Spaten Münchner Hell (München/Premium Lager)
Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

 

 

From a bottle that is within date. Pours nicely with a wonderful clean look of a lager. The nose is sharp with malt and hops in play. The taste is the typical German malt and clean hops that just cannot be duplicated unless you go to the source. It has a nice hop bite, but the malty sweetness lingers in the finish. For a clean lager that has really been an established standard you cannot go wrong. I always like to have this beer in the frig. It works if thirsty or you want to linger the taste. For a beer like this it has excellent body and feel. Lots of breweries in the world but this is without a doubt a classic that still mustera the taste test.

 

I only had a couple of drafts on a trip. It was the best part of a not so good German restaurant. I need to find a good German restaurant that has it on draft and find it bottled.

Pours pretty clear, light gold. Not overly complex on nose, slight grains and phenols. Taste is classic Helles, sweet, hops, grass and very subtle spice. Nice and dry finish. Clean aftertaste. Good stuff.

 

 

Well balanced; cheap; widely available, but tasting just ever-so-slightly industrial.

Had this many times back in the day but never reviewed apparently. Wow, I liked this a lot more than its BA rating would lead me to expect. Well-balanced, with a slight tendency toward the sweet breadiness of the malt, clean finish. I'd drink this any time.

 

Clear, golden color. Foam white, high, melts quite quickly. Leaves no traces.
Malt, grain aroma, with a bit of "dust" from the grain elevator.
The taste is slightly sweet with a dry (hoppy) finish.
Saturation high down. Smooth texture. Medium body. Medium long malt aftertaste.

4.23/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz bottles EB by 03/2023 and on tap going back decades.
L: Pours light caramel yellow w/a 1/4" domed white head w/a cap, good retention to loose foam, med-low carbo, virtually no lacing.
S: Caramelized malts, spicy hops, grassy, wet, a hint of yeasty bread crust, light toffee.
T: Herbal with lightly spicy, springy hops, rich caramelized malts, a suggestion of bread, grassy (like country grass with lots of morning dew), light yeast, a hint of white grape. It is a bit sticky and caramel is always present.
F: Natural & smooth med-lite bodied MF w/a light tingle and a gently pale, soft fade that has a lite linger and a moderately dry finish.
O: A classic and EZ drinking Lager with a lovely flow. This beer has probably been often imitated and is excellent in its style.

June 3 2023

 

Typical straw yellow colour and white head. Subdued Munich malts and fresh cut grass on the nose. Very sweet Munich malt on the palate, lingering into the finish, but with a somewhat drying earthy and grassy malt finish, very gentle bitterness. Goes down smooth too. Overall a solid German Helles.

 

12oz green bottle, from a 6-pack, best by 12/2023

On the pour into a pils glass, a fine 2 finger white head with nice solid structure formed. Body is a light, clear gold. Some particulate. Scattered lacing forms.

Aroma is a touch skunky, but not in a bad way. I'm not the biggest skunk hater anymore, at least in lager, especially when a crisp light malt is also present here. The noble hop aroma is also detectable in the back.

Taste is nice and bready, verging on crackery. Spicy hops and that touch of skunk hang out in the back making a nicely dry tasting beer. Not all that sweet, but malt sweetness does subtly build as well as a very light hop bitterness.

Feel is full, but very refreshing. This is a dry lager for sure and the noble hops make it very crisp. The 5.2% ABV doesn't make it heavy, but the finish is long, and coats the mouth.

Overall this is a very nice German lager, especially coming from AB-Inbev. Tastes like a more subdued pilsner, without giving up the herbal notes of hops.

 

I found a batch of surprise German beers at my local grocery store, so I figured I'd take a swing at the Spaten lager. It's a pale straw color, with a white head, and a malty forward nose. It's crisp and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. This is an enjoyable beer that I will drink again.