Mahr's Pilsner - Mahrs-Bräu

putnam

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer could easily earn all 5's. The standing rainwater funk of the Mahr's Leicht becomes a luxurious swamp in this, their Pilsner. Succulent floral aromas seemlessly lead to scents of honey and stony earth. In the mouth it does a dynamic roll unleashing a dizzying array of flavors, from raw almonds to green tea to lemon juice. Sweet fermented storage grain perfume, it reminds me of braetzel in the park. The texture is thick and opulent, seeming somehow more alcoholic than a mere 5.0 ABV. Vermouthy herb flavors work nicely with ones of dough and earth. Incredible viscosity for such ostensibly dry beer. Bitter pine and root flavors build up as it repeats ever warmer. What is truly astonishing about this beer is its combination of three things: 1) seamless integration -- no jarring tannins or sticky sweetness, in fact the opposite, wilting blends of suggestive sensations like pages blowing in the wind, 2) thrilling range -- honey, tea, roots, and 3) transparent balance -- it is clear this beer evolved naturally, with a long slow fermentation. I suspect this balance might shift if it was mis-handled. I'm holding back a perfect score for drinkability until I can drink a few.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2005 00:59:08 | More by putnam

Realale

Missouri

4.85/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hazy straw gold. Huge, extremely fine bright white head settles stickily to full, complete cap.

Nose is sharp, fresh, herbal, German hops soaring over a base of rich, fresh baked white bread. Classic Pils here. Just gorgeous.

Even better in the mouth, where the rich, roundness of the malt makes first impact, only to be sliced by the hop bitterness in the midpalate. Both joust back and forth through the long, long finish. Magic.

Great roundness to the mouthfeel. This fills every nook and cranny with delicious goodness, and simply slides down the throat. I could drink this beer forever, and die with a smile on my face.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2007 23:10:48 | More by Realale

Offa

California

4.72/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is an excellent German pilsner with solid character.

Faintly hazy gold, it has a medium, off-white head steadily shrinking to a thin, permanent foamy top and a little lace.

The aroma is very nice and very fresh, an excellent and quintessentially German-pilsner aroma. It has strong fresh bread, lemon, herbs, and grass.

The flavour and feel are also excellent lightly sweet maltiness with plenty of malty flavour just dominated byt a clwear hoppy bitterness that lingers and has plenty of hop flavour. It has a strong bready character with lots of herbs and lemon. It is lively, zesty and frothy, yet also slightly oily, giving a firm, frothy feel. The character holds up very well.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 19:00:01 | More by Offa

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Great german pilsner. Yellow hazy with a billowy white head. Historic smeling, a little grassy and citrusy. Tasted sweet buscuit malts and fain citrus hops. Medium carboantiona and body. Fairly smooth on the tongue. Would get it again. Went great with pizza.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 14:24:23 | More by jbertsch

UnionMade

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the Moan & Dove in Amherst, MA. Served in a Mahr's branded .5L mug.
Cloudy straw, topped with a fat, large bubbled white head. Very unusual. I inquired of the bar owner, who served me, and he said this is a special unfiltered version that his bar gets. Cool! Does that make it a kellerbier? Good head retention, with tons of cobwebby lace clinging to the glass.
Unusual aroma, almost exactly like fresh clover honey. Sweet, malty and floral. Soft grain, sulphur and pilsy corn. Mild hops, kinda floral, definitely taking the backseat to the incredible malt.
The flavor follows suit, with a distinct clover honey flavor dominating. Really quite delicious, highly unusual and very drinkable. Pilsner isn't typically the most complex style, but I think the hops suffer from such an overwhelming malt flavor. Either it's a mildly hopped beer, or the unfiltered nature does something to soften the hop presence. Just a vague floral taste, I'd guess at spalter or perle. Some grassy esters and vanilla add depth. Lingering sweet honey aftertaste, with a bit of cereal graininess. Persistent carbonation. Fairly full bodied, with a soft, delicate feel on the palate.
Highly unusual, but I could drink liters of this stuff. The cloudiness is definitely strange, and I can only guess that the honey flavor is the product of the yeast. Whatever it is, it's delicious. Nearly identical to real clover honey.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2005 02:25:20 | More by UnionMade

jameaterblues

New York

4.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a bottle from whole foods in columbus circle while buying one of the new brooklyn schiender collaboration beer. I love this brewery and have not had anything bad from them, and the pils does not disappoint.

A- is yellow straw and very bubbly. a little bit hazy, and a thin white head that leaves a small film of white bubbles accross the top of the beer(the lack of head might have been my pour, but I'm not sure).
S- Spicy hops that tend to bring to mind zesty herbs, and some big botanical grassy scents. light malty back bone, that blends to leave what smells to be a refreshing beer for this summer night in NYC.
T-Spicy to the point of a bit savory, but that is just in the tip of the tongue and middle of the body...the beer picks up with a bit of grassy plant like flavor, and a hint of citrusy grapefruit....while the bitter finish rides to the end of the sip it really doesn't last too long creating a refreshing full flavored beer.
M/D- Honestly it is a bit heavier, and what I would describe as a medium bodied pilsener...Refreshing and hoppy, and easy to drink. If it came in six packs it would probably become a regular at my house.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2007 00:12:45 | More by jameaterblues

tompearson

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Wow.
I'm touring Pils beer these days and loving it. From a NW hop head that's saying a lot.
This one is my favorite. Here is what is really interesting:
We'll be in Bamberg Germany this summer so I'm ready for it on tap!. Mohr Pils in July on the Rhine River. Can't wait.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 01:16:07 | More by tompearson

Brad007

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice to see another pilsner available to try.

Pours a bright yellow color with a decent one-finger head into my pint glass. Looks good so far for the style.

Aroma is sweet and full of chewy malt upfront. A decent hop bite is around as well.

Taste is full of sweet, bready malt with a mild amount of hops. Easy to drink. Nothing harsh. Almost creamy.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering grainy, sweet, bready malt and the hint of hops. Very well done carbonation-wise. Quite authentic to the style.

Very nice and drinkable. Definitely how I feel a pilsner should taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 05:14:25 | More by Brad007

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

nice cloudy golden yellow with some depth and substance, bubbles rushing to the surface. thick, chunky head of foam leaving big, spacious lacing. aroma is buttery and lagery at the same time with a huge biscuit breadiness.. more ciabatta than blueberry muffin here.

delicious first sip alive with fruit, red berries.. smooths out into a very light and sweet malt all the while keeping a medium body.. impressive. slightly bitter to round out the experience, with a clean finish that begs for just a tad more lingering flavor, as lagery sourness is the last thing to exit the palate.

still, for what it is, this beer is a staple and a wonderful icon for the category. one of the best german session beers ive had if not the best.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2005 23:05:25 | More by goodbyeohio

Riggo

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pours a very pale yellow. almost looks like a wit. white, tightly-beaded head and good lacing.

aroma is floral initially, then a little musty with some biscuit-like notes.

very crisp, snappy carbonation on the tongue. tight razor-thin dryness but at the same time a honeyish sweetness.

creamy head, smooth, despite the dry snappiness.

drinkability is very high due to the crispness and good balance.

certainly sweeter than some german pils' like jever but still has that tight crispness that is just so refreshing and hard to find in most pilseners. would love to have this in my fridge all the time. another european pils that shows us what american macro lagers should taste like.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2008 03:22:12 | More by Riggo

gfreed

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Came across this in the newly expanded beer section at Berman's Liquors in Lexington, MA. Amber-tinted straw color with a head the bubbles merrily and shines like a full moon. Plenty of spice and pepper in the nose with a slight lean on malty sugar. I expected a bitter smack in the taste but was pleasantly surprised by how it favors malt rather than hops. There's still a peppery spike at the back end but it's mild; the taste is definitely tilted toward malt with a good dose of pears and perhaps some apricots. A nice find, especially for those who find some German pilsners to be bitter. A nice weekday beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 01:04:24 | More by gfreed

melagnus

California

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pilsner malt produced Straw (SRM 3.5) to Pale Gold hues, with finger-thick white head that fades quickly. The head has a sudsy consistency and is easily roused when swirling this fine looking liquid in the snifter.

S - A beautiful bouquet of Hallertau hops consumed the senses, giving off a mild citrusy note that seems dry and crisp. Phenolic spiciness also comes through on the nose.

T - Medium in body, this beer balances the hops and malts perfectly for this style, with a to-style edge going to the bittering Halertau hops. The beer has a sweet malty consistency, which gives a slight syrupy aspect to the beer, but then dries out on a bitter-note in a crisp refreshing way. By no means the crisp finish of a Bohemian Pilsner, this Franconian-style Pils is an absolute gem! Although it states 5.0% on the label, their website states the beer is 4.9% ABV, so not sure what to believe. Either way, a Session Beer it is and a damn good one!

C - I haven't had a proper German Pilsner since leaving Germany and after tasting this, I've started to long again for the beer I once used to be able to get so fresh! Old World they are, but the traditional brewing method utilized in brewing most German beers clearly shows the love and passion they still have for all things beer-related! Pair it with some German Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Schnitzel (traditionally utilizes a pork cutlet) and some Sauerkraut (pickled sour cabbage) and enjoy!

Prost!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 18:46:25 | More by melagnus

plfahey

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

25 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Pale Yellow and very lightly hazy. Moderate white head with fine bubbles and moderate retention. Some nice lacing.

Aroma-Complex aroma-sweet, grainy malt with some biscuit characteristics, floral/spicy hops with some citrus (I'm not sure if the citrus is from the hops or if it's a yeast character in this one), and very light background diacetyl. Yum.

Flavor-Hops make a greater showing in the flavor, but are not overly bitter and are certainly not harsh. Light grainy malt and almost a low honey flavor. Hops have a floral, spicy, and citrusy flavor. Malt dries out in the finish leaving the light hop flavors to play out into the finish.

Mouthfeel-Medium low body, Medium high carbonation. Medium crisp, could be a hair better in this department, but still quite smooth-no harshness or unpleasant astringency.

In the words of a great woman-I could drink a shitload of this. This is a delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 05:41:58 | More by plfahey

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

16oz gravity pour at the Farmhouse from a cask. Beautiful clear golden straw color with 1 inch of bleach-white head. Nose is floral and like spring time. Palate is crisp and a little Sharp with a nice hop twang. Flavors float around pale honey, wild flowers and straw. Long, lovely finish for a pilsner. Truly amazing!

Serving type: cask

10-25-2011 02:45:52 | More by SFLpunk

Domingo

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bottle of Mahr's sans dust? A must-buy!
Pale light yellow a few shades lighter than the hell. Slight haze showing this is unfiltered. The foamy head is extra lively, too.
Similar to the helles, clover honey and bready malts hit the front of the palate. However the hops are more potent and slightly less herbal. There's still a little bit of herbal earthiness to it, but it's slightly more traditional hallertau. The back of the palate is bitter, but never sharp. The vanilla creamy malt note (not diacetyl, it's more of a sweet malt character) from some of their other brews shows up here a little, too.
So good and so drinkable. My bottle only lasted about 5 minutes.
Not quite as fresh as from the source (or a firkin) but still damn good.
Love Mahr's to death. A great beer from one of the best brewers anywhere. If you like German beers, you owe it to yourself to try this one and really anything else from them.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 01:41:23 | More by Domingo

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wasn't able to try this during my trip to Bamberg but I did find a bottle. Bottled on 27/5. If that is this yea that isn't bad, should just be hitting its best by date.

It pours a really nice color. It is a clear vibrant gold with lots of tiny bobbles and a perfect white foamy golf-ball like head. As it slowly recedes it leaves a wall of lacing.

The smell is obviously a bit neutered. Both because of the freshness and the presumed pasteurization and trip over. But it smells pretty good nonetheless. It smells a bit like a Noble pils actually. It has a good deal of herbs and medicinal qualities in the smell along with a big hit of lime zest. There is also some earthiness and light sweet, fruity smelling malt. Definitely complex for a pils.

The flavor, whole not at is peak is still delicious and refreshing. It is nicely hopped with that fresh herb taste of noble hops and a light bitterness on the back end. The malts are still decent'y vibrant with some nice breadlike qualities. There is also a fruitiness/sweetness coming form the malt.

When fresh this thing is probably a beast. Get it as soon as you see it on the shelf in the US, but ideally go try it in Germany, it will be amazing.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 22:03:14 | More by crossovert

kmo1030

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

golden and slightly hazed with a nice thick white head that laces.
the aroma is floral and melon like, honeydew i think. it's got a bit smooth vanilla, that's very subtle, but adds a very nice complexity. it has, what best can be described as a very fresh leafy, but non hoppy aroma, a sort of mix of freshly cut grass, mild faint veggie, and the smell of a new england wooded area in the spring or summer. yes i know this sounds weird, but it's the closest approximation i can get. it's also got a faintly skunky, but not sulfuric, hoppy aroma.
the taste is a crisp sweet malty base, with further sweet faintly fruity, honey, floral flavors following that. finishing with a nice crisp delicate bitterness, that's one thing i could use just a touch more of here.
soft medium body with pretty delicate carbonation.
very good drinkability, and an expertly crafted pilsener, i could go for about two or three more of these. just about the only thing i'd change would be to add a little more hops to the equation.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2006 00:25:23 | More by kmo1030

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1 pint .9 oz bottle. Mahr's pilsner pours out a golden color topped with a large, white head. Vigorous carbonation rises in the glass for several minutes. Floral aroma along with some bready maltiness. The flavor is malty. It's not a big flavor, but there's no off flavor in this beer. Hops are light. A little bit of lemony tartness comes in at the finish. The mouthfeel is medium. Great drinkability. I could go for several of these at a time. Overall, a very solid pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2006 02:43:44 | More by beveragecaptain

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16.9 oz brown bottle. There's place for "Bottled on": but there's no date.
It pours a pale hazy gold with a sizable white head and some lace.
The aromas of floral hops and cut hay are quite pronounced. A light smell of basil-like herbs is noticed in the background.
The malt body is more substantial than it appears. A lightly sweet cookie comes to mind.
The hops have a sharp-edged bitterness to them, but they're not overly potent. This brew has a pleasant herbal quality to it.
It's balanced and very drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2004 00:33:23 | More by BeerResearcher

Bourre

France

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a nice mattress of foam, compact and creamy, dominates a glittering golden color body. the smell and the taste both seemed buttery at first, but this first impression got progressively overwhelmed by a pleasant sweet, fruity and dry honey profile. Fresh and broad. Nice german hops, round and chewy, circle the mouth and make this beer a delicately balanced one, with a lasting citric character. The carbonation, grasping without being too aggressive nicely completes the picture.
Would be great with a salad. And I don't have any in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2006 19:51:27 | More by Bourre

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a .5L bottle to a standard V-shaped pilsner glass. The liquid is straw yellow and clear with huge carbonation. It pushes up a tall 3 finger white head with a rocky surface that fades slowly to show a good lace.

The smell is of biscuits and killer hops.

The taste is grainy bread and hopy. Very nice indeed.

The mouthfeel is very good just how it should be when fresh, This might be over 6 months old but well kept. A lighter body, good carbonation, very refreshing.

The drinkability is good, no complaints. Prosit, MK

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2006 04:24:49 | More by MuenchenerKindl

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Firkin at Beervana.

Light fizzy head of just a few big bubbles, as typical from a firkin, mostly clear pilsner golden pale color.

Nose has lots of fruit, apple, pear, lager fruits, a nice crisp lager aroma, lots of soft complex malts, light floral noble hops.

Taste is similar, bringing nice crisp lager flavors and fruits, apple and pear again. A really nice soft almost creamy complex malt from a well done decoction with a hint of sweetness. Then a nice hop bitterness comes through starting light then intensifying but never too much, with a nice floral noble hop that starts to get very slightly spicy on the finish as it also dries. Lingering fruit, soft malts, and some hop bitterness.

Mouth is lighter bodied, lower carb due to firkin.

Overall really nice, refreshing and drinkable with a lot of flavor. Typical Bavarian pils, lots of lager flavors, soft but complex malts, nice hop kick. Wish I could brew like this.

Serving type: cask

10-25-2011 11:40:33 | More by jlindros

sparkydoyle

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from .550 l bottle.

Noticable chill haze (beer served around 55 deg. F). Mininal head passed quickly and left light lacework. Straw color with slightly soft carbonation.

Nose is hoppy, Munich malts notes gradually build as the beer warms. Flavor is moderately complex for the style. Bitter foretaste breaks into a slightly sweet, bready finish. Aftertase is dry with a slight bite.

A bit too subtle to be a truly outstanding and memorable example of the style, but enjoyable and great with lobster or fish.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2004 23:16:17 | More by sparkydoyle

twelvsies

Maine

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The latest installment in my ongoing obsession with Mahr's...
Light orangy straw color, slightly hazy, very calm. A decent head as well, fades down to just a small layer of foam riding the top, but this little layer lasts all the way down to the last drop. Nice. Smells sweet and caked with malty qualities, bready and biscuity, with plenty of spicy German hops. An herbal quality as well. This is mighty big for a pilsner! Wow, actually a lot of malt in there. Not a dark roasty malt obviously, but a pale, bready character, and providing a nice honey sweetness that isn't too common in most pilsners. Interesting take here. The yeast is up to something as well, adding a fresh, ripe, fruity quality to the sweetness. At least I'm guessing it's the yeast. The only complaint I have, and it's more of just an observation than a complaint, is that the classic crisp hoppy quality found in most pilsners is more subdued here due to the odd, robust flavors in this beer. Still a nice hop bite though. Almost medium bodied mouthfeel, not dry at all, and super soft. Definitely an interesting take on the style. I wouldn't call it an "imperial pilsner", but it's a beefy one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2006 16:53:00 | More by twelvsies

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at The Moan and Dove.

This pilsner poured a hazy, yellow gold color with white foam. The smell was malt, biscuit, and fruity hops. The taste was sweetish malt and biscuit with fruity, mildly floral hops. The mouthfeel was smooth and relatively clean. The body was medium with moderate carbonation. This was a great light and refreshing pilsner, perfect for a warm afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2003 20:39:04 | More by UncleJimbo