Mönchshof Kellerbier (Kellerbräu) - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG

ludachris

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nieghbour brought this back from Germany for me as well as a couple other goodies. I'm excited about trying an authentic German lager that came right from the source.

Its body is a golden amber with just a touch of haze. You can still see that it's well carbonated. Just over a finger's worth of big bubbled flat white head displays good retention before falling to a thin ring. Thick strings of lace stick to the glass as the beer recedes.

Ahh, it's got that "beery" smell. Fresh dough and a soft cereal malt sweetness come out first. Oatmeal comes to mind. Hay and pepper add a subtle mustiness. A bit of wet grass adds to the more natural, raw, and rich character that I associate with both Kellerbiers and Kolschs. As the beer warms and opens up, sweet caramel notes come to the surface with equal intensity as every other character in the beer. Apple skins, with just a touch of tartness comes through as well. How the nose develops over time is great.

The bitterness in the taste is more developed than I had anticipated but not at all in an offensive way. Peppery, grassy, and earthy. A little bit of pepper on the middle of the tongue. Cereal sweetness with a touch of honey lies beneath. Fresh dough and rye bread await in the finish with the earthy and grassy hop notes following close behind.

Light to medium bodied with a perfectly crisp level of carbonation. Paired with the well rounded bitterness, this is very refreshing.

I have very little experience with Kellerbiers and that could be why this didn't blow me away. Overall, it's well rounded, flavourful, and very, very refreshing. I have some work to do in appreciating a well made lager. And until I fully do, I'm comfortable with my review of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 01:46:23 | More by ludachris

zenithberwyn

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

05-19-2013 05:48:55 | More by zenithberwyn

Jason

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

05-03-2013 19:29:16 | More by Jason

Brenden

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Naturally unpastuerized, of course, this one is very cloudy, a darker shde of yellow, respectively, with a bright golden light to it. A faintly yellow-tinted head rises to just under a finger and leaves patchy lacing decently well with some heavy spotting as well.
Pale (pilsner?) malts give a bit of light fruits with a hint of a vegetal note along with some herbal notes with an evident yeasty element. The aroma's rounded out by a note of biscuit dough and a gently musty earthiness.
Yeast, grassand breadier notes come out a touch more strongly in the flavor, which is otherwise undifferentiated.
The appropriate light body sets the foundation for this brew, malts even making for a bit of chewiness along with the crispness. Somehow, though, it does still manage to flow smoothly. It would be wrong if the feel was clean, and this beer really pulls out the light body with the texture left with maturity and lack of pasteurization or filtration.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 19:42:31 | More by Brenden

RD1163

California

3/5  rDev -22.3%

04-08-2013 04:44:22 | More by RD1163

BESTIALEX

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

04-04-2013 03:34:24 | More by BESTIALEX

kjkinsey

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%

03-10-2013 23:05:45 | More by kjkinsey

Chugs13

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

03-10-2013 19:59:55 | More by Chugs13

CDK

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +23.1%

02-22-2013 22:28:45 | More by CDK

Tyrolaspenleaf

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

02-19-2013 22:39:06 | More by Tyrolaspenleaf

alugeris

2.25/5  rDev -41.7%

02-13-2013 17:33:49 | More by alugeris

bigred89

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

02-09-2013 12:18:44 | More by bigred89

mizx

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +3.6%

01-26-2013 20:21:04 | More by mizx

Mulcahey

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

01-20-2013 22:46:44 | More by Mulcahey

nmann08

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

01-18-2013 20:45:12 | More by nmann08

Greg_Nall

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

01-15-2013 15:07:23 | More by Greg_Nall

Douberd

Netherlands

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown bottle of 500 ml, bought in Germany. ABV is 5,4%. Poured into a lager glass.
Colour is light amber/deep copper orange, big white headof almost three fingers that unfortunately goes down rather fast and minimal activity in the glass.
Pleasant aroma, well balanced between maltiness and hoppiness.
Taste is sweet with the sweetness coming from the malts mainly, along with some sugars. Some caramel and metal on the aftertaste.
Very low carboantion, almost watery, thin body and very dry on the palate.
First one for the style for me, so I don't have anything to cmpare it with, but I think it was a good one.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 13:33:35 | More by Douberd

Beerman1977

Austria

3/5  rDev -22.3%

12-30-2012 14:07:27 | More by Beerman1977

beerthirtysa

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Rich, medium-brown color, with taupe color, long-lasting head.
S: Malty, but not sweet.
T: Medium body, plenty of hops, crisp start and mildly hoppy finish.
M: Robust, medium-high carbonation.

Very true to type, this medium-bodied kellerbier is a nice way to enjoy a fall or winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 18:55:19 | More by beerthirtysa

MattRiggs

3/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

-Sweet malt aroma, with just a bit of hay
-Poured a nice frothy head that dissipated somewhat quickly
-Hop bitterness is overwhelmed by the malty sweetness
-Enough of a German hop aroma to remind you of its origin.
-Flavorful: sweetess up front turns into s bit of fruit and then into toffee, bread, roasted nuts
-A wonderfully complex yet drinkable beer
-Proof that "Bayerisches Reinheitsgebot" allows for quite a bit of variety

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 20:39:19 | More by MattRiggs

prisoner1572

Illinois

5/5  rDev +29.5%

11-12-2012 15:37:31 | More by prisoner1572

allengarvin

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a liter mug, this is a very hazy brown beer with a modest, frothy head. The aroma offers a nice amount of malt, bready with a light toast. Flavor is pretty similar to a light-bodied Oktoberfest, with more toastiness than the nose, giving a hint of bread crust. Bitterness is moderate so there's little sweetness, but there's not any flavoring hops that I can pick up. The body is somewhat thin and watery--I'm not a fan of these swing-tops for beers that are not consumed right away.

An alright Zwickel, but not good enough for me to go seeking out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 13:57:53 | More by allengarvin

TexIndy

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500ml swing top bottle into a pint glass. Bottling code which appears to be Julian and if so would be 5/24/12 so guessing that's bottled date as this just entered the TX market. It was a very cloudy honey color with slight carb streams. It had a small head that quickly dissipated into a very thin collar. Minimal lacing with none sticking.

My first keller bier so nothing to compare to as to style. The aroma was caramel malt, light fruit and bready malts. Good lager aroma to it. Smells sweet. The taste follows the aroma with a bready and caramel backbone and fruit and yeast highlights to add some character to it. It is pretty sweet but, for me, stops short of being too sweet. Light and bit watery mouthfeel. Could use some more carbonation as well.

Overall, an easy drinking lager that hits the spot if you are looking for something smooth with moderate flavor (i.e. not wanting a hop bomb). Recommend if you can get it especially since this is one of the rarer styles and hard to find (I know - been trying for several yrs). New to TX market. Rotation - would like to try on-tap at least once. Not sure if I'd buy again in bottle unless the mood struck me.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:28:52 | More by TexIndy

Damburger

Netherlands

3/5  rDev -22.3%

10-09-2012 19:19:10 | More by Damburger

freewill35

Indiana

4/5  rDev +3.6%

10-01-2012 00:02:29 | More by freewill35