Hirter Morchl - Brauerei Hirt GmbH

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Scott for this one. .5L brown glass pry-top. No Date.

Pours a thick, hazy reddish browh with sudsy khaki head. Nose is light and perfumed with caramel malt and light brown sugar notes, fairly closed though. Palate is both creamy and sharp with bittering hops. Great mouthfeel, woah! Flavors of milk chocolate covered caramel, light brown sugar, a little wooly-ness. Finish is long and creamy.

A fine upstanding beer! Surprised at how good it is given its modest $2.49 price tag. Will not only seek this out again but will buy a lot!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 03:43:13 | More by SFLpunk

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz (0,5 liter) brown bottle, date-stamped '20.04.2010'. Acquired from House of Glunz (Chicago) in a mail-order, chilled and poured to a pint glass.

Label: 'A RARITY IN BEER TASTE' - 'Austrian dark beer'

A: Very clear, a crystal-mahogany. Appears still until I look really closely - only then do a myriad of tiny bubbles show. Starts with a good head, a fizzy but long-lasting cap of light-tan cream - one that winnows to a scant but unbroken film that's a bit thicker around the edges. Broken lace slinks down the glass, disintegrating as it falls.

S: Sweet, wafting malt. Caramel sweetness, sugary like soda. Hints of spice and something vaguely 'huskier' and more toasted. Good strength and pretty appealing.

T: Powdery cocoa, a trace of spiced wood. Baked bread, a dark crustiness that ends rather benignly. Vague fruit (kinda 'grape' or 'berry') and sweetness like toffee middle-to-end...it's all good. Were I any less of a malt-lover, I may score lower...but that ain't the case.

M: Palatable softness, smoothness - carbonation is present but mellow. Medium feel style-wise, kinda velvety but also a lingering oiliness.

D: Easy-to-drink, malt-forward lager. Modest spice and roast, fairly forgettable flavors yet quite drinkable. Low ABV helps, but generally 'good' scores across the board don't hurt at all. A stein and a plate of sauerbraten or schnitzel sounds pretty good after this. Very much worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 01:21:25 | More by msubulldog25

jrallen34

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at the Map Room into a pint glass.

The beer pours a very dark amber with a nice light tan head, good retention and lacing.

The aroma and taste are just all malt. Its all I can pick up is malt, almost indistinguishable from a marzen, which is one of my least favorite styles. I found this very boring, simple, and lazy. The feel is light, and for 5% its not very drinkable

I would not recommend this to anyone.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2010 21:55:21 | More by jrallen34

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - This rootbeer-with-a-splash-of-grenadine hued brew is toped with the most unexpectedly beautiful creamy ecru head that stands at a full four fingers (after an admittedly aggressive pour), and slowly reduces to two fingers of fluffy foam. Lacing is smattered all around the glass, while rhubarb and crimson highlights shine when held up to the track lighting in my kitchen.

S - Grape Tootsie-Roll pop. Seriously, thats exactly what I'm reminded of at first sniff. Deeply chocolaty, but not in a real dark or milk sort of way... I hate to be repetitive, but I'll be damned if this doesn't smell exactly like a damn tootsie roll encased in grape hard candy! Much more subtle hints of smoked meats add a bit of complexity, while avoiding a clash with the chocolate notes.

T - After a holeshot right out of the gates, this one begins to loose a little bit of steam after the first two laps. In lap three (taste), this becomes a bit more mundane as it lacks the powerful artificial-chocolate "Tootsie" notes of the nose, while picking up more dry woody flavors and mineral aspects.

M - Medium, leaning towards light, bodied but extremely firm and pretty dang dry. This one is like a dry brittle stick that is light, but very rigid and snappy. Finishes dry, then completely clean on the palate several seconds after swallowing.

D - Excellent drinkability! The nose is extremely enticing, and even though the flavor isn't quite as stellar it is still quite tasty. The mouthfeel is flawless, and its extremely firm and well built. Session material for sure!

Note: After reviewing my reviews (ha!) I noticed that this is the only beer of its style that I've ever given score much over a 3.0 Seriously, this is in a whole 'nother league than the rest. I know its only 5% ABV, but this is like an "Imperial Munich Lager" or something!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 06:27:34 | More by pmcadamis

CHSLBrew

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

16.9 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A-Poured what looked like a watery brown brew, but in the glass it appeared pretty much black. Relatively translucent, providing for deep copper highlighting. Light tan head rose off the pour and quickly dissipated to a thin collar and sparse bubbles.

S-Chocolate malt and a slight cara-malt, with a slight mocha in the aroma. The aroma was very crisp, displaying the typical cleanness of a lager.

T-Initially, the flavor spoke of chocolate with a hint of lightly roasted coffee. Some caramel maltiness comes through, as well. Bitterness is crisp, but minimal. Finishes with a chocolate-caramel and a hint of residual sweetness, while still remaining clean.

M-Medium-light body. Medium-high carbonation, goes well with the flavors and the overall feel of this beer.

D-Very drinkable. The relatively light body lends this beer its ease of drinking. Plus, it's quite tasty, indeed!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2009 20:22:42 | More by CHSLBrew

cudmud

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer produced a nice head when poured; however, the foam quickly dissipated and left me with nothing. In contrast, the beer is nicely carbonated and the bubbles dance across my tongue. The aroma is malty and musty; thus, not very appealing. Despite the funky aroma, the flavor is very malty from start to finish. I also detect a note of black pepper and other spices. Fine drinkability. In fact, I've been able to get my cheap beer drinking friends to enjoy this brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 02:10:09 | More by cudmud

allengarvin

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This pours a dark ruby-tinted brown color, with a very quickly fading head. The nose is pleasantly malty, with a sweet caramel over a very slightly toasted bread. The taste is simple but nice, with sweet caramel, sweet toffee, both soft and not strong at all, with a very light bitterness. The body is exceptionally soft and creamy.

Not a big flavorful beer--dunkels are simple affairs, mostly. This is a fairly nice one.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 23:41:01 | More by allengarvin

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew pours a dark brown, almost opaque, with a creamy off-white head that dissipates to a thin film. Carbonation is medium, but very pleasing. Aromas are biscuity, with hints of caramel. The flavor is almost identical, yet intense. It finishes slightly dry with a mild hop bite. For a dark lager, it's lighter bodied than others I have had. It's very easy to drink and it makes a great a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 04:25:14 | More by WYVYRN527

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

mmmm, very nice beer! Got this bottle at Sam's in Chi a couple of weeks ago. Poured with a huge, textured, foamy, and frothy tan head and lots of lace. Color is a nice dark walnut. Aroma is malty with toffee and mild. Flavor is similar with some lurking sweetness. Great body with fine carbonation and soft mouth goes very well with flavor. Nice easy finish. Session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 23:12:41 | More by drpimento

rtepiak

Poland

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a nice dark lager with a very consistent malt. i have found the fresher the better. off chocolate milk head of about 3 fingers. coca cola color with not much murk really. a heavy odor bread when agitated. mild otherwise. apple malt which carries over to something a bit sour on the palate. there is some dough some chocolate and an ever more present smoke as the beer get warmer. this bring out the acidic quality of the beer. not as good at higher temperatures.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2009 07:45:35 | More by rtepiak

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a nearly opaue dark brown color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes slowly into a firm cap of lacing. The aroma is of toffee, and caramel. The taste is more forthcoming than the aroma. Toffee, dark chocolate, and caramel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, this is a nice Muchen Dunkel that I would love to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 19:44:54 | More by KarlHungus

lehkost

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Most dunkels I had in Austria were of the Doppelmalz variety, almost unbearably sweet and malty, especially considering the low alcohol.

Hirter Morchl is entirely different from this. Much truer to the dunkel style of their northern neighbors, this is lightly malty and not very sweet.

My main gripes are that the body is light...extremely light, but a lack of complexity is something rather commonplace in this style of beer.

The remarkably dry finish of this beer really seals the deal for me. I think that this is a stunning rendition of the dunkel style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2009 19:24:16 | More by lehkost

Mitchster

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$2.49 for a 16.9oz bottle. Pours to a clear very dark brown, forming a rocky light tan head with good retention and solid sheets of lace with a medium carbonation. The aroma opens with dark fruits, like raisins and prunes, with vanilla, caramel and molasses when swirled. The mouthfeel is brisk with a piquant acidity, cola-like, and a medium body and a lightly dry finish. Taste begins with the dark fruits, is followed by molasses and caramel, then a slight woodiness in the finish and a hint of leather in the aftertaste. Hops are very mild and impart a rather plain and chemical bitterness, tasting more like hop extract, which is fine for this style of beer. The malts are more up front, and I would be inclined to call this a dopplebock if it had slightly more body and alcohol. Certainly it compares to what some brewers pass off as dopplebocks these days. Cleanly fermented.

A rather nice beer. I would buy this again. It's not as strong or heavy as a dopplebock, nor as light as a bock, but I like the dark fruits and molasses. Recommended, reasonably priced.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2009 23:04:09 | More by Mitchster

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark reddish-brown body marked by a few bubbles here and there.

Smell: Predominately malty aroma smelling of brown sugar sprinkled of dark fruits, particularly plums and raisins, and encompassed by a slight earthiness.

Taste: Oh-so malty! Mixture of brown sugar and caramel with a solid sweetness. Fair amount of fruit. Not very hoppy. Slight soil-minded earthiness. Sip of cool, clean water. Sweetish, fruit finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Very, very slight stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Hirter? I hardly know 'er!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 02:03:06 | More by ChainGangGuy

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brownish/black - with a small almost non existent head. Smells sweet and caramely with a strong alcohol note. First sip is pure caramel - sweet, sweet and more sweet. Finishes nice and bitter, carbonated well. If you like caramelized sweet beers, you will not be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 22:22:57 | More by ATLbeerDog

stcules

Italy

3.08/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown color, with reddish edges. Beige head, quickly falling down.
At the smell caramel, and nuts. Malt, and a bit of herbal.
Malty taste, with caramel, dry plums, and nuts.
A good amount of herbal and nuts in the aftertaste, and agin dry plums.
Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 19:00:45 | More by stcules

bditty187

Nebraska

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

Basic brown in hue, when backlit there is a garnet highlight; I think the color is attractive. Smallish beige head, at the apex the foam was no more than a half finger tall. The bubbles fell quickly to a soapy cap that, largely, lasted the entire consumption. Subsequent lacing was spotty. Overall, the appearance is unspectacular but pleasant enough.

The nose is very sweet and malty, kind of chocolaty... scarily it reminds me of Malta Goya! Oh no! Really though, the nose is pretty rich, lots of chocolate, hints of dark berries, molasses, and caramel. I'm fairly fond of the nose; moderately high potency... it is chatty and pleasant but I am sort of worried that the palate is going to be very sweet as that is what the nose is telling me.

The palate is not nearly as rich as the nose led on. I don't care for the "thin" maltiness or the extract-like twang which I also taste in Malta Goya. Kisses of chocolate and caramel do provide some depth in an otherwise clean, straightforward lager. I have to disagree with BA; this beer is not a Munich Dunkel Lager... IMO, this is nothing more than a Euro Dark Lager. For what it is, it is okay. Clean finish but the aftertaste does offer some pleasant caramel hints, some dark fruits and even a kiss of molasses.

No more than medium in body, low but natural carbonation; the mouthfeel is respectable... nothing fancy, workmanlike. In other words, the mouthfeel gets the job done.

When I bought this bottle in KCMO I never seen it before or heard of it. I thought it was a Baltic Porter because the label says "malt liquor" and "dark beer." I just made the assumption. Oh well. I liked this beer well enough (and it was cheap) but, really, it is not something I'll buy again. On second thought... this beer is growing on me. It is pretty darn tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2008 21:40:43 | More by bditty187

shbobdb

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Good, dark, German bread. This is what I am talkin' about. There is just this wonderful, rich graininess to this beer that is hard to describe. Man, the malt on this beer is just crazy. This would easily be one of the best beers I've ever drank

<comma>

If

<pregnant pause>

DMS hadn't crashed the party.

That is such a pity. Perfect carbonation level, a nice tawny color with solid head retention, a nice robust smell, and the taste, were it not for the DMS, would be pretty much ideal.

This is certainly a beer worth trying if you can find it, but unfortunately, it isn't a beer worth seeking out. It came so close, which is actually more of a letdown than a beer that is just OK.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 00:10:21 | More by shbobdb

daledeee

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I bought this because of the interesting info on the label. "Brewed since 1270". That sounds good. " A rarity in beer taste". That sounds good.

It turns out this is a dark lager made in Austria. It pours a nice dark walnut color with a good head. Light can be seen through the beer if held up to light. It is not cloudy.

The nose is bland with a hint of malt. It smells fresh as well.

The taste is one of the best I have had for this type of beer. Very subtle balances of malt, caramel and oak(I think?). It is also a tad bit sweet but not over the top. All the tastes are just right. The mouthfeel is just right as well. Good carbonation and nice finish. A very satisfying brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 00:16:34 | More by daledeee

blacktrumpet

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a dark mahogany and looks rubylike in the light
head drops fairly quickly, lacing light to moderate
smells of heavy malt and molasses
taste is sweet, banana, caramel, xx malt, spice cake, cola, coffee licorice... tounge is smooth and full
finish is resinous, lingering, sweet, anise,..."pernod"
we all like this beer

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2007 20:50:05 | More by blacktrumpet

Dripdry

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had the pleasure of trying this beer last night over some great beef rouladen at Laschet's in Chicago. A snow storm was blasting its way through the streets, so the freezing weather and need for something to warm the bones may have played a part in how much I loved this beer.

The beer comes, as all beer should, in a giant 1 liter mug; a big tan/carmel head with a standard dark brown body. The smell was comforting, a roasted/sweet smell, nothing too out of the ordinary.

The taste made me sit up, especially compared to the dark beers my friend and girlfriend had, a Schwarzebier(sp?) and something else I can't recall. The taste of the Hirter Morchl was an explosion of flavors, sweet but balanced with the alcohol flavor, a taste which held on and did not let go of the palate. Now, I have just come off of having Samichlaus(sp?) on tap last week, so sweet beer is no stranger to me. It was not the taste of the beer that hooked me as much as it was the aftertaste, as though someone had been roasting coffee beans in my mouth. What a comforting sensation on such a cold, cruel night!

The subsequent aftertastes of the beer were less coffee-ish and more caramel/fruity. Compared to the other beers, it was much more robust in every way, so it held its own against the heavy tastes of the German food.

The only downside with this beer, I feel, is that for me the mouthfeel was a bit thin on the way down. It just seemed to lack body.

Make no mistake, though, this beer has made it in as one of my current favorites. Others may prefer a more subtle drink, but this beer clubbed me over the head and dragged me back to her cave!

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2007 00:39:41 | More by Dripdry

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.15/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Cranberry-bronze with an orange peel rim. This is a pretty typical Munich dunkel look... that could also be mistaken for a brown ale. The immensely bubbly cap is an appealing shade of golden khaki and is beginning to lay down scads of bubbly lace.

The nose is too low on power to be impressive. What I can appreciate is steely caramel-like from a malt perspective and musty-musky from a hop perspective. With a 'best by' date that's still three months away, I don't believe that the beer's age has anything to do with the less than compelling aroma. Mishandling perhaps, but then that's impossible to prove. Hopefully, things will sort themselves out on the palate.

My socks are still firmly on my feet and my eyes are still firmly in my head. Morchl is an okay Munich dunkel that is too subtle for its own good. I know that beer of this style isn't supposed to bowl its drinker over like a runaway freight train, but a little more self-confidence would be nice.

The dominant flavors include a soft, almost powdery, chocolatiness, a hint of dark caramel and a glancing blow of dark fruit (dried dates and perhaps raisins). Thankfully, the hops are now their more typical floral-grassy selves, rather than being as musty as they continue to be in the nose. Try as I might... I... just... can't... get... excited... about this beer. It needs the kick in the ass that more malt would surely provide.

Sorry, but the mouthfeel is too thin. A worse fault, and one that keeps the excitement meter from budging, is that its underbubbled as well. Not a good combination. Given the style, I've decided to cut it some slack.

Even though Morchl is less than good beer, it's better than the only other Brauerei Hirt offering that I've had so far (Privat Pils). If it wasn't for the label dating, I would have pointed to age as the culprit for the crime of mediocrity. Since the brewery was kind enough to be consumer friendly, they have no excuses that will hold up.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2007 15:11:56 | More by BuckeyeNation

malcontent

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Deep mahogany body mounted by a fabulous three fingers of sticky head. Lacing oozes down the glass.

Strong toffee and roasted malt tones lead into a mellow grain chaff aroma.

Malt liquor indeed. One-dimensional but solid. Sweet cream and earth with a slight knock on it due to a metallic tinge on the finish. As it warms the beer does tend toward the cloying side.

For as rich and full-tasting as the beer is, there is a slight thinness to the brew. A tad slick on the finish. Not my favorite style by a long-shot but easy enough to drink if it's your bag. A good, not great, take on a German standard; those wacky Austrians...

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2007 15:13:23 | More by malcontent

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

2.6/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I’m not very good on this style yet, but I’m pretty sure that to be a true Munich Dunkel, it has to be a big cloying mess. This one certainly fits the bill. Appearance is nice at a dark brown near black with deep crimson hues and a thin tan head. The aroma is not bad either. Lots of berries, molasses, sweet coffee/caramel malts, and a general fruit cake fruitiness. The taste and mouthfeel on the other hand…bleh! Sweet cloying fruit and caramel flavors dominate. The beer’s body isn’t particularly thick but it sure feels like sugar water mixed with molasses. I’m sure this is all fitting with being a dunkel but damn, it is just not for me. Totally unbalanced and disgustingly sweet. Undrinkable.

Served an tap at the Map Room.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2007 19:55:59 | More by DaPeculierDane

budgood1

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours out of the half litre bottle a nearly opaque crimson/ruby hue with a thin tight tan head. lots of festive lace. sweet malty aroma; molasses and fruitcake come to mind...pretty nice. euro flavours of light chocolate and caramel, with hints of berries and cream. some smoky, dark roasted coffee notes finished with noble hops. all very subdued and laid back. the mouthfeel starts with a carbonated note immediately followed by some silky smoothness. it slides down easy. the body is fullish for a dark lager...quite satisfying. drinkability is good...i could down a few.

overall a nice dark lager from austria.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2006 00:27:23 | More by budgood1