Munich Hells

Tasting Notes

Helles, often referred to as "light Munich," is a mildly hopped, malty, well-balanced pale to golden- to straw-colored beer. It is not as dry as Pilsner but is closer to the Dortmunder style, though lower in alcohol and with some sweetness. The malt sweetness, often described as almost a caramel taste, is the mark of this beer. Helles is maltier and less hoppy than dunkel; yet, like dunkel, it is sweet, lightly hopped, and has a nose that is straight malt.

Ingredients

Ingredients used to brew Munich helles include two-row pale malt and Munich and crystal malts at levels not generally exceeding 2 to 5%. The hops commonly used are Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Saaz, Hallertauer, Spalter, Perle, and Tettnanger. Soft water with a low mineral content and low carbonate content is essential to accentuate the malt and the hop flavors.

The information on this page was provided by beer-brewing.com (http://www.beer-brewing.com).