Hofbräu Original
Hofbräuhaus München

Crystal clear amber with abundant foam. Quite aromatic with that distinctive Euro hop. I wouldn't call it skunky, but it's a bold resiny smell. Sweet bread taste, like challah. Lush and sudsy in the mouth. Aftertaste is quite bitter, I would think, for a Helles. I admit it's better than the alternative of too little hops and insipid. Still, this is more like an oddly sweet Pilsner. From the 330 ml bottle. Product of Germany. "Best By" date is 02/18/2026.

 

 

Brilliant gold, good head retention and lacing. Fresh bready malt aroma. Vibrant malt character with a hint of sweetness and more hop presence than I expected. This is one of the best German helles available in the U.S. if you can find a fresh sample.

 

Combined Review: First in Munich and later in the United States.

Appearance: On draft in a bierhaus, as it should be. Crystal clear, golden color. Just the right amount of standard white head with decent retention and lacing.

Aroma: Corn, light grains, Munich malts.

Taste:  Pale malt, biscuit, cracker. Corn. Munich malts.

Feel: Light, crisp, brisk; excellent carbonation.

Overall: After first falling in love with this beer at the namesake bierhaus in Munich, I am happy to report it is [almost] just as enjoyable in the United States. The quintessential Munich/German helles lager.

Pairing: As expected and perfected over time, this beer pairs wonderfully with any classic Bavarian dish.

0.5l bottle into a tall slightly concave glass.
Deep meadow nose. Dew. Moss hint.

Tiny apricot arrival, but avoids any real fruity sweetness. The moss is very present in the taste. Sage bitterness. Chlorine hint as it warms, don't let it sit for too long in the glass.
A very thin liquid.

Edit: really prefered my next bottle in a Willi Becher. Nose is clearer, a sourish apple coming through in the nose but not the taste. Bumps the nose up five hundred basis points.

 

 

On draft!

Hofbräu Original pours a clean golden color, with a medium-sized, long-lasting head. The aroma has chemical and slight skunk notes. The flavors are mildly sweet and bright, with a cereal note. Good feel. Overall, a pleasant no-frills beer.

Golden color with a thick white head. Aroma is bread and slightly weedy, slightly skunky. Taste is bread, butter, and honey with a small hop bite in the finish. Body is light and crisp.

Not world class but definitely a solid and flavorful Helles.

Light Golden beer... mild malt smell... hop flavors buzzing above and below that malted flavor... Something Special about this one... it's alive!

 

A trully amazing lager.

Nice malty, bready aroma.

Taste is followed by the aroma, malty, crisp, and a little bit of toasted bread.

Refreshing and very drinkable.

Presentation: 500 milliliter bottle poured into a pint glass.

Look: deep golden color. Small but frothy head. Minor lacing.

Smell: rich malty aroma initially, followed by a sweet grassy aroma. Faint hops aroma.

Taste: malty and bready flavor initially, followed by a crisp hops flavor. Slightly bitter aftertaste, which I didn’t expect, but it isn’t bad.

Feel: slightly creamy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation.

Overall: it’s a good helles. Worth trying if you enjoy this type of beer.

Sampled from bottle in USA: This is a fine example of a German Helles beer. Plenty of body for a light beer by German standards. Malt and hops are nicely balanced to give a refreshing and pleasant drinking experience. I would so much like to drink this on tap at the brewery to taste the freshness.

Pours golden with good white head.
Good bodied malty taste. Slight bitterness at end, perhaps more than others in this style.
Not as clean as sole but nevertheless a very good beer and unique in itself.