Spaten Münchner Hell / München / Premium

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Munich, Germany

On tap at the Sharp Edge Creekhouse in Pgh, thanks mtoast! Once poured, the look of this beer is ubiquitous pale yellow American lager. From the beginning, the head is a thin white froth that is barely present. It presents a girdle around the inside edge of the glass. Aroma is very mild, barely detectable, beery yeast smell that is so common with lagers. From the onset, the taste is friendly lager, very gentleman in the mannerisms. I am very surprised this is styled as a dort/helles, it is so American lagerlike that I can’t see that style. Absolutely no hints of oppressive bitterness, easy to like and easy to enjoy. This beer will not offend anybody except the imperial stout and IPA drinkers. This beer is a mild lager that is repeatable and can be a good session brew. No lager lover will complain about this beer, enjoyably excellent. During the finish there is an unexpected slight low bitterness that builds. Overall this is your typical American style lager and tho it is a good brew, there are many other cheaper beers out there that achieve the same attributes. For example, Schmidt’s is a good lager beer with the same characteristics but is much less expensive. As far as dort/helles goes, this beer is not quite as good a Lowenbrau but it does not posses any of the negative qualities that I found with Great Lakes Dort and Victory V lager.

Aroma of grain and floral notes. Has a pilsner character with what tastes like Spalt or Saaz hops-but they’re not particularly pronounced. Ok but not really a fave of mine from this brewery.

Bottled (as Spaten Munchen). Clear golden, brief creamy head. Malt aroma with some butter and paper. Sweet and medium bodied, solidly malty. Creamy malt followed by a lightly salty finish. Pretty good standard helles with a very light industrial touch to it.

Bottled as Spaten Munchner Hell. A golden beer with a medium white head. Aroma and flavour are malty and bready with a decent hopping. Medium body. A good helles, perhaps a little underrated.

Bottle. Golden, straw-colored with a sizable, white fluffy head. Not very hoppy smelling. Tastes of malt. No outstanding characteristics. That being said, it is still a pretty good German lager.

Lots of head and lots of carbonation within the beer which I like. The finish is also very "carbonated" and it has a goodly amount of hops. Fairly good as lagers go.

Had this in a beer garden or I should say pub in a Munich suburb. It was funny as most of the staff was foreign. Sweet and not a great helles Page 436 of Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide and only 247 of his 500 Classic Brews to go.

Bottle. Lots of head, pours yellow gold. Skunk-ish but some hops and complexity you don’t get in other pale yellow lagers.