Idle Hands Heide

In shocking news last week Idle Hands and Enlightenment Ales, who had merged into a single operation a couple of years ago, announced that they were closing their brewery in Everett. The company isn’t going out of business! The space they use was sold to the development group building the casino in Everett and the facility is going to be torn down to help build a new access road. While Idle Hands had been considering an eventual move to help grow the business and expand capacity, the timing wasn’t great and the notice they were given was pretty short, which will lead to a lull in production. They are in the process of securing a new facility, and in the meantime the generous team at Night Shift is letting them contract out some space and equipment to continue production of part of their lineup. You can find out more information HERE. I have always thought that Idle Hands and Enlightenment Ales was amongst the most underrated local breweries as they make a wide range of delicious and innovative beers. I urge everyone to support them as they go through this transition, head to the brewery at the end of the week and stock up on some of their beers, or pick them up at a local bottle shop. Idle Hands has expanded their lineup considerably over the last year. At their inception they focused primarily on Belgian style ales including Triplication, their outstanding abbey-style tripel. Recently they have added a bevy of German inspired lagers to their lineup, including their house lager Heide. Idle Hands Heide is a Munich Helles lager, a pale colored and easy drinking table beer that is sold on draft and in 500 mL bottles.

Idle Hands HeideIdle Hands Heide pours a clear straw yellow with a mild white head. The scent is a mixture of earthy hops and some pale malts. The beer is a classic lager, smooth, clean and very light bodied. There are some grassy and floral hops that also add a pleasantly crisp bitterness. This is complemented by the light malts, touches of cracker, freshly baked bread and a hint of honey. At 4.6% ABV Idle Hands Heide is very sessionable. The “house lager” designation is perfect for this beer, it’s both full flavored and easy to drink, the kind of beer that does the job for all sorts of occasions. Pick this up and continue to support a great local brewery as they go through a difficult transition! Hoppy Boston score 4.25/5.

Previous Idle Hands Reviews:

Idle Hands Riding ShotgunIdle Hands Adelais, Idle Hands D’aisonIdle Hands Triplication

Leave a comment