Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Hell - Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a straight pint glass.

Pours a clear golden colour with a short lived head.

Smells of light malts and yeast.

Tastes quite sharp with a twang of yeast and some wholesome bready malts, and a fruity/bitter taste on the finish.

Overall a pretty good beer, with perhaps too much yeast taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 17:15:11 | More by CwrwAmByth

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.03/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Weizen glass from a 500 ml bottle.

Clear, pale color. Head is large and foamy and stays pretty long, leaving nice lacing.
Aroma is dominated by a very bready smell. Also some malt.
Taste is also very bready.
Body feels light to medium with good carbonation.

Overall this beer is quite interesting with it's dominant bready character.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 19:36:18 | More by Ciocanelu

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Long-necked 11.2 oz bottle. Dropped into a pint glass.Very clear. Golden, light-colored body. Decent head settles into a collar.

Smells like a bag of fresh cut dry grass and a little lemon. More lemon as it warms.Taste is citric and gently hoppy like the aroma but a little more earthy. Finishes sweet. At 5.5%, this beer is ridiculously crushable. Mildly lemony, mildly hoppy.

O: This lager is money, and, unfortunately, it’s such an enjoyable style that good breweries in the USA don’t usually make. Most beer drinkers would love one of these at one point or another.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:05:36 | More by NardiByNature

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Half litre bottle, similar colour to apple juice, clear. Slight noble hop smell with a hint of yeast. Fairly sweet, just about balanced, a bit malty. Medium body, a bit of fiz. Overall a decent thirst quencher but you could tell it had been mass produced. Didn't quite match the flavour of other Helles that I've had from smaller breweries.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 12:44:59 | More by jonb5

hophunter

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Gold in color, clear. White lacing that holds with tight bubbles.

Aroma: Clean malt and bready aroma with low hop.

Taste: Malty and grainy, light sweetness. Detectable hop with lasting maltiness. Clean flavor. Very distinct yeast detectable in their other beers. Almost fruity...almost.

Mouthfeel: Very clean crisp body with light-medium body and medium carbonation. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall: Very drinkable beer. It's perfect for people who are use to Light American Lagers and want to slowly be introduced to more hand-crafted bolder bodied beers. Also, I've never been disappointed by Hacker-Pschorr. They make great beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 03:33:54 | More by hophunter

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.13/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought on a short trip across the German border, from where I live.
0.5 l , swingcap bottle.

Golden colour, modest carbonation, thin head, but ok lacing.

Smell of malts and yeast, some citric and floral notes.
Taste equal, but a bit more plain malty, allmost dough.
Mouthfeel mild bitterness, lingering aftertaste, slightly dry.
Overall, it's more simple than I had hoped.
Not as complex as some of the others in this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 11:44:25 | More by RuudJH

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml Bügelflasche. Mindestens haltbar bis ende: 03/12.

It pours a clear gold with a lot of clingy carbonation bubbles, but I think that is from the glass. The head is bright and white and dissipates quickly.

The smell is mild, bread here, hops there, but it is pleasant.

The flavor is much more interesting. It is malty with a hint of sugary butteriness, but not too much to make it unworthy. The hops are tasty and vibrant and provide an herbal, grassy bitterness in the finish.

It is a decent one.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 13:03:34 | More by crossovert

dasenebler

Maine

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Two .5L swing-top bottles into my newly acquired Andechser Maß!
Best before February 2012.

Pours a clear, effervescent yellow-gold with a meringue-like white head. Good lacing, decent retention.

The aroma is very fresh and exactly what you'd think when "German beer" comes to mind: grassy Euro hops and clean grains.

The flavor is exceptionally clean, if a tad boring in the end. Grainy, lightly sweet malts, mild bitterness, and some herbal, grassy hops. The mouthfeel is light, soft and well-carbonated. Very good cold.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 17:15:31 | More by dasenebler

beerdrifter

Germany

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Maruhn GetrankeMarkt, a great beer store outside of Darmstadt. Crystal clear straw yellow pour with quickly fading two finger head and minimal lacing. Pretty typical, albeit subdued, German pils/helles nose although not as grassy as most with just a touch of metal. Very nicely balanced. Perfect combination of bitterness with just enough sweet malts. Very clean and crisp, and it has that subtle metallic tinge to it that I love. The drinkability is over the top. I often find these helles beers to be too sweet for my taste, but this was a really nice change. I actually prefer this to the draft versions I've had at fests.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 16:22:49 | More by beerdrifter

AndrewNations

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing from Notes. I had this beer at the brewery during Oktoberfest 2010. An amazing experience.

A - Perfectly clear and golden. Very little lacing and with a thin white head.

S - Not a whole lot on the nose. Slight sweet malt and yeast.

T - Nice and clean. This was such a subtle beer than any imperfections would be quite evident. Really fresh and finishes a bit sweet. This has really spoiled me as trying similar styles in the states aren't quite the same.

M - Perfect. The carbonation everywhere in Germany was perfect even from the kegs at Oktoberfest. Not to think or thick.

I really enjoyed this one. It really changed my perception of lagers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2010 21:02:56 | More by AndrewNations

czfreeman

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Living now in Northern Germany, the great Bayern beers I have come to love are hard to find, so when I saw this today, had to grab it.
Opens with a loud pop from the flip-top. Once decanted, pours a great light amber-tan sparkling apple cider color. Light, medium dense head rises up in the glass, medium high carbonation. Quite lovely looking.
Aromatics of sour apple, biscuit, mineral-high water, bread, musty-cellar like notes, honey, with a nice light citrus character added as well. Better than you average Helles note of sweet malt.
Flavor is light, crisp. Apple, tart pear, citrus, biscuit, sour wildflower honey, sauerampfer, peppper, malt. the finish is really superb. Crisp, carbonated and tingling, my palate is left tingling with peppery sharpness that set your palate perfectly for the next sip. Following a rather unspetacular DAB pilsner, it really shows the difference between a Pils and Helles.My vote is for the Helles. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 15:52:39 | More by czfreeman

TheSarge

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew has a high quality appearance. Crystal clear and golden body, with ample amounts of snow white head, which dissipates very quickly.

Smell wise, it's got a hint of lemon from the hops, and a grainy cereal aroma.

Taste wise, there is not much to this brew. There isn't much in the way of lemon that I detect in other helles lagers, but there is an herbal tobacco flavor here.

This brew is soft on the palate, and wetting as well. Moderately carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 12:44:34 | More by TheSarge

thierrynantes

France

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (50cl), tasted in 2004.

Appearance : yellow color, with a white foamy head.
Smell : sweet malty and hoppy aromas.
Taste and mouthfell : malty, with medium bitterness in finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Munich Helles lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 13:33:53 | More by thierrynantes

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a .5L swing-top, flown back from Germany. Appears a clear amber-gold with a short white head.

Man, this is beer. I could down this by the liter. It's a perfect balance of light, nutty, biscuity malts with a dash of spicy hops. Very clean flavor and incredibly drinkable. It's a shame this beer, or style, isn't very common, or often this well made.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 23:16:51 | More by tempest

cichief

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had right from the barrel at Der Pshorr, next to the Viktuell's Markt in Munich.

A- Pours a deep gold, with a great white head.

S- Somewhat malty in the nose the hops are pretty well muted.

T- Soft, slightly fruity maltiness, clean but no strong bitterness.

M- Very smooth from the barrel, thin to medium body, little carbonation.

D- Very drinkable lager, this and Augustiner are the best Munich has to offer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2008 15:39:09 | More by cichief

mltobin

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was served from a 12oz bottle. A beautiful golden color to this beer and a frothy white head. It smelled good with some spice to it. Upon sipping, I noticed a good amount of hops in the beer. They continued to linger in the after taste as well. I had a couple of these while eating a grilled chicken sandwich and the beers complemented the chicken very well. A very smooth beer with just the right amount of character to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2007 23:29:00 | More by mltobin

ghostmech007

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz Euro bottle poured into a pint.

Crystal clear. Brilliant gold with a pure white head. Head doesn't retain very well.

Raw grains with mellow fruits in the nose.

Very smooth and good on the tongue. Crisp carbonation gives way to a nice sweetness and light fruitiness. Slight metallic flavors and light esters. Ends very dry and husky.

Very good beer with a nice mouthful.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2007 01:13:26 | More by ghostmech007

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml swig top bottle poured into my 500ml Paulaner Seidel.

A - pale golden caramel colour. Creamy 3 finger white head sits atop but disappears quickly to leave a thin crown. Lacing is good.

S - Not a lot, lots of bread and malt, i also get a faint dry roasted peanut smell.

T- Not complex at all, a straight malty helles, touch of hop bite in the finish, but overall, very simple not overly strong bready malty flavour all the way through. This dry roasted peanut taste becomes stronger as the beer warms slightly

M - Medium carbonation, slightly watery.

D- Very simple up and down drinking helles, great in summer session at the biergarten, could drink all day without effort, but would like a little bit more character. Does the job and wouldnt pass on it

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 22:14:35 | More by seanyfo

vanrassel

Alberta (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This poured a nice dark golden colour with a thin head that quickly dwindled to a ring. The hops smelled mostly grassy, with only a hint of spiciness. Bready malt made up a big part of aroma, reminding me more of an Oktoberfest.

The spicy hops re-emerged in the taste, but malt still ran the show with bread and grains dominating my palate. The carbonation was a little low and the feel a bit thin and watery. I wanted to like this beer more, but in the end felt like it lacked that little something extra that separates memorable beers from the rest.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2006 04:07:48 | More by vanrassel

tfinn

Oregon

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

0.5L bottle brought back to the states from a trip to munich. production date code 26954 which translates to day 269 of 2005, some time in late september, so this is a nice young sample.

pours brilliant strong yellow, not quite gold. finely-bubbled white head. carbonation is light -- I have to knock a little since I feel it should be a little more vigorous for the style, and lack of high carbonation doesn't support the head.

initial scents of DMS which burn off after a little bit, (to be expected I suppose,) replaced with light malt, faintly of hay / flowers. no detectable hop aromas.

taste is light malt, with slight mineral/hops in back to give a very crisp clean finish. makes you want to drink more. a bit of a grainy malt tail on it, which is an essential element of the style.

mouthfeel is full for such a light beer, with initial pinpricks of carbonation giving way to smooth malt, hop, and then reappearing malt. it's not complicated, but it does take your mouth on a fun little trip with every sip.

immensely drinkable, and would go well with a giant brezel. no wonder this stuff sells by the liter in the beer gardens.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2005 23:10:54 | More by tfinn

mobyfann

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Paid .60EUR + .08EUR glass deposit for a 500mL bottle.

*Reviewed on 24.07.2005

The beer pours a crystal clear golden base, medium white head, head retention of about 15 minutes and lacing fades with the head. I didn't get much out of the aroma of the beer, a touch of malt and hops if that.

The taste is refrehsing, key note on a nice aftertaste, a little more carbonation that most helles. Palette likes it, it's never heavy. Definitely a worthy session beer, good mild and fresh tasting beer.

Final Thought: This is a real nice helles which is hard to make right sometimes, this one is in the top quartile in my book.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2005 18:10:37 | More by mobyfann

rdrummer

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very representative German lager in my opinion. It pours a nice clear golden color with a thin, pure white head. There is very little lacing. The aroma is one of grain and yeast with a hint of alcohol and malt. It has a nice lager flavor but stronger than most lagers brewed in the US. It has that distinctive German lager flavor that is very recognizable, and which I can only attribute to the German barley and malts. This has a lot of body for a lager and is crisp and clean. It is also very smooth with no real bite and goes down very easily and much too quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2004 22:38:05 | More by rdrummer

pheurton

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

crystal clear golden topped with a fat white head that is retained rather well. clean munich malt aroma, with hints of light esters and european hops. crisply carbonated and refreshing, while retaining a sturdy medium body. clean and lightly sweet toasted grain flavor, balanced by an earthy noble hopiness. tastes slightly more fruity as it warms up, but this is pretty subtle. nice clean lager that is refreshing and easy to drink, yet still retains ample flavor. great summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2004 17:08:05 | More by pheurton

Globetrotter

Virginia

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I got this at a German restaurant in Moscow. It reminded me of previous experiences with this brew while in Munich. This was never my favorite.

Came out with a three finger white contoured head over clear gold. Has a classic Helles mild malty nose wiht just a hint of metal and soap. The mouth is very (too) prickly and light. The taste is fresh and crisp, but lacks soul, as there is not a whole lot of maltiness or hoppiness or wheatiness or anything else. The finish brings out a bit of the hops, but by then it is too late. There's a certain sweetness here that does not go over well. Overall, this beer is quite unremarkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2003 19:43:04 | More by Globetrotter

marburg

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very attractive pale straw color that highlights the carbonation and the surprisingly solid white head. Musty, bready, veggie aromas -- not really great or appealing to me. Almost smells like any other pale lager, really. Surprisingly full for a lager like this -- medium-bodied. It worked well as a post-beach brew on a 95 degree Delaware day.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2003 14:32:16 | More by marburg