Mahr's Hell - Mahrs-Bräu

rtepiak

Poland

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pour is a yellow gold with a rather small head. smell is like a pilsner. not so much on the bright malty side. smell of straw, apple, and some honey. the taste is earthy. some apple/honey sweet. but the beer seems to be carried by the bitterness. i know that between a helles and a german pilsner, the comparison is like splitting hairs but it seems as if this still has to much hops headlining for the style. the malt character is rather simple and subsidiary to the dry, earth, bitter of the pilsner hop.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 05:16:35 | More by rtepiak

jsh420

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

bottled 5022
poured a light golden with almost no head

smells bready and hints of grassy hops

taste is similar to the smell - and i also pick up some carmel malt - taste is bigger then the 4.9abv it is

mouthfeel was medium body and flat but this is an old bottle i am guessing 5022 is 2/02/05
not a big seller around my area

drinkability - i would like to try this beer fresh but i think i would have to travel to germany ti di so

overall it mighty flavorful for such a small beer

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 22:33:30 | More by jsh420

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

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled On date of 0710; Sampled July 2008
A brisk pour produces only a thin, pale white colored head. The aroma is at first pretty light struck, but this dissapates to a lightly herbal hop note after a bit. A light sweetness from the malt character contributes something a touch like honey and there is a nice, dry, toasty grain character reminiscent of crushed saltine crackers. A hint of lemon zest rounds out the mostly herbal hop aromatics here.

Cool and fizzy the beer has a bitting carbonic note to it up front and is quite crisp from the cool serving temperature. This finishes with a nicely noticeable, bitter hop bite. Fairly light bodied, but does have some viscous malt body to it. A touch of lemon zest again combines with an herbal hop flavor and a touch of grassy / hay notes; this last from both the hop and the malt components. A hint of malt sweetness becomes a bit more noticeable as the beer warms up, but mostly the malt character takes on cracker-like and light, toasty grain notes.

Not a bad beer, probably not at its peak condition after traveling across the pond, but still quite quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 02:00:12 | More by Gueuzedude

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Moan and Dove had this bottled after a long hiatus from the bar. The drink poured with a clear gold appearance. The head quickly thinned away toward mostly lacing. The aromas were, in general, faint fruits, hops, malt and even some hints of vanilla. The taste was mostly bittersweet with sharp hops and doughy flavors. Great carbonation made this enjoyable until the end. Overall, wicked good.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 18:32:00 | More by fitzy84

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

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

oberon

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

You dont come around a good German made Helles lager often and it really is a treat when you stumble on one like this.Poured into a .5 liter sten a light clear lemon yellow with a tight one finger fluffy white head that held great retention,lemon stood out most in the aroma with a little funky wet grain-like note.Slightly toasted malt flavors along with a passing mineral character melds into a lemony finish,nothing over complex but sturdy and solid.It went great with a lemon and roasemary whole roasted chicken I made tonight better than any white wine in my mind,just a solid helles lager here to be had.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 23:15:04 | More by oberon

Windigstadt

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- A bright golden color, crystal clear with a rocky head typical of a German beer.
S- Quite floral for a Helles, with notes of honey and tangerine in the sweet malt.
T- A slight noble hop flavor up front gives way to sweet malt. A hint of orange peel complements the brown sugar flavor of the malt. The beer finishes with a slightly citrusy hop bitterness that keeps the beer from being cloying.
M- While full-bodied, this beer was on the light side for a Helles, with relatively high carbonation.
D- Definitely a session beer.

Overall: A very good example of a Helles. Nothing crazy, but nothing has to be. That's the beauty of a Helles.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2007 22:55:45 | More by Windigstadt

Nipitato

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: Flat gold color with some suspended yeast visible. Visibly effervescent. The pour releases a creamy white head that drops away to a thin whispy topping. Sticky lacing developed as beer is quaffed.

S: Grainy sweet malt aroma. Very clean and fresh. A touch toasty as well.

T: Quite clean flavor with strong sweet grainy malt character. Crisp noble hop flavor comes through.

MF: Smooth medium mouthfeel. Medium carbonation.

D: Easy to drink nice malty sweetness is very pleasing and makes this beer easily sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2007 16:29:49 | More by Nipitato

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.18/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a bright yellow color with a thick, stable head that sticks to the glass. When I poured out the entire bottle, small chunks of yeast or sediment flood in my beer.

Smell is malty with some typical German sulfur smells. This is slightly more full-bodied than a German pilsener.

Taste relies mostly on the malt, which gives the beer it's character. On top of that there is a clean bitterness, that is a bit spicy and herbal. Mouthfeel is dry and bitter on the tongue. Drinkability is good. Nothing too exciting, just an average lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 08:28:21 | More by Absumaster

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on "5022"

Hazy light golden. Slight bubbly white head. Very little retention. Aroma is grainy sweet with some dabs of hay-like hop aromas. Sweet grainy taste as well. With some bready and biscuity malt accents. Hops are light on the buds, maybe adding a little dryness. Pretty easy drinker. Light carbonation and medium-full body.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 04:21:19 | More by Bighuge

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

Frozensoul327

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Bright golden yellow color witha bubbly white foamy head. A touch of fog, like the break of a cool spring morning.

S: Holy Buttery Malt! Big aroma of buttery bread and yeast, with a solid malt back bone. Nice.

T: Light and crisp. Perhaps best suited for a summer day; crisp and fresh base malts with a light hoppy note. A bread note encompasses the entire experience.

M: Crisp and light. Refreshing. Mild carbonation makes it's way to the tongue. Makes me miss summertime.

D: Pretty good. I like the change up this one threw me. Not exactly what I was expecting, but still very good. More like a German Macro Lager, if you will. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2006 02:28:45 | More by Frozensoul327

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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Light yellow with bubbly head. Lace left on the glass. Floral and malty aroma. Very drinkable thirst quencher though on bitter side and smoothly malted and carbonated, light bodied. Interesting for a lager.Thanks for the recommendation Putnam, purchased at Cloverleaf in Detroit.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2006 02:33:39 | More by northyorksammy

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

shbobdb

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours suprisingly dark and cloudy. When I think 'hell' I think 'bright' and this Helles ain't hell. It's more of a murky straw. There is yeast in there too.

The smell is freakin' wonderful, though. Munich malt, bread, and just general beer-y goodness.

The taste is all right, I guess. A pinch too much DMS, if you ask me. But the hops balance it out, so . . . it's not bad. I'm just underwhelmed. I had very high expectations for this beer and it's just not meeting them. It is *very* hoppy for a Helles, couple that with the yeast and . . . it's just too much.

The mouthfeel is very thin. As I drink it, the hops give a nice cottonmouth. Why in the world would I want a helles to give me cottonmouth? And the beer is simply too thin. I had a bud light earler today. This beer is about the same consistancy. That just ain't right.

Not bad, but I'm not terribly impressed. They could have done so much more, done this beer so much better. Too bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2006 22:41:44 | More by shbobdb

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

WesWes

New York

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a wonderfully malty scent that boasts of pale and Munich malts along with a spicey German hop aroma. It's sweet and creamy smelling. The taste is decent. It's a light beer with a mild malty feel and a sharp hop content. It goes down easy with some residual maltiness, but finishes bitter and grassy. It's got a fruity nature, but seems to be a little too hoppy. The malts in the aroma are not as pronounced in flavor. The mouthfeel is decent as well. This is a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a pretty good brew, but I've had better. I was looking for something a little maltier, but it drinks well nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2006 01:00:43 | More by WesWes

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

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

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

Bourre

France

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

compact creamy head on a orange golden color body. a smell of fresh straw, dry but sweet with notes of honey. The honey gets more noticeable in the taste and with its delicately floral and caramelynotes, it gives the brew an enjoyable character. Sweet, with a moderate hoppiness that doesn't alter the nice round mouthfeel of the brew. Grainy but in an subtle and enjoyable way, almost as creamy as an oatmeal soup. The carbonation is just right for the brew to be really drinkable.
A pretty good brew, right into the style. I had it a little warm, and it was pleasurable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2006 19:39:45 | More by Bourre

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

2.55/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

With a vigorous pour you get about an inch of to quick fading bubbley head. Body is a hazy wheat colored gold.

Nose carries strong yeasty wheat notes with a citrus hint also.

Enters the mouth strongly yeasty and an abruptly bitter feel. A hint of sweetness with some style wouldnt hurt here. Really carmalizing on the taste buds, kind of like eating a fresh baked yeast roll. Mouthfeel is bitter and raw. Drinkable if you are into a raw. Drinkable if you are into a raw yeasty bitter German style brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2005 04:04:19 | More by SPLITGRIN