BJCP 2021 / 4A
Munich Helles
A gentle, golden lager that celebrates pale malt with a soft hop finish.
- Drink fresh
- standard strength
- pale color
- bottom fermented
- lagered
Serve: 40 to 44F, Half-liter mug or pilsner glass
OG1.120
1.044 to 1.048FG1.030
1.006 to 1.012IBU120
16 to 22SRM40
3 to 5ABV14%
4.7 to 5.4%Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Fresh bread dough and grain
- A touch of sweet pale malt
- Faint spicy or floral hop
- Vague
- Malty
- Better
- Bready malt with a hint of hop
- Best
- Moderate fresh bread and pale grain aroma, very low floral hop, clean lager yeast
Appearance
3 pts- Light yellow to pale gold
- Brilliantly clear
- Dense white head
- Vague
- Yellow
- Better
- Pale gold, clear
- Best
- Pale gold, brilliantly clear, dense white head that lasts
Flavor
20 pts- Soft bready malt sweetness leads
- Hop bitterness is just enough to support the malt
- Smooth, slightly sweet start with a dry finish
- Vague
- Malty
- Better
- Soft bready malt with a dry finish
- Best
- Moderate pale bread-dough malt sweetness, low spicy hop, low bitterness, soft dry finish
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Medium-light to medium body
- Medium carbonation
- Soft and smooth
- Vague
- Smooth
- Better
- Medium body, smooth
- Best
- Medium-light body, soft and smooth, medium carbonation, no harshness
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Bready malt depth
- Smoothness
- Drinkability
Drops it
- Sweet corn (DMS) beyond a trace
- Harsh bitterness
- Heavy sweetness
Writing tip
Tie the malt to bread. Example: 'Soft bready malt with a gentle hop and a clean, dry finish. Very drinkable.'
Pour these
- Augustiner Lagerbier HellAugustiner-BräuThe Munich pour, soft malt with a clean finish
- Münchner HellPaulanerA bit more hop than Augustiner
- Münchner HellSpatenRound pale malt with a delicate finish
Often confused with
- 4B FestbierFestbier is stronger and more golden with a bit more sweetness
- 5D German PilsGerman Pils is drier and clearly more bitter
Fine here
- DMS: A faint cooked-corn note comes from pale malt and is tolerated
Ruinous here
- Light-struck: Skunk from clear bottles
- Oxidized: Papery
- Diacetyl: Butter
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.