Spaten Münchner Hell (Premium Lager) - Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured this Munich Helles Lager from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a golden color, produced a nice white head, decent retention and decent lacing left on the glass. The aroma consisted of malted grain and grassy hops. Light in body, this Helles had a foundation of malted grain, fresh baked bread, a touch of lemon citrus and earthy hops. Dry Finish. One of the big Munich breweries, while this was much better served fresh in Munich, this bottle offering won't dissappoint if your looking for a traditional Munich Helles. Prost!

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Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 20:25:02 | More by GossageBrewery

McD0uche

California

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: This beer has the typical lager appearance in that it is golden, visibly carbonated, and produces a nice frothy head. Nothing spectacular here, although it does look fresh and appetizing.

S: Malts make up the majority of the smell profile. Some grassy and floral notes are mixed in. Reminds me of olives.

T: Wow. It possesses the lager flavor, but there's something more there. The flavor is more full and rounded than other lagers, if that makes any sense. The skunky, malty bitterness is present, but doesn't overpower.

M: Light bodied, crisp, and finishes dry. Superb.

O: Here we see a high quality beer that encompasses everything I look for in a lager. It hits all the high notes you expect out of a quality lager--the very qualities that are absent from mainstream lagers popular in America today. I will stock up on these around the summer months, as something this refreshing can't be passed up.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 06:57:50 | More by McD0uche

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A-Pours a clear gold with a fizzy bright white head that dissipates quickly.

S-Not a very strong nose, but what I picked up on was some grassy hops and hint of sweet malts.

T-Similar to the nose as grassy, Noble hop flavors stand out along with some sweet grainy malt. Not the most flavorful beer by any means, but nothing offensive. It has a nice bite to it and its refreshing.

M-Pretty thin and watery.

D-One could drink many of these in a session due to its good flavor and average abv.

Overall, this makes a good beer to drink when you just want to drink a few beers and not think about it.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:25:59 | More by thegodfather2701

grittybrews

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear, pale gold with two fingers of bright white head. Sweet, grainy aroma with a touch of grass.

Moderate carbonation and a full, crisp mouthfeel. Biscuity grain up front followed by a bit of malty sweetness, a hint of corn, and lightly spicy bitterness on the tail end.

Balanced and refreshing. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:16:36 | More by grittybrews

SmashPants

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: standard German 500mL macro brown bottle and standard label.

Appearance: one-finger fluffy white head that quickly dissipates, the body is crystal golden yellow.

Aroma: sweet grainy malts and some citric hops. Definitely smells refreshing and inviting.

Taste: transfers from the nose - those sweet pale biscuit malts, those citric hops and some faint earthy flavours.

Aftertaste: the more interesting flavours back off, to leave those more typical lager grains. Impressively, No metallic fug - very clean indeed. Good for a lager.

Mouth feel: medium-bodied with a lighter carbonation than the standard American or Australian lagers. Works well as it has more flavour and doesn't need to blast it across with higher carbonation.

Overall: very good quality lager, I thought it must have been a light ale or a pilsener. AU$80 a case for 2 x 500mL - not bad value at all for such a good quality lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:53:43 | More by SmashPants

Winston_Smith

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: The straw color was a bit darker in this lager. There's very little head, which fades quickly.

Smell: The first scent upon opening the bottle was a hoppy skunkiness (not in a bad way). There's a sweet odor too, maybe honey. Some mild lacing is present.

Taste: Very crisp and clean with some of the earlier mentioned skunkiness.

Mouthfeel: Very light and bubbly with an almost dry after-feel.

Overall: Spaten Premium Lager is a decent beer to try. It's not my favorite style, but I could see myself getting an itch that this style could scratch on occasion. I don't think I would buy it the majority of the time, however. It's a good lighter choice for when you don't want to sacrifice taste like some other *cough*Americanmacrolagers*cough* light choices.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 04:10:14 | More by Winston_Smith

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass, light straw colored with a short head that quickly dissipates leaving little lacing, crystal clear with some bubble streams
S: fresh clean malted barley, mineral water, small hop aroma
T: sweet up front then a tingly grain middle, finish is dry and clean with subtle hops
M: proper feel for the style, light and refreshing without being watery, lively bubbles
O: an average German lager that drinks easily

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:33:35 | More by M_C_Hampton

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.45/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Server in a footed flute glass.

Appearance: Transparent gold with very light bodies on the body. Head barely there coming off white maybe 1/8" off the body.

Smell: Very light hops scent, believe me real light you need to snort it to get the feel.

Taste: Creamy feel, almost like their marzen but not quite there yet. Bitter but still robust. In any other word is simply complex.

Mouth: this brew excels in texture and how smooth it is. Goes down easy especk ally after a hearty meal.

Overall: Great beer to have over and over again, am easy go to and one of the best fail-safes that you can rely on. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:52:55 | More by BlurryVisi0n

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle enjoyed @ Oktoberfest, Munich, 27.09.2012.

A: Cristal clear yellow color forming a big bubbled white head. Medium to low retention with a thin layer that lasts forever on the top

S: Sweet grains and flowery hops. Very Lager yeasts in the nose. Bready. Hops are very citrus

T: Sweet grains upfront with strong notes of white bread, Lager yeasts and flowery hops. Metallic and a bit ashy. In overall, a dry taste with a stingy hop bitterness in the end

M: Light body and medium carbonation. Sweet grains, stingy and quite crispy bitter aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. An authentic Bavarian Lager. Good session beer

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2012 16:25:08 | More by eduardolinhalis

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Gold colour, 1/4 inch head that collapsed after 2-3 minutes but kept a nice thin layer of head on top. Very clear beer with medium active carbonation.

S: A very clean malt smell with hints of bitterness

T: A very light bread malt flavour with a bitterness balance to it. Taste is very clean

M: Crisp and dry finish. Carbonation is medium and is very appealing.

O: Great lager worth trying. Bitterness lingers for a long time, full of great clean taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 12:36:47 | More by Kremlock

crwrunner

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance- Crystal clear golden color with about a two fingers worth white head. Leaves some lacing around the glass.

Smell- I really don't smell much. Just some grains is really all I smell.

Taste- Just like it smells, grains. It is very clean and crisp although.

Overall- This is a kind of beer that I could drink all night or at a cookout. Very light and clean. Just not much going on with it.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 22:56:42 | More by crwrunner

pkalix

California

4.28/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i pretty much love all of Spaten's recipes. this pours nicely, laces in little spots and smells very pilsnerly. lager? smells hoppy, tastes very dr; finishes clean with a crisp taste. nice session beer, dry, a little bitter, very germany . . . . wish they would bring back the Club-Weisse....

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:19:47 | More by pkalix

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. botle poured into a tumbler glass

A- A clear straw yellow with a tight white head that dissipates fairly quickly, but leaves a little lacing down the glass.

S- A straightforward graininess with aromas of lemon peal and white wine tannins. A bit of floral/earthy hops.

T- Clean. A nice mix of everything mentioned in the aroma, the touch of floral hops and tannins finish it out.

M- Medium carbonation, and not over the top on the bubbles like some can be. Light to medium body. Refreshing.

O- Pretty good stuff. Very clean, and nothing off-putting at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 17:15:43 | More by JWU

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is crystal clear light yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin bright white head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of grainy and biscuit malts plus grassy and spicy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has initial flavors of grain and biscuits followed by spices from the hops in the finish. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very well balanced between the malt and hops and is also quite easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 00:27:52 | More by metter98

FarmerJohnny

California

4.9/5  rDev +33.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass
No freshness date

A - A gorgeous hazy golden-straw color with a nice frothy head.

S - Classic german yeast and hops make this the one of the best smelling Helles Lagers I've experienced. Doesn't beat an IPA though.

T - My first impression is "wonderful." Very clean all around. You can "taste" the floral hops on the finish and it keeps you coming back for more.

M - Very, very clean. The light malt comes through upfront, followed by a crisp finish that makes this very refreshing.

O - Munich Helles Lagers done right are some of my favorite lagers for summer. That being said, this Helles is done to near perfection. Pick up a six pack for yourself and enjoy a summer afternoon (or two or three).

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 00:34:34 | More by FarmerJohnny

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a Lager glass. Pours a dark yellow in color with a three finger head. Quite nice I guess though nothing special. Pretty much smells of any other lager, Including Adjuncts with some strong skunkiness coming through. Taste is realistically no better than a PBR, Except with some very slight fruitiness. The mouthfeel is pretty much the same as the taste. With no additional flavors coming through, However it is not harsh at all. Overall, It's a pretty average beer. Nothing worth buying in my opinion, I got the bottle for free so I cannot complain

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 04:56:17 | More by SometimesIfart

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle of Spaten's Premium Lager today for $1.69 at The Lager Mill. I have never had this beer before or anything else from this brewery so I am interested to see how this turns out, so lets see hoe it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a green 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label is pretty simple and clean looking, but it doesn't really stick out on the shelf. It poured a very clear light golden yellow color with three fingers worth of fluffy white head that quickly died down to a thin ring that eventually faded to nothing and left a hardly any lacing. This is a pretty average looking lager.

S- The aroma starts off with a good amount of malts which have a higher amount of medium sweetness and impart some sweet, grainy, grassy, hay and bready aromas. Next comes a slight skunky aroma followed by some slightly peppery yeast. This is a pretty average smelling Lager, nothing too special going on, but still solid for it's style, but I could go with out the skunky aroma.

The taste seems to be fairy similar to the aroma, it starts off with a good amount of malts that have a really light amount of medium sweetness and impart some grainy and bready flavors along with a grassy and hay like flavor that seems to stick out the most. Towards the end I get a little skunkyness with a very low amount of bitterness on the finish and it had a grassy and hay like after taste. This a good tasting Lager, but the skunkyness keeps it from getting a four.

M- Pretty smooth, crisp,on the thicker side of being light bodied, with a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was very good and true to style, it worked well with this beer.

Overall I thought this was an ok beer and a slightly above average example of a Munich Helles Lager, it had just about everything that I look for in the style, but the skunkyness prevented it from being as good as it could be. This beer had pretty good drinkability, it was smooth but the flavors couldn't quite hold my attention, but I could still drink two or three of these if in the mood. What I liked most about this beer was the mouthfeel, it was true to style and just where it should be, no complaints there. What I liked least about this beer was the fact that it was a little skunky, I think that's from the green bottle, these older brewery's that still use green bottles need to get with the times. I might have this beer again if I was looking for a sessionable lager, but I would be more inclined to revisit this again on draft, it's got to go great with brats. This beer made for an Ok first impression for Spaten, and I would be interested to try more of their beers, but you can be sure that I will be a little leery if they are in the same green bottle, good brew, it just needs better packaging.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 03:52:58 | More by StoutHunter

kylehay2004

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thin head on a clear straw body. A little lemon custard with pale malts but overall very light. Flavor is a touch bitter with more pale malts and grains but very simple. No off putting aftertaste. Light body and moderate to high carbonation. Overall drinkable but simple. Not bad not great.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 23:28:12 | More by kylehay2004

flyers1980

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got a case on clearance for $20 and was psyched to try this highly esteemed lager. Maybe it's the fact that I've been accustomed to Americanized lagers but I was astounded by the syrupy quality this beer has in aftertaste. It poured a golden color with a generous foamy head into my pilsner glass. In look and in taste it reminded me if yuengling premium, which im not above drinking but it is what it is. Decent beer but it didn't give me an exceptional vibe.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:19:26 | More by flyers1980

secondtooth

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Straw golden, with a huge white crown of carbonation. Dense and beautiful ringlets of lace.

Nose is slightly skunky. Hmm.

Taste is definitely malty sweet but crisp and light. A perfect thirst quencher for hot summer days, and aside from the aroma, a solid lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 22:29:48 | More by secondtooth

tdm168

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pale gold; thick mountain of pure white, dense, foamy head; great retention

S - musty, grassy, straw, lager yeast

T - grassy, straw, faint grains, mildly bitter noble hops, a bit musty

M - smooth, well carbonated, light to medium bodied

This is a decent, quaffable, smooth, decently flavored beer. It does have the typical characteristics of a euro lager, but the hop character and grain bill do a good job of overcoming it. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 22:03:50 | More by tdm168

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint glass from mini keg. The beer is a muted golden color? The head dissipates before you breathe. Lacing is spotted dots, not much else. The beer smells skunky and sweet. The taste is that of most euro pale lagers, but it's got a sweetness about it that dominates, with bready, nutty afterthoughts. The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied.

Overall, not a great beer, but for a mini-keg on a huge occasion, it works, especially at a nice price. But really, disappointing.

Serving type: can

05-05-2012 20:24:13 | More by JuicesFlowing

magictacosinus

California

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner glass.

Clear, yellow in color and with a generous addition of carbonation. Contains a small head at the top that adds simple elegance to the beer. Pretty much an all around ideal looking German pilsner.

Aroma is a slight, grainy malt smell with a good dosage of sugar and lightly treading noble hops at the end. Smooth and well-balanced over all – reminds me of sugar filled cakes that you can find all over Munich.

The beer proves itself to be refreshing, crisp, and overall flavorful. The reason I enjoy reviewing and drinking well made Munich lagers is because they contain a ton of subtle flavors in between the slight maltiness and sugary flavor. There's the alcohol that creates a warming experience, as well as the noble hops' lemon and lime additions that create a refreshing, tasty sensation. I really wish that major breweries in the US followed this macrobrew's model and brought beer with this good of a quality and simple of recipe.

Apparently a classic. Their Optimator doppelbock still floors me to this day, but this manages to hold on its own as an excellent product. Totally worth buying six packs to pair with pretty much any meal.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:11:16 | More by magictacosinus

UCLABrewN84

California

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear light orange with a 1 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin broken rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, grape juice, and some slightly skunky aromas that disappear after the pour. Taste is of sweet malt/grain and some grape juice and fruity flavors. There is a slight hop bitterness that quickly fades after each sip. There is a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good and easy to drink lager that is pretty refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 01:34:06 | More by UCLABrewN84

brureview

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in Pilsner glass. The beer poured a yellow color which lightened and looked like champagne as it warmed. The head was small- a 1/4 finger, with a decent smell of hops.

The mouth feel was excellent- crisp, effervescent, almost like champagne, and sparkling.

The finish is a light lager taste which sweetens with warming.

In general, a good light German lager with a very clean taste,

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:53:43 | More by brureview