Mahr's Hell - Mahrs-Bräu

putnam

Michigan

5/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It's really not fair to attempt to describe this beer. Only predictable, "designed" beers can really be described in words. Something like this can only be experienced and remembered.
It is a pastel orange and yellow liquid with a persistent, sticky and thick array of foam on top. The aromas seem to stop time. It is beyond my power to imagine a more perfect mixture of ripe cereal grain, citrus, apricot, butter, brioche crust and seductively slight herbal fragrances. The balance makes it almost impossible to isolate any single "element" in the bouquet. It smells somewhat reminiscent of recent Christoffel Blonds, only half as heady and rich. One mouthful certifies the image. Impressively expansive and full, creamy textured, it remains bone dry thanks to assertive, roasted nutshell-flavored bitterness. Hazelnuts, honey, tall yellow grass ... through it all there is a musical little twang of acidity, like Bluegrass. I give up. This is perfection. Most of all it is highly drinkable.

Oddly, this is quite a different beer than I enjoyed on tap at Manhattan's "d.b.a." last year. Perhaps they were serving Mahr's Leicht? In contrast, this sample has a great deal more chew and presence on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2005 19:53:51 | More by putnam

schusterbauer

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

this is a pristinely golden beer, with a small, foamy white head that endures. smell is bafflingly wonderful: pear, honey, lemongrass, cooling bread. taste is everything that the smell promises, if not more. pay attention to this one! the flavors are subtle and perfectly blended; it's all so silky smooth that you could swallow and miss it if you're not careful. as drinkable as it gets -- an honor.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2007 15:20:51 | More by schusterbauer

granger10

Wisconsin

4.83/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, this was one amazingly drinkable beer!

The pour left a bit to be desired. Lighter in body, very transparent, spotty head with little lacing. Aroma was hoppy with hay notes and some German/Belgian malt mix. Yeasty and clovey, slightly grassy and earthy. A bit of tobacco even. Taste was even more complex. Quite creamy. Soapy but not in a bad way. Malty but quite dry. Lighter in body but not watery in the least. Lemony but not acidic. Grassy but not raw. Smooth finish. Complexity with everything working perfectly. Three bottles of this went down without a problem. I still want more.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2006 01:04:56 | More by granger10

steveh

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Found this one locally at a pretty reputable shop, but I'm a little worried that the bottled-on date is an indistinguishable code.

I probably haven't had Mahrs Bräu since my visit to Bamberg almost 10 years ago.

A -- Gusher when capped -- not usually a good sign. Otherwise, a slightly hazy deep golden color with a dense white head that holds up well and leaves good lacing.

S -- Wonderful bready maltiness, some mild yeastiness and DMS back. Maybe the vaguest sourness in the finish -- old brew? Can't say, but it doesn't distract.

T -- Big, toasty, bready, juicy, mildly sweet malts. Just a touch of spicy bitterness in the finish to compliment the malt sweetness. Great flavor for the style.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft and chewy with a light-medium to medium body.

O -- Anyone who wants to learn what German beer can be all about and wants to know why many of us look for the best examples of the styles owes it to themselves to look into this beer. Imagine all this malt character in a 4.9 ABV beer. That's precision lager brewing.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 22:25:29 | More by steveh

Domingo

Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have my local tavern to thank for this opportunity. The Bull and Bush managed to get a keg of this served on gravity. They even had a bunch of Mahrs branded halbe mugs as well. It was almost like being back in Germany for the evening....but with nachos!
Arrived a golden color with about 1/8" of foam that stuck to the glass as you worked your way down. There's just the faintest of haze since this is unfiltered, but you can still see right through it.
The nose and flavor matched each other pretty much perfectly. Bready and malty with a lot of lager yeast character adding a honey note. The hops don't add a ton of bitterness, but more of an herbal character in this case. While there's obviously no honey involved, the malts combined with their yeast and that herbal note make this almost like drinking something infused with honey.
This was served on natural gravity, so there was not crazy carbonation bubbles, but still the right amount of foam and texture.
I had 3 of these and had it been earlier in the day I'm sure another 3 would've been in the cards, too. It's almost the perfect version of a Bamberg helles, and this serving proves that we certainly can get something that's tastes just as fresh and authentic as they serve at the source.
I have no idea how the bottled product stacks up to this (the ungespundetes imports tend to be so-so), but this was was up there with the best beers I've had anywhere.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2012 16:04:18 | More by Domingo

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Lord Hobo in a stein- pouts a clear golden straw color with two fingers of creamy white head; modest retention, a few spots of lacing, visibly effervescent.

Smells nice- pretty sharp dry hops and pale grains, good side if earthy yeast.

Taste is consistent with the smell- a little more pale malt sweetness, followed by a nice mic if the yeast and dry hops.

Mouthfeel is great- light body, moderate to full carbonation. Exceptionally refreshing for a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 20:55:44 | More by Hopdaemon39

mentor

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle provided by a BA buddy I stopped into visit while on haliday in his area. Thanks for the opportunity!

Pours a full finger of fluffy white head over a cloudy pee-colored liquid. Smells of noble hops and mild malty sweet. The malt smells clean and fresh. A little bit tin-ish. Yummy with a hint of tettnanger hops. Taste...rounded rough malt mixes well with the tettnanger hops (which I consider taste a bit dirty and edgy). Just a touch of caramel. The beer is honey-ish sweet...not wet, not dry, but right in between. Hop bitter is minimal, but there is a bit of a grassy edge. This beer is a quality product that is representative of the flavor and quality of beers I had fresh on tap while in German a while back. Md-light body and mid-range carbonation. Full bubbles formed on the flat of my tongue.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2006 07:12:12 | More by mentor

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at When Pigs Fly. These guys put out a wonderful beer lineup.

A deep golden color with a medium-sized white head that left a fair amount of lace.

Nice aroma of sweet malt and floral hops. A good clean, grassy aroma.

Sweet bread taste, a hint of honey. Floral hops. Very rich.

This was a crisp, beautiful beer. I had two of these and could have had several more.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2012 01:00:52 | More by lordofthewiens

JustinOSU99

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden copper, with chunks of yeast sediment floating. Kinda reminds me of goldschlager from the college days and made me laugh. Looks good.

S: Corn, barley, fresh grass clippings, floral aromas, tobacco. Definitely and distinctly German, it smells a bit stronger than it's 4.9 ABV would indicate.

T: Extremely surprising taste, although I am far from an export on Munich Helles Lagers. Caramel and yeast are immediate on my palate which I didn't detect in the smell. There is some definite alcohol warmth, bread, brown sugar and molasses. Very tasty.

M: Tart up front, and plenty of carbonation. Takes me back to my times at the Hofbrau House.

D: Really tasty beer. I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2008 00:32:30 | More by JustinOSU99

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It’s always a great day when I’ve got a real German beer in my fridge. I just hope it made the trip overseas relatively quickly.

The date code reads “Bottled on: 312,” which could mean the 31st day of 2012 (January 31, 2012) or the 312th day of the year (earliest possible being November 8, 2011); either way, this one is over eight months old. Not optimal for a lager, but whatever.

A: Very pale yellow with a bright white, sudsy head that sits at about an inch: yep, that’s a German lager. Tumults of bubbles throughout the body support a thin covering of retention, accompanied by soapy lacing.

S: Nice bready aroma to the nose, with subsequent sniffs fleshing out buttery biscuit, grain husk, soft straw, and clean lager yeast. Hops give a sharp note of acidic intensity, pepper, lemon-lime, and floral herb character wafting up above the malts – it’s a great balance of scents. Some residual sugars show up as creamy vanilla and strawberry puree, showing off that sweet malt scent I’d been hoping for. This lager seems to be hitting all the right notes so far.

T: A beautifully-crafted lager at first sip: its flavors are silk on the tongue. Flavorful malt and clean, bready yeast take center stage in a battle between sweet, toasted graininess, floury biscuit dough, and mild grape and banana. None of them really wins, and that’s alright with me; I really enjoy that intricate balance. There is a noticeable lack of hop bite (possibly due to age), but notes of lemon rind, citrus (mostly mango), and tea leaf astringency are still there. Finishes with barely any aftertaste: only a tiny taste of sweet grains and metals linger.

M: Not a thin body, but one that doesn’t have a ton of carbonation. This is the definition of a smooth-drinking lager, with a light body.

O: It seems like the brewer was trying to make the easiest-drinking beer on the planet – something that Bud, Miller, and Coors have been trying to do for years – and I think they just may have succeeded. From first sip to last, this was everything I wanted in an everyday beer: smooth, pleasing flavors that still don’t lack depth, as well as a creamy texture that doesn’t fill you up. It’s a shame I won’t be able to have it fresh unless I buy a ticket to Europe; still, I’ll be buying up whatever bottles I can while I have the chance. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:23:34 | More by BarryMFBurton

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Rich gold and crystal clear, the beer was topped by a short, fine, bright white head that formed solid sheets of lace on the glass and showed great retention. Fresh grain aroma with a bit of toasty malt and delicate hopping. Light bitterness with a balanced malt sweetness. Some toastiness and fruit as well, with grassy hops lingering in the finish. Light bodied with moderate carbonation, off-dry and crisp. This is a great thirst quencher. Excellent balance helps make this a high-class lager.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2006 02:31:02 | More by DrJay

MTNboy

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is a light copper color with a thick snow white head and lace. I hardly ever notice the aroma it seems until half way through. It has fruity hoppy smell with a little bit of malt. It is sort of buttery. You can taste the malts and yeast in this beers body but they are not overpowering. The hops in are mildly floral. The mouthfeel is fizzy but there is hardly any bite.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 03:35:21 | More by MTNboy

meeekyh

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured tis beer from a Pint-plus-9oz bottle into a pilsner glass. The beer is a pale golden yellow and the head is very white nicely fluffy but without lacing. There is nothing really nice looking about this beer, though the brown bottle and ornate lettering are attractive.

Boy is that one serious nosefull of malty barley! Smells like a grain mash, very sweet and grainy. There are slight floral notes too but this is a beer that showcases light malt, and does so well.

Taste really matches the nose. It is malty, sweet and full. There is almost no hop bitterness but there is a notable hop flavor. As in the aroma it comes through as floral and light.

Mouthfeel is full and smooth and the sparkle is light all combines to make for high drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 02:18:31 | More by meeekyh

DoubleJ

California

4.16/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Mahrs itself in a 500 ml mug, on to the beer:

This one is golden yellow in color with a thick collar which retains well. Honey and grass make the aroma, and both aromas are vibrant. The taste is clean with pleasant grassy notes, honey bread, and a subtle citric note. With a slight crispness and light-medium body which helps make this beer very refreshing, this is one of many candidates for the stereotypical helles lager.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 18:39:16 | More by DoubleJ

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of light but bready malts with a little bit of hops in the background.

T: The taste is bready with a little sweetness flavors of light malts and lager yeast. There's a decent hops presence that provides a good balance. The after-taste is bready and slightly sweet. It's straight-forward but very well-done.

M: Smooth and very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is very clean.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not filling at all, mild kick, excellent representation of style, this is nice lighter beer to drink for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2008 17:23:50 | More by TheManiacalOne

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

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

A: Pours a deep golden color with a white head that settles quickly. The carbonation is vigorous and there is afine sediment thrown as well.

S: Biscuity malt aromas are dominant, with hints of straw and slight fruity notes.

T: Almost identical to the smell. Fresh baked bread , dried straw, and honeyed character overwhelm the senses. It's followed by a nice crisp hop finish.

M: More full-bodied than I expected. This Helles has a nice mouthfeel, as it coats the palate.

D: Mahrs still continues to amaze me. This may be one of their best offerings. Very easy to drink. I wish I had more than one.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 02:01:05 | More by WYVYRN527

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy golden-yellow color with a minimal white head. It does leave a nice amount of lacing. The aroma is biscuity and toasty...typical German profile. I get a bit of graininess and corn, but it has a solid malt backbone and the noble hop aroma. The flavor is nice, crisp and toasty...a very nice malty flavor throughout. Hop flavor is present, but it is in the back to the full malty flavor. Very clean and crisp....light bodied, and somewhat creamy in texture. A very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2005 02:08:23 | More by BeerBuilder

twelvsies

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's tough to tell how this one is really different from the Mahr's Bock Bier I had a couple nights ago. The main difference I think is that this is an overall lighter beer, though it shares many of the same qualities, starting with the appearance. This beer is a light orange to darkish straw yellow with a nice head, though it doesn't last long, and nice crisp clarity. Smell and taste are full of wet grains, sawdust, and a lightly sweet malt backbone. Tones of honey (I find this in almost all the Mahr's beers), and a nice crisp and spicy hop profile. I think the bock bier has a higher abv and therefore is a little spicier and sharp, while this beer is nothing but soft on the palate and uber drinkable. Can't go wrong with Mahr's.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2006 18:29:54 | More by twelvsies

emerge077

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I've been wanting to try the complete line-up from Mahr's for awhile, so this and the Bock are on my to-drink list.

Pours a hazy orange, nice to see that it's unfiltered. Two fingers of foam rise and fall over the course of 5 min. Sticky globs of lace mark the rim of the glass. Smell is bready malt and grain, certainly aromatic, but not especially exciting.

Leading off the flavor parade is bready malt, very slightly fruity yeast, followed by a faint honey-tea note, and chased by a dry hoppiness. Not bad, and a good example of the style.

This Helles would be a perfect session beer in warm weather.

edit: Just had a fresher sample. The mouthfeel seemed smoother, and there was a slight butterscotch type flavor. Honey taste was there, but not overly sweet. A subdued yet tasty lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2006 23:21:28 | More by emerge077

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2011-06-19 at the Bull's Head in Lititz, PA

A - Gold with a white head that fades. Mild lacing.

S - Biscuit, grass and a hint of flowers.

T - Big biscuit/bready flavor, straw, some light fruit like someone waived a lemon over top the beer but decided to not drop any in.

M - Light-medium body and medium-high carbonation. It had a more substantial feel than I expected. It dries nicely and cleanses the palate.

O - This is a very well-balanced lager. It doesn't hit you in the face; it just does what it does very, very well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2011 21:37:39 | More by Tucquan

elNopalero

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on cask at the Jester King tasting.

This is a golden straw color with a sweet, floral honeyed aroma. Lucky bees! The taste has a hint of that honey-sweetness which lasts all the way through. There’s a fizzy effervescence that keeps it light.

Serving type: cask

01-27-2012 21:27:13 | More by elNopalero

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had the pleasure of trying this one tap during its short span at 775 Gastropub. It's a perfectly clean lager with a nice dose of malts and just enough hops to balance it out. It was very, very smooth - almost too smooth! A little more crispiness would have been cool, but I liked it for what it was just fine. Why did the glass have to be 14oz? I wanted so much more.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2012 18:03:42 | More by TheRealBigC

Jason

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ Redbones and served in a pint glass. Decent clarity with a bubbly lace ... bright pale golden hue. Fresh aroma of grain and flowery noble hops. Grape skin flavour from the Munich malt. Very clean in the nose and palate ... lots of sweet tasty grain, grass hop and ample crispness.

A very drinkable lager, perfect to pair up with the catfish sandwich.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2003 00:53:58 | More by Jason

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Half-liter bottle, bottled on 6-10-2003. Pours a pale straw pils color with a fair eggshell colored head. Modest malty nose with a hint of fresh hops. Very refreshing, smooth and clean tasting. Mild in its malt/hop balance, and softly mineral in the water content. Assumes a slightly citrus astringency in the malt, like it was oversparged. Just enough hops to provide a counterbalnce for the malt and provide a crisp finish. I like this Helles, I'd seek it out again. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2004 18:11:38 | More by crookedhalo

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on-tap at the brewery pub in Bamberg.

This helles lager poured a crystal clear, light amber color with creamy, white foam that settles to a thin coat. The smell was light malt with a hint of hops. The taste was nice, clean malt with mild hoppiness to balance, and with a hint of sweetness overall. The mouthfeel was very smooth with medium body and moderate carbonation. The hoppiness came out in the finish. This was a very nice lager and is a great session beer (at least when the "U" runs out).

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2006 12:05:30 | More by UncleJimbo