Shiner 99 Munich Style Helles Lager - Spoetzl Brewery

beerdiablo

Texas

5/5  rDev +49.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The Shiner brand is practically a state heirloom with each generation of Texans introducing it to the next. While other Texas brewers took the "artistic" road in their offerings, our friends at Spoetzl Brewing have stayed to the middle of the Devil's Backbone.

A Helles lager is offered in celebration of their 99th anniversary. I found it to be refreshing and an interesting contrast to their other offerings.

I feel this beer is FANtastic. This has to be the BEST 99th year anniversary beer from a South Texas brewery that I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2009 01:57:40 | More by beerdiablo

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Gold colored with a constant pillar of bubbles emanating from the glass bottom. Decent white head that is quick to fade to a thin skim.

Smells of light malt, mild pepper, and Thomas' English muffins.

Sweet with a mild pepper and noble hop presence. Full bodied, though not as crisp as many lagers. Very drinkable "whatever" beer.

via colts9016

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2009 02:46:06 | More by donkeyrunner

heath1agnew

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance- great golden color with lively carbonation. poured a two finger head that came down to a very thin layer of foam. no real lacing to mention

smell- smells of malt and a sweet smell with a touch of mild hops.

taste- malty, sweet, and crisp. really enjoyed the taste. mouthfeel was nice and even.

drinkability- good session beer.

one of my favorite shiner beers so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2009 14:02:22 | More by heath1agnew

theghost3

Louisiana

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Shiner 99 pours a light golden with a medium white head. Little lacing. Smell is yeast & sweet malts. Taste is mostly sweet malts, faint hops, apples, soapy, and slight spiciness. Mouthfeel is smooth, not too much acidity. This is a sessionable beer, but nothing to get excited about.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 04:11:33 | More by theghost3

nick76

Florida

2.85/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The aroma is corn malt, sour kraut, and grass hops. The appearance is pale gold with a small head. The flavor is like the aroma but not as cheap or sour as I was expecting. The palate is thin but right for the style. Overall its not a good beer but I find it drinkable none the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2009 06:20:51 | More by nick76

mizzourah

Missouri

2.88/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had it on tap at Cain and Abels in Austin.

Appearance- A golden straw color. Had a very thin head that disappeared quickly and no real lacing.

Smell- Hints of citrus and perhaps some wheat.

Taste- Malty and what seemed almost like corn. Weak aftertaste that was almost metallic. Not very complex.

Mouthfeel- Fairly watery. Once again, nothing complex or special.

Drinkability- I like Shiner beers usually, but I was not overly impressed with this one. To me it tasted like a better Lonestar, which is nice but nothing special, especially for a limited time beer. I could see myself ordering a few of these if there wasn't much else, but I'm in no hurry to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2009 08:41:39 | More by mizzourah

mjurney

Texas

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep straw color with a very thin head.
Aroma: Malty, grassy, hint of citrus. Very strong aroma.
Taste: Strong maltiness, nuts, lemons and hint of spices.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, harsh aftertaste that lingers in the mouth.
It's alright beer, I really love the maltiness in this beer, but the harsh aftertaste makes this beer hard to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 22:16:47 | More by mjurney

bmwats

Louisiana

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner.

A: Dark straw, light golden. Medium heavy carbonation pours into a one finger white bubbly head which dissipates quickly into a thin layer of carbonation on the surface. Carbonation continues to rise. No real lacing to speak of.

S: Light malt, hops, yeast, wheat.

T: Yeast and wheat. Light malt. Hint of citrus. A bit of a soapy palette.

M: Light feel. Yeast and wheat to start, hops to finish. The soapy trail, unfortunately, also lingers.

D: Solid drinkability. Refreshing, light but flavorful.

Good overall quaff. Worth a try if you can get one, as they claim it's a one time only brew. . . we'll see.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 02:21:23 | More by bmwats

colts9016

Idaho

3.33/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: A golden amber color with some carbonation. There was a foamy one finger head that came as quick as it was lost. There are like little lily pads of the head on top of the beer with a very, very thin ring around the lager glass.

Nose: Toasted malt and yeast. There are hints of ester, citrus, and pears or apples not sure.

Taste: Toasted malt, some fruit, and a sweet bread yeast. There are notes of citrus, esters, and straw.

Overall. The mouth feel is some carbonation. There is no finish. It isn't a too bad of a beer. I think all those Budweiser fans should up grade to this beer. I think it is a good game beer when you want something to pound or drink in large quantities. Not a beer to enjoy per say.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 07:22:03 | More by colts9016

Bagman007

Texas

3.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a bottle poured into a pint glass. I'm a big fan of Shiner beers, but this is not one of my favorites. It has a light yellow color without much head. You can smell the hops and malts with a hint of spices. The taste is a little too malty for me. Slight hops, but not much. It's drinkable, but not one I'd drink several of. I liked the 98 much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 03:47:48 | More by Bagman007

skeetermoses

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Good beer, although I would say this is one of the beers that could be used with most any food it felt like it was a little floaty. by floaty I mean too carbonated, or I dunno it just felt kind of full bodied but it seemed to miss something in it. I cannot put my finger on it. It is good I do like it but I felt like some thing was missing from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 05:15:06 | More by skeetermoses

Mosstrooper

California

3.53/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into 19oz pilsner.o

Appearance: Pours blonde with a very minimal thin white head.

Smell: Sweet, fruity smell. Slightly spicy, too.

Taste: Very sweet at the beginning, and finishes with a slight taste similar to apple juice with a mild spiciness. Lacks the strange metallic taste other Shiner beers have, which is a good thing.

Mouthfeel: Seems a little heavier-bodied than other Shiner beers and not as heavily carbonated, which is a good thing.

Drinkability: My only regret is that I didn't have this beer over the summer, as it is a good refresher. It is pretty solid, but not a stand out. A good beer and worth a taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 20:36:30 | More by Mosstrooper

TexIndy

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. It was a light golden color with a ton of carbonation and no lacing. It had a finger of fizzy off-white head that quickly dissipated into almost nothing.

The aroma was very weak. It was malty, bready and sweet. Really didn't get the light hops that others mentioned. I'm not a big fan of the style so it would already have gotten a low score but even for the style this one seemed weak in aroma and taste. The taste was barely there. Had as much taste as a BMC really. Again, even for the style it seemed weak. Mouthfeel was decent.

Overall, it's just not a very good beer. It really lacks in aroma and taste. The whole series has been lacking which is a shame. When I first moved to Texas 15 years ago, Shiner really turned me on to good beers but they seem to have lost their way since getting bigger. One and done for me. Don't recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 02:19:06 | More by TexIndy

MutualAid

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours pale straw in color with a fluffy white head.

S - Very fruity malts up front, more than I am used to from a lager; nice spicy hop bouquet. These smells evoke a holiday dessert bread.

T - Nice fruity malts and yeast at first, but followed by a rather unfortunate metallic taste (not unusual for Shiner). A bit of an alpha tingle in the finish.

M - A good round mouthfeel, some interesting proteins at work here.

D - Definitely more of a "session" brew than I'm used to; no overwhelming flavors or sensations, and not too filling.

Overall, one of Shiner's better efforts, but that metallic flavor is hindering what could be a much better beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 23:43:18 | More by MutualAid

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a shiny, clear, light golden colour, with a few fingers of foamy white head, and lots of lace. It smells of soda cracker malt, a serious cereal grain aroma. The taste has a lot more of the cereal malt, with a light floral hop essence. There is a light carbonation; this beer goes down quite smoothly, with a strong grainy aftertaste. It would be good for a few rounds.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 08:34:07 | More by biboergosum

stumac

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

this brew pours up a clear straw yellow color with a decent sized white frothy head. the nose is hay, lemons, floral hops, sweet pale malts. the taste is crisp, lemon zest, faint crisp hops, sweet malts. light bodied, low smoothe carbo. Out of the 97, 98, and the 99 this is my least fave...

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2008 17:13:19 | More by stumac

tronester

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden with a small off-white head. Smell is of a German yeast strain and green apple. Taste is light, malt dominated, with a nice, hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is medium, slightly high carbonation. Very drinkable, it would be easy to drink several of these. A good beer, one of the better Shiner Beer's I have had.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2008 04:16:28 | More by tronester

elniko

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: Typical lager coloring, light golden amber. Minimal head, high level of carbonation. Decent looking brew.

S: Malty, grassy tones on the nose. Quite strong.

T & M: Very malty up front with a nice crisp slightly hoppy somewhat buttery finish.

D: Highly drinkable, this is my favorite Shiner offering and I hope they make it a regular brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 18:35:42 | More by elniko

hwwty4

Missouri

3.03/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to assurbanipaul for this one.

Poured a 12oz bottle into my trusty Chimay goblet. This beer pours a light straw golden with a little white head that melted away into a what reminds me a slight film on the top of the beer. The aroma is a mild sweetness, with just a kiss of hops and a little biscuit. The taste is odd. Sweet but there is a touch of what reminds me of wheat malt. Not much discernable flavors. The mouthfeel is light and mildly carbonated. It reminds me of every other Shiner beer I've had. They are all all right, nothing great, but easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 01:16:06 | More by hwwty4

HoppyMcStout

Missouri

2.5/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I poured this brew into a pint glass and was surprised at how much it resembled your average commercial lager in color - pure straw. I know it's a lager but I was expecting something a little more. I should have predicted the taste by the color. There was simply nothing there. It tasted like a Coors to me. Not too good.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 01:08:30 | More by HoppyMcStout

hellomcfly

South Carolina

3.43/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip glass

A - Pours a bright gold color with about a 1 finger white head that dissipates quickly.

S - Sweet corny malts dominate

T - Clean and refreshing. Bready malts and tiny bit of citrus. Little bit of bitterness.

M - Light bodied and a lot of carbonation.

D - Pretty drinkable. Makes for a good summer beer in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 18:03:53 | More by hellomcfly

KodyBrannon

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +40.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured this beer into a pint glass. Poured a golden color with an almost white head. The smell is grainey, with a touch of malts. The taste is very light, kinda malty, but I do sense a hint of wheat maybe? Anyways, it is a very good clean taste. The mouthfeel is very light and crisp. A very fine beer that if made year round, I would put into constant rotation. The drinkability is very good, I would recomend this beer to anyone. Another great beer from Shiner

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2008 17:07:55 | More by KodyBrannon

EnojysAnyBeer

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good shiner brew but nothing exemplary/special

A- Settles in the glass a light-copper/amber with not much head to speak of

S- Smells pretty good with a balance of sweet malts and spicy Noble hops. Unfortunately has a mettalic tone from the bottle.

T- Taste is what sticks out in this beer. Sweet, relaxed malt with a balanced spike of Hallertau Noble hops. The description on the bottle describes it well

M- Sorta grainy and harsh like most pils but not light and refreshing enough to capture the style

D- Drinks well like most Shiner brews

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 05:18:05 | More by EnojysAnyBeer

BeerSox

Virginia

3/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into pilsner glass.

Crystal clear light golden hue with a one finger light tan head that slowly settles to almost nothing.

Very light grain aromas. Not much hopiness to speak of.

The flavor is very light, with only a little sweet grain. Barely any bitterness, which is uncharacteristic of the style. Light bodied with good carbonation. Clean finish.

I guess this would be refreshing in the summer but there really isn't much flavor to it. It's almost bland for a regular all-malt lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2008 00:06:29 | More by BeerSox

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Standard pint glass works for this one.
Clear light golden color. Head thinned out into nothingness all too quickly.

Pale sweet malts dominate the nose. Hints of clover, red grapes, honey and hawaiian bread. A pleasant aroma that is pretty big for such a light colored beer.

Taste follows suit nicely with plenty of that pale malt flavor, tastes alot more carbonated than the appearence would indicate. A lager with plenty 'o flava. Small amount of hops provide a nice clean finish. Mouthfeel is nice for a lager.

One of Shiner's finest, a good American interpretation of this style. Snap some of these limited release six-packs up while they last.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2008 04:24:18 | More by twiggamortis420