Paulaner Munchner Hell Beer Review

Paulaner Munchner Hell is a lager produced by the Paulaner Brewery in Munich, Germany. Paulaner is one of the six breweries to serve their beer at the annual Oktoberfest. So what is their Munchner Hell lager like?

Paulaner Munchner Hell is a really nice lager, full on flavour and body. It pours a light gold with a pure white foamy top. The nose is malty and slightly fruity with a hoppy edge. It tastes pretty much like it smells with a biscuit malt up front, a slightly fruity body with a touch of spice. A nice bitter finish balances out the sweetness. A great German lager which scores 4.7 out of 5.0.

A perfect example of a quality German lager.

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Paulaner Munchner Hell Review

The Munchner Hell stands in a a tall brown 500ml bottle with a bright yellow label, in the centre is the profile of a monk. I believe it to be Saint Francis Of Paola whom was the founder of the order of monks that originally brewed the beer known as Paulaner Munchen.

The label is nothing flashy or modern, it is not designed to stand out or catch your eye, but looks more traditional and historic.

It looks like a beer that has stood the test of time and doesn’t need to draw you in through marketing.

But enough about the bottle, it is time to get it poured.

Drinking Munchner Hell

Cracking the crown and pouring into a glass the beer settles a perfect clear gold with a one finger foamy white head. The head does fade fairly quickly, but maintains a light cover throughout.

A good amount of carbonation is visible with a stream of bubbles rising in the glass.

On the nose there is a clear maltiness with a slightly fruity/citrus hoppy edge. It looks good and smells good, but what does it taste like?

Well it tastes good too, with a biscuit caramel malt up front that carries a sweetness. Their is a slight fruit in the body with a spicy edge which finishes in a smooth bitterness.

The sweetness and the bitterness are quite subtle and work together well producing a smooth well balanced beer. At 4.9% ABV this beer is the perfect beer for those days when you want a nice refreshing lager or two.

Paulaner Munchner Hell is a decent beer, smooth and well balanced with a full flavoured body and gets a decent score of 4.7 out of 5.0.

M’Lady likes it too, saying “It’s a decent lager, well balanced and slightly fruity, just a nice tasting beer.” Lou scores it slightly less at 4.4 out of 5.0.

Paulaner Brewery

Paulaner Brewery dates back to 1634, but it wasn’t a brewery as such back then. The first Paulaner beer was brewed by monks in the Neudeck ob der au monastery and it became known as Salvator which is still brewed today.

The beer that the monks didn’t consume was sold locally or given to the poor. The beer soon became sought after and a story close to four hundred years begins.

A big thank you to those monks who are responsible for the Paulaner beer we still enjoy today.

Obviously there have been a lot of changes over so many years, but the brewery which is majority owned by the Schörghuber family remains as popular as ever.

It is one of the six breweries within Munich that provide the copious amount of beer for the annual Oktoberfest.

From a beer that started life in Munich and brewed by monks, Paulaner is now sold worldwide on a large scale.

Paulaner Beers

There is not a vast range of Paulaner beers, but its a good solid range of German beers which includes a 0% Weissbier.

They also brew a beer just for Oktoberfest, a 6% beast that they have brewed since 1818 when the first beer tents appeared at the popular festival.

So here are a few of the Paulaner beers.

Salvator

Salvator is a bottom fermented doppelbock or double bock and the beer that started it all several centuries ago. It is still brewed to the original recipe, so they say, which means you are truly getting an old beer.

It is said to have rich malt notes with hints of toffee and chocolate as well as a little fruitiness thrown in. The monks who couldn’t eat during Lent are said to have brewed it to replace food.

But beware because this rich strong beer really is strong weighing in at a hefty 7.9% ABV, just the one then.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is self explanatory, a German lager made for the most popular beer festival in the world. And yes, this beer is only brewed for the Oktoberfest, so not a beer you can get anytime or anywhere.

It is said to be a light hoppy lager with plenty of malt backbone and surprisingly not a session beer, which you would expect for a festival beer. No this beast weighs in at 6.0% ABV, which I know is not mega strong, but for a festival maybe too strong.

Anyway if you want or I want to try this beer, the Oktoberfest it is, I will see you there.

Weissbier Dunkel

Weissbier Dunkel is a dark wheat beer that is an unfiltered strong nutty beer. Said to have an intensive taste with hints of chocolate, cocoa and tropical fruits, sounds a bit whacky, but obviously works.

Although this beer is also not a session beer, it only just breaks the barriers at 5.3% ABV. This is a beer that I am going to look out for, it just appeals, but we shall see.

Final Thoughts

Paulaner Brewery has extremely humble origins, but the beer that was originally brewed by the monks with the simplest of set ups has stood the test of time.

The Munchner Hell certainly impresses and I do want to try all the Paulaner beers, especially the Salvator and the Weissbier Dunkel.

If you have tried Munchner Hell or any of the Paulaner beers, then do share your thoughts and ley me know what you think.

Now I’m off to find the Salvator.