Hofbräu Original
Hofbräuhaus München

Hofbräu OriginalHofbräu Original
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From:
Hofbräuhaus München
 
Germany
Style:
Helles
Ranked #119
ABV:
5.1%
Score:
86
Ranked #20,131
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 12.83%
Reviews:
608
Ratings:
1,913
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 23, 2023
Added:
Mar 19, 2002
Wants:
  103
Gots:
  457
SCORE
86
Very Good
Hofbräu OriginalHofbräu Original
Notes: None
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by FZR23 from Romania

May 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.9 by Plonk from Alabama

May 20, 2023
Photo of Beerguy2726
Rated by Beerguy2726

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
An excellent example of a classic Munich style beer. Widely available mass produced and still excellent. Smooth finish
May 08, 2023
 
Photo of txaudiophile
Reviewed by txaudiophile from Texas

3.94/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bought a six pack to have some with a friend that usually only drinks lagers. Great flavor, smell, and body for a Helles, and it is wonderful on a hot day. When I had it on draft at Hofbrau Haus in Munich it tasted better, of course, but it is still good out of the bottle.
May 05, 2023
Photo of Mr_Brown
Reviewed by Mr_Brown from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap in Englischer Garten. Very nice. It's like a Pilsner Urquell of Bayerischer Hell. They must use the same hops. It has higher carbonation than Pilsener Urquell, not that dry and served not that cold. Like pislner urquell from Tank more.
Apr 27, 2023
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

3.21/5  rDev -16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.25
11.2oz'er

Very clear, with small head and lace. Smell is lightly sweet and malty. The taste is light and crisp, sweet but not overly so, with a surprising amount of spice and hops... But also very skunky

Too light, I'd rather have any other Hofbrau brew
Apr 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.93 by BitteNochEinWeissbier from Pennsylvania

Apr 15, 2023
Photo of LukeGude
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle enjoyed during Settlers of Catan. So drinkable but with a hint of German flavor.
Apr 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.77 by morsa_95 from California

Mar 21, 2023
Photo of Troy-Hawaii
Reviewed by Troy-Hawaii from Hawaii

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought a 6-pack 11.2oz bottles $13.99 Whole Foods
L 312V 11:32 stamped on bottle so I think that is 11/2/2022 so 131 days old.
Smell of grains
Clear golden color
Medium mouthfeel
Medium-high carbonation
Taste of malts, light hops bitterness, clean tasting
Overall a great example of German beer. Straightforward, nothing fancy, just good beer.
Mar 20, 2023
Photo of Tartasky
Reviewed by Tartasky from Maryland

4.93/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I’ve been looking, looking, looking for a real deal German lager. Tried a number of “export” German lagers. A recent review of prior German lager reviews led me to Hofbrau Original. Just have to tell the reader, if you’re looking for the “vom fass” taste that you experienced in Germany, look no further. To me, this is the most genuine German lager I’ve had in the US. I’ll definitely be buying more.
Mar 10, 2023
Photo of Zyphoid
Reviewed by Zyphoid from New Zealand

4.95/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A fantastic looking beer , pours a clear straw color with a two finger head, however that soon dissipated rather quickly.
On the nose is immediate bread with a hint of black pepper the Munich malts stand out here.
The taste follows the nose somewhat and has a nice subtle sweetness to it with a slight bitterness to balance in the finish.
Mouthfeel here is not full bodied and i found it quite thin , but i feel it suits the beer in question.
This is a great beer and certainly in my opinion the best of "the big 6" .
Knocking back 5 or 6 of these would cause no problem whatsoever, unfortunately it is starting to get rather expensive in and around Australasia. that said, a solid solid helles and one i highly recommend , good as it gets really.
Feb 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.04 by venya

Feb 18, 2023
Photo of JustinUbes
Rated by JustinUbes from Pennsylvania

3.47/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
My favorite beer to drink for events. Great lager taste, very easy drinking. Prime German beer.
Feb 15, 2023
Photo of ramseye4
Reviewed by ramseye4 from Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
A- Poured into my Hofbrau half liter stein (what else!). Golden color, great head that goes away fairly quickly.

S- bready malt, some biscuit, light hippiness

T- caramel, butter, a bit of floral goodness, with some oily bitterness coming through in the end.

M- Perfectly carbonated and full for a Helles

O- I’ll freely admit my judgement may be clouded by the lunch I had 14 years ago at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. I had this and the dunkel with white sausages and it was an incredible experience. Regardless of my lofty views of it it’s a really realy good lager. Can’t hold it’s own against a solid dopplebock but it’s great against the rest.
Feb 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.29 by DavyJonesXXX from Texas

Jan 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by MaximumYuks from Oregon

Jan 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.92 by Zanico from Ohio

Jan 13, 2023
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hofbräu Original from Hofbräu München. Six-pack of 11.2 oz bottles on room temperature shelf from Franklin Beer, Franklin, on 02/01/23. $12.50 (Including tax) = $ 0.186/oz. Stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 07/01/23. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Rear label stamped “L 243V 08:45”. Served at 50.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Kitzinger half liter dimpled mug. The final temperature was 54.8 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), clear. Under direct light, same.
Head – HUGE (Maximum 7.5 cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, quickly diminishing to a 0.5 – 1.5 cm frothy crown and a partial cap.
Lacing – Good! Irregular pieces of three-dimensional foam hang on the glass as the head recedes. A three-dimensional band of bubbles of all sizes connects to the head and produces multiple stalactites.
Aroma – 4 – Bready malt and a bit of grain, light hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins slightly sweet and the flavor follows the nose – bready malt, grain, hops, no yeast. No ethanol (5.1 % ABV as marked on labels). Ends just bitter enough to balance the initial sweetness. No gastric burning occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4 – Medium, dry, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 A beautiful beer – looks like an advertising photo! Aroma, taste, and palate are all near-perfect!
Jan 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.05 by phatsmackey from Texas

Jan 02, 2023
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Reviewed by davidward from Florida

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A classic German Helles. Very good for the style. It has a very handsome appearance with dark copper overtones and a nice white lacing. Beautiful nose with malty toffee texture to the tongue.
Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.09 by emerge077 from Illinois

Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by JanglezB19 from Canada (ON)

Dec 30, 2022
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Rated by BeerKegger

4.11/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Tasted in Munich Airport, Germany
Dec 28, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by AbeO

Dec 18, 2022
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Reviewed by pizzabutt from Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
appearance: perfectly clear golden pour with a pure white head that's very foamy. starts medium tall, but quickly simmers down to a beautiful ring around the top. very slight clouds of head remain within the ring. lacing is moderate.

smell: bready malt, slight hints of grass and floral hops. very simple and classic.

taste: sweet, but not cloyingly so. almost like a rye spice, but not as sharp. the primary flavor is water crackers topped with honey, backed up with hints of lemon zest and floral hops. very very slight bitterness to round out everything.

feel: crisp, clean, just the right amount of carbonation. very refreshing and easy to drink.

overall: just a very solid lager. it's crisp, sweet, malty, and lightly hoppy. i bought a pack of this to give it a try, and had to immediately buy another because i went through the first one so quick! this is the beer to bring to a hangout when you want something a little more flavorful than a typical american macro brew.
Dec 16, 2022
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Rated by Jaybirdsbeer from Ohio

3.61/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Tasted like a full-bodied lager.
Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.85 by TLA from Pennsylvania

Nov 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4.3 by Hazey92 from New York

Nov 15, 2022
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Reviewed by Dr_Gonzo from Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a tall clear pint glass. Appearance is a clear gold, decently sized white head with decent retention and good lacing.

Aroma: fresh bread, baked bread malts, grain, herbal and hoppy notes, cracker.

Taste has a nice, crisp hoppy bite. Malty, floral, herbal, and particularly grassy notes too, with grain, a little bit of honey, and maybe even a lemon. Body is medium-light to medium, smooth verging on a little chewy.
Oct 30, 2022
 
Rated: 3.79 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Oct 15, 2022
 
Rated: 3.93 by SViterileroux74 from Texas

Oct 08, 2022
 
Rated: 3.77 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Sep 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.14 by flgimp from Pennsylvania

Sep 18, 2022
Photo of Mugman8
Reviewed by Mugman8 from New York

3.81/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Classic German Helles. Clear gold on the pour, with thin head and lace. Aroma is fresh bread. Bread and Malt flavors with a nice crisp finish. Moderate carbonation. Good but not great. Prefer the Hefe style for more flavor.
Sep 08, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by jcoleMA66 from Massachusetts

Aug 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.59 by Thunderduck22 from Ireland

Aug 18, 2022
Hofbräu Original from Hofbräuhaus München
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 1913 ratings