the Foggy to be more of a West Coast style of the hazy IPA, with a crisp mouthfeel and hop forward in flavor and aroma.

1250 Keystone Way, Vista, 760.216.6023, heliabeer.com