Neuschwansteiner - Der HirschBrau/Privatbrauerei Höss

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from the LCBO as part of a giftpack. 500ml swingtop into a pint glass. Best before date of May 11, 2011.

Pours a clear pale yellow, with a few dense fingers of head. Sticky lace and moderate retention. To style, I guess. Nose of slightly sweet grain, mild floral hops and not a ton else going on. Taste is similar, and tame. Some subtle noble hops, a dominant pale malt and a weird slimy film that lingered on my mouth and palate for a while. Definitely not attractive at all, did something go wrong? Decent mouthfeel when I got 'used' to that. Medium low carbonation, kinda drinkable I guess. Wasn't a big fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 00:22:23 | More by liamt07

KellBell

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500 ml swing top bottle into a pint glass.

Slightly turbid, pale golden with a roughly half-inch loosely foaming head that quickly disappeared. Sparse, tiny bubbles reflect the mild carbonation.

The aroma is light and fresh, with a little sweet, dried summer grass.

The taste is what I would expect from a German lager. Very drinkable and refreshing, just enough hops, balanced with bread-y sweetness, with a hint of whiskey. The only minor complaint I have is the alcohol taste seems to elbow its way to the front a little, but not enough to interfere with the overall experience.

On the palate this lager is light, but not too watery, mild carbonation.

I'm a little biased because this is one of my favorite beer styles. But I really like this beer. I will have this one again for sure. Beware... It's so drinkable, the alcohol sneaks up!

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:36:01 | More by KellBell

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

clean golden yellow pour with a half inch of head which quickly dissipated.
smells citrusy sweet.. like a lemon orange zest. mainly sweet malts and bready yeast.
slight grassy bitterness up front, a skunky bready yeast flavor follows, then a burnt-like bitterness makes way for the final flavor offering of sweet bready malts. kind of all over the place with great flavors.
light-medium body, mild carbonation.

i feel like this could be better with a little more carbonation. a sweet lager, almost pils like, with a dry finish. very crisp, flavorful, and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 03:11:48 | More by facundoCNB

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

12-27-2012 20:25:14 | More by cliff1066

EvanWilliams

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

12-23-2012 06:27:55 | More by EvanWilliams

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -16.4%

11-15-2012 02:17:35 | More by cfalovo97

Vylo

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

11-13-2012 04:45:47 | More by Vylo

fionn13

Ireland

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

10-22-2012 12:26:10 | More by fionn13

oberon

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 1/2 liter stein a honey tinged light golden color with a fluffy one finger white head atop.Grainy withiron notes in the nose,light toast a faint sweetness as well.Quite dry on the palate with that toasted grain element coming thru,faint vanilla tinged sweetness with slightly detected sour bite in the finish.Not bad,not very complex but it's great while outside grilling on a kick ass autumn like today gearing up for uopefully another Tiger beat down of the Yankees tonight.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 21:08:10 | More by oberon

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a pale straw colour, finger of head with solid retention and no real lacing.

S - Grassy hops and bready malts, musty and a hint of wheat.

T - Much like the nose with heavy grassy notes, loads of pilsener style hops that linger with bready flavors and wheat.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and dry on the finish.

O - A tasty ale with loads of pilsener style hop notes. Definitely flavorful a suitable for the style. Well worth the 4 pack that it came in.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 04:06:31 | More by andrenaline

500MLperWeek

4/5  rDev +11.4%

07-27-2012 02:42:24 | More by 500MLperWeek

st9647v3

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +18.4%

07-03-2012 01:21:34 | More by st9647v3

stevoj

Germany

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

04-11-2012 15:33:52 | More by stevoj

ATPete

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.4%

02-20-2012 18:16:47 | More by ATPete

taylocd

Alabama

4/5  rDev +11.4%

01-27-2012 02:17:35 | More by taylocd

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From a 16.9oz brown flip-top bottle:

The beer poured a clear, bright golden color that produced a very nice white foamy head, which left some lacing and ultimately dissipated into a thin, spotty cap.

The aroma was possibly one of the best for this style that I have tried, a nice strong sweet bready aroma with just a hint of hops.

The taste of the beer is as expected, but just better than others that I have tried. The beer had a nice, fresh malty/bready flavor that had just enough hops to balance it out. The beer was exceptionally smooth, creamy, and crisp. The beer finished with a nice dry finish.

Overall, this beer is exceptionally easy to drink and should be drunk often. Possibly one of the best lagers that I have ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 18:07:09 | More by PhillyStyle

jimctin

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +11.4%

12-02-2011 14:41:53 | More by jimctin

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml swing-top bottle.

It pours a hazy gold with a quickly-dissipating white head.

Smell is grainy, and unfortunately old smelling. I think it is an old bottle.

The flavor is again off. Sweet, grainy, sugary. Obviously not fresh.

Take the rating of this one with a grain of salt. I am sure it is a lot better when it is fresh, this bottle obviously is not fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 05:04:01 | More by crossovert

draheim

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500mL bottle poured into a weizen glass. Pours a hazy straw color with a disappointing head. Carbonation is an irregular mix of tiny to large bubbles.

Aroma is grainy with an unidentifiable, mildly acidic smell that reminds me vaguely of V-8: tomato? celery?

Taste is grainy, a little lemony, biscuity.

Dry crisp clean finish. I haven't had many Helles Lagers so I don't know how this compares to others, but I didn't much enjoy this one and won't be seeking it out again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 06:27:23 | More by draheim

Luigi

North Carolina

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

Pours a golden straw color with a two-half finger head with plenty of carbonation. Head retention is great with a blanket of lace head the glass till the end.

The aroma is ripe with grassy hops and sweet malt. Spicy hop is delicate and balanced.

Taste clean with a great balance of malt of hops. Semi-sweet malts balanced out perfectly with a mild spicy hop.

Light bodied with a little carbonation. Great drinkability! Classic German taste! All I can say is I loved this Lager!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 02:24:46 | More by Luigi

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - One and a half fingers of white foam on top of a clear, golden body. The foam settles fairly quickly and leaves average lace.

S - Grainy pilsner malt with some spicy hops in the background.

T - Rich malt up front with notes of honey and graham cracker. Some herbal hop flavors show up in the middle and balance the bready malt. Some floral hop character shows up in the finish with light bitterness and more honey malt that lingers in the aftertaste.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a fairly dry finish.

D - Very drinkable and well made. The malt character is rich and intense with enough noble hops to keep it balanced. This is a really excellent example of the style and one that seems to have held up well despite the long trip from Germany.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 03:57:26 | More by nickfl

doughanson78

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass. First Munich Helles Lager.

A: A very light pale straw yellow color. Very clear. Small half finger head that disappeared quickly. There is no lace to speak of.

S: Very grainy and biscuity with some corn notes. Lemony. Some hay and grassy aromas.

T: Grains, bread, biscuits, and creamed corn up front. Lemony grains in the middle. Finishes with lots of hay and grassy notes and a little honey. Touches of caramel throughout.

M: Light bodied but not watery. Medium carbonation. Crisp, clean, and smooth.

O: Being my first from this style it didn't impress me. Not really into lagers anyways. Definitely a easy drinking beer. Low ABV, no bitterness, and easy on the palate flavors make it an easy session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 02:41:43 | More by doughanson78

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a clear straw yellow with good carbonation and a nice white cap

S: Grassy, floral, hints of grains

T: Sweet, nice grassy nites, floral hops and down right sweet. An amazing lager with loads of flavor.

M: Lighter body, sweet, easy to drink and amazingly easy to drink

O: Delicous! If you dont drink Lagers then you can not identify but I agree with the Bros on this. Solid A Lager..no doubt

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 02:41:46 | More by barleywinefiend

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a weak, clear gold with a frothy head and tiny effervescent bubbles that rocket upwards leaving rings of lace.

The aroma is cream corn, pale malts and a hint of noble hops and grain husks.

The taste is very mild and hugely reminiscent of the aroma, as sweet pale malt is balanced against a floral bitterness with some corn in there for good measure. A little too honey sweet and and not dry enough for my liking, but decent. Reminds me of a Kolsh, actually.

Mouthfeel is light and watery.

Drinkability...sure. Why not?

A middling effort all around

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 01:36:07 | More by MeisterBurger

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Part of the LCBO's winter HirschBrau gift set. A lovely bottle design on the front, probably the kind of beer Mad King Ludwig would have envisioned being served at has castle.

Poured into the accompanying Neuschwansteiner glass, which I think is of the "stange" variety (definitely well-suited for a koelsch, at any rate). Deep golden, slightly opaque, leaves behind a thin head with some flecks of lacing. I must say this is a rather limp looking brew, nothing zippy or exciting about it. Little visible carbonation, pours a bit soupy. Already looks flat. A vigorous swirl to fill the glass a second time did little to spring some life into things. Pity.

Nose is decidedly more pleasant, with lemon, herbal hops, Munich malts, a nice grainy, farmland feel to it.

Tastes like a sweet German pilsner, with the emphasis on a solid malt profile and lemon/herbal hops. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but there is certainly nothing artificial to this brew.


The whole thing feels rather flat and watery, not really doing it for me. Carbonation provides the occasional zip of flavor, but generally it feels flat and lifeless. I'm actually wondering if the brew's gone a bit past its prime, but it's only been in the fridge for a day or two and the gift set was a recent purchase, with the hefeweizen tasting and feeling just fine the night before. So I'm not really sure that's the problem. But, since I'm obligated to base my review on what I have in front of me, rather than what I think it should have been, this one missed the mark.

I really have to stress that this was not a poor-tasting brew. It's quite flavorful and has most of the things I'm looking for in a Munich helles. However, the poor appearance and lifeless body reveal one of two things: that Neuschwansteiner doesn't ship well to Ontario (and hopefully tastes better in its native Southern Germany), or this beer is simply not among the brewery's best. Since I so enjoyed their bock and hefeweizen imports, I'm going to lean towards the latter.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 21:03:29 | More by JohnnyBarman