Tegernseer Hell, A Classic German Beer

Tegernseer Hell is a classic German beer from the Tegernsee Brewery located in the town of Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. So what is Tegernseer Hell like?

Tegernseer Hell is a pretty good beer, light, smooth and very drinkable. It pours a pale straw gold with a one finger white head. On the nose it is sweet malt with a little hint of spice. The taste biscuit malt with a smooth body and a slight bitterness with a hint of spice. It’s a good solid lager and gets a score of 4.0 out of 5.0.

A very pleasant drinkable German lager.

Table Of Contents

Tegernseer Hell Beer Review

Tegernseer Hell is a typical German light beer and is brewed in a wing of an old monastery close to the shores of lake Tegernsee.

The beer stands in a 500ml brown bottle with a fairly bland looking label which has an old picture of the monastery sitting in front of the hills behind it.

The beer is brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 and comes in at a decent 4.8% ABV.

Cracking the cap off the top of the bottle, it’s time to get it in the glass. I control the pour with an initial slow angled pour, straighten up quickly with a little more aggression, then back to a slower pour.

The pour produces a nice one finger foamy white head, and the beer is perfectly clear. A very light pale straw colour with a nice stream of bubbles rising to the top.

Drinking Tegernseer Hell

The aroma doesn’t explode from the glass, you do have to go searching a little. But the most prominent aroma is of sweet malt, I seem to get a little peppery spice too.

Lou didn’t get much on the nose at all, but like I said you have to go searching a little.

On to the taste and it kicks in with a slightly sweet malt, a good smooth mouthfeel and a nice balanced bitter finish. I also got a slight taste of banana and a little clove like a German wheat beer.

It is a smooth beer with a light carbonation in the mouth, a mellow lager that is easy drinking, overall it’s pretty good. I score it a straight 4.0 out of 5.0.

M’Lady thinks it is an okay lager, saying “It is smooth and mellow with a slight bitterness, quite refreshing, but there is nothing wow about it, a pretty standard lager.” Lou scores it a slightly less 3.6 out of 5.0.

I like a German lager and I think Tegernseer Hell is a pretty good one. If you also like a German lager, then I think you will like it too, so worth a try.

Brauhaus Tegernsee

The Tegernsee Brewery was founded in 1675 by Abbot Bernhard Wenzel at the Tegernsee Monastery. Although there are stories of brewing at the Monastery dating back to the year 1000, but things are a little sketchy to say the least.

In 1817 Max I Joseph from the house of Wittelsbach and the King of Bavaria acquired the Tegernsee Monastery along with the brewery.

The brewery has been in the Wittelsbach family since, it is now run by the Duchess Maria Anna. A brewery set in a historic building in an impressive location in the resort town of Tegernsee and close to the shores of lake Tegernsee.

Tagernsee Beers

The brewery has a range of six core beers and two seasonal beers only available in the Winter.

First we have the Tegernseer Hell, the one I have reviewed today which is described as a typical Bavaria light beer and comes in at 4.7% ABV.

Second there is Tegernsee 1806 Max Joseph, brewed to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria by Max I Joseph. It is an Export Beer with a 5.2% ABV.

Third we have Tegernsee Special, the special beer is said to be mild and spicy with a well rounded taste. It weighs in at 5.6% ABV.

The fourth beer is Dunkel Export, a dark distinctive beer full of character with a 5.0% ABV.

Number five is Tegernsee Light, a low alcohol version of the Tegernseer Hell brewed with 40% less alcohol. It comes in at a low 2.8% ABV.

The sixth and final core beer is Tegernsee Pils, a bitter pilsner with a robust character and a straight 5.0% ABV.

So there are two seasonal beers available in the Winter months. One being Blue Page, a light Bock beer with a 6.8% ABV. The second being Quirinus Dark Doppelbock, a rich full bodied malty beer with a hefty 7.0% ABV.

They all sound pretty good beers, and I would certainly be keeping my eye out for them.

Final Thoughts

Tegernsee Brewery has a rich royal history and bee in the same family for over two hundred years. They brew a good solid range of beers which are all brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law.

I enjoyed Tegernseer Hell and would drink it again, but I would like to try it on tap if I ever come across it. If you have tried this German lager, then do share your thoughts below and let me know what you think.