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

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours translucent straw pils colored with a nice white head. Grainy malt aroma and a nice kettle hop bitter aroma, too. Fresh and clean smelling. Light sweet grain taste and a fruitiness that combines with the hops to come across as lightly citric. Carbonation is ample and enhances the overall experience on the palate. In my exploits of sampling loads of beer, sometimes it's nice to revert back to a beer that it reminiscent of what I drank in my teenage years, though this is way better than some of the swill I drank back then...

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2004 06:18:42 | More by crookedhalo

TongoRad

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a fairly good representation of the style, which almost tends to be unexceptional by definition. Nevertheless there's some elegance about it- any misstep in production or design would be immediately noticeable- and a nice seamless quality. It has a pleasantly restrained nose, slightly favoring the spicyness of the hops. It finishes soft and slightly malty.

Serving type: can

07-08-2004 17:43:27 | More by TongoRad

Billolick

New York

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a light straw color and clear. White head, leaves alot of wispy lacing. bready nose. Floral/grainy hops. Mild malt notes in the center. Light bodied, crisp and pleasant. Prickly carbonation on the tongue late. Quality lager, very nice in summer. Good session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2004 01:31:05 | More by Billolick

Dmann

California

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a mini-keg of this at a little party tonight. It poured a medium gold color with a very nice white head that settled after about 5 minutes and left nice lace down my glass. The smell was quite malty with a very bread like scent overall. The taste was very smoothe and was largley dominated by a thick maltiness. Slight grain and apple flavors were there as well and pretty much no hoppiness to it whatsoever. The mouthfeel was quite flat, I'm thinking the mini keg might have gone flat or it was not tapped right or something. All in all it was a good easy drinking beer that went very well with the pizza and bean dip.

Serving type: can

06-05-2004 09:06:45 | More by Dmann

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Golden straw color with a nice sized fizzy white head leaves behind healthy amounts of lacing served in a Spaten half liter mug. Aroma: Sweet grainy lemongrass tones with lightly toasted malts packing a nice gentle punch and the grassy herbal European hops do the trick here. Taste: Very clean tasting no "skunky" effect the draft really improves the flavor of this beer, sweet with a nice bitterness in the finish, session brew. Mouthfeel: Light bodied fizzy carbonation, mass produced but well done German helles. Drinkability: Nice and easy effortless beer don't think about just enjoy, meant to be drank in number.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2004 18:43:11 | More by WVbeergeek

Gavage

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yellow / gold in color with a thin white head. No lacing during the drink. The aroma was grainy and grassy. The flavor was of grains, grass, and mild bitterness. A little more maltiness would do this well.

Very clean and crisp in the mouthfeel, and an extremely clean finish as the bitterness fell off the tongue immediately. Carbonation levels were just right. Extremely drinkable as a lighter bodied beer, but one could get bored of this over time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2004 20:11:08 | More by Gavage

beernbbq

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Probably a classic but just not a lot going on here for the long haul. Meant to be drunk quickly and cold. Classic dark yellow appearance with a tight white head that quickly disappates. Smell is mildly bready malt with Hallertau hop. Taste is a mild bread like a challah style with the tart Hallertau backdrop. Finishes clean and easy.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2004 15:32:32 | More by beernbbq

ManekiNeko

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Dr. Dremo's, served chilled in a pint glass.

Appearance: Clear straw color with a small white head that recedes to a small ring of foam at the edge of the glass. Leaves faint traces of lace.

Smell: Grassy and herbaceous with a distinct DMS aroma. (yeah, skunk). Not overpowering, though.

Taste: Light bread and grass tastes with a DMS/mint flavors on the finish. Again, not overpoweringly skunky, just there.

Mouthfeel: Oh so light bodied.

Drinkability: If this DMS doesn't bother you, then it's rather drinkable. I'd probably drink it if someone bought it for me, but that's about it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2003 13:10:09 | More by ManekiNeko

Globetrotter

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I ordered this in a German restaurant in Moscow, and it brought me back to my college days in the beer gardens of Munich. My favorite Munich beer then, it still delivers today.

Came out clear gold under a big slightly off-white contoured head that left excellent lace down the glass. The nose is mildly malty with, unfortunately, a touch of soap. The mouth is prickly and light, as it should be. The flavor features a good light malt followed by a nice hoppy bite in the finish. The aftertaste combines the light malty sweetness with a hoppy bitterness, making you long for the next sip. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2003 19:48:15 | More by Globetrotter

proc

Michigan

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

Pours out to a bright golden in the glass with a slight, very white head. Aroma is that of a light lemon and grass. The taste is very Euro-lager and is quite good. This could be an easy session beer to sit back with during a sporting event on the tube.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2003 13:31:56 | More by proc

fattychubs

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was served in a giant Spaten Mug at a local tap room. The color was like fake cheap gold jewelry, with a bit of white lace resting. The aroma was mostly clean, a faint sweet malt smell and just a touch crisp grassy hop. Taste starts with a crisp and sweet malt, goes to a subtle cracker taste, then a bit of balancing hops and very subtle citrus.

Very easy going down, and could make a good session brew. Not a lager fan, but this one seems right on, for flavor and drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2003 21:02:18 | More by fattychubs

yosh

North Carolina

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

On-tap at Flying Saucer, Raleigh, NC.

Served in a half liter Malles Munich Mug and had a bright golden color. It started out a little grainy, but the hops were evident towards the end. The mouthfeel was smooth for this light-bodied beer and it went down pretty easy. Smoothness leads to a great drinkability for this beer

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2003 14:48:19 | More by yosh

oberon

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I liked the nice gold color to it medium sized head wich left a good lace that stayed for quite awhile.Very grainy,sweet minerally aroma very malt accented.Pretty clean tasting a hint of hops in the finish,a little thin in the mouthfeel department though.A pretty good lager better than the American giants but not as good of its European partners.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2003 05:50:21 | More by oberon

cokes

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An average, yet solid, German Helles.
Served up bright golden as expected. White head settled out quickly.
Nose is faintly malty and sweet. Touches of spicy hops.
Taste is comprised mostly of (very lightly-) caramel drizzled breadiness. Quietly grainy. A quick jab of spicy hops finishes things. Nothing else is noted.
Not complex in the least, but a decent session choice.
Light-medium in the mouth with steady rolling carbonation. Brainlessly quaffable.
Agreeable, yet remarkably average. But there is nothing here to criticize. If US macros were anything like this, I'd still drink them.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2002 00:40:50 | More by cokes

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A very nice example of what a German brew is and should be. It is very refreshing and aromatic at the nose. From the very inital sip to the very last, it is extremely consistent and user-friendly. The head is light, yet still lightly omnipresent. The aroma of the earthy malt and hops are a fantastic match with all foods German, particularly with pork and sauerkraut. Well worth seeking out! Prost!

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2002 05:52:45 | More by goindownsouth