Pale Malty European Lager

Category 4. PALE MALTY EUROPEAN LAGER

• Category intro: This style category contains pale German lagers of vollbier to starkbier strength that emphasize the flavor of Pilsner malt in the balance while remaining well-attenuated.

4A. Munich Helles

Overall impression

• A gold-colored German lager with a smooth, malty flavor and a soft, dry finish. Subtle spicy, floral, or herbal hops and restrained bitterness help keep the balance malty but not sweet, which helps make this beer a refreshing, everyday drink.

Vital statistics

Judging anchors

• Aroma: Moderate grainy-sweet malt aroma. Low to moderately-low spicy, floral, or herbal hop aroma. Pleasant, clean fermentation profile, with malt dominating the balance. The freshest examples will have more of a malty-sweet aroma.
• Appearance: Pale yellow to pale gold. Clear. Persistent creamy white head.
• Flavor: Moderately malty start with the suggestion of sweetness, moderate grainy-sweet malt flavor with a soft, rounded palate impression, supported by a low to medium-low bitterness. Soft and dry finish, not crisp and biting. Low to moderately-low spicy, floral, or herbal hop flavor. Malt dominates hops in the palate, finish, and aftertaste, but hops should be noticeable. No residual sweetness, simply the impression of maltiness with restrained bitterness. Clean fermentation profile.
• Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation. Smooth, well-lagered character.

Context

• Comments: Very fresh examples can have a more prominent malt and hop character that fades over time, as is often noticed in exported beers. Helles in Munich tends to be a lighter version than those outside the city. May be called Helles Lagerbier.
• History: Created in Munich in 1894 to compete with pale Pilsner-type beers, often first credited to Spaten. More popular in Southern Germany.
• Characteristic ingredients: Continental Pilsner malt. Traditional German hops. Clean German lager yeast.
• Style comparison: Similar in malt balance and bitterness to Munich Dunkel, but less malty-sweet in nature and pale rather than dark and rich. More body and malt presence than a German Pils, but less crisp and with less hop character throughout. Similar malt profile as a German Helles Exportbier, but with fewer hops in the balance and slightly less alcohol. Less body and alcohol than a Festbier.
• Entry instructions: none

Commercial examples (as listed)

• Augustiner Lagerbier Hell, Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold, Löwenbraü Original, Paulaner Münchner Lager, Schönramer Hell, Spaten Münchner Hell, Weihenstephaner Original Helles

Tags

• standard-strength, pale-color, bottom-fermented, lagered, central-europe, traditional-style, pale-lager-family, malty

4B. Festbier

Overall impression

• A smooth, clean, pale German lager with a moderately strong malty flavor and a light hop character. Deftly balances strength and drinkability, with a palate impression and finish that encourages drinking. Showcases elegant German malt flavors without becoming too heavy or filling.

Vital statistics

Judging anchors

• Aroma: Moderate malty richness, with an emphasis on toasty-doughy aromatics and an impression of sweetness. Low to medium-low floral, herbal, or spicy hops. The malt should not have a deeply toasted, caramel, or biscuity quality. Clean lager fermentation profile.
• Appearance: Deep yellow to deep gold color; should not have amber hues. Bright clarity. Persistent white to off-white foam stand. Most commercial examples are pale gold in color.
• Flavor: Medium to medium-high malty flavor initially, with a lightly toasty, bread dough quality and an impression of soft malty richness. Medium to medium-low bitterness, definitely malty in the balance. Well-attenuated and crisp, but not dry. Medium-low to medium floral, herbal, or spicy hop flavor. Clean fermentation profile. The taste is mostly of Pils malt, but with slightly toasty hints. The bitterness is supportive, but still should yield a malty, flavorful finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a smooth, somewhat creamy texture. Medium carbonation. Alcohol strength barely noticeable as warming, if at all.

Context

• Comments: This style represents the modern German beer served at Oktoberfest (although it is not solely reserved for Oktoberfest; it can be found at many other ‘fests’), and is sometimes called Wiesn (“the meadow” or local name for the Oktoberfest festival). We chose to call this style Festbier since by German and EU regulations, Oktoberfestbier is a protected appellation for beer produced at large breweries within the Munich city limits for consumption at Oktoberfest. Other countries are not bound by these rules, so many craft breweries in the US produce beer called Oktoberfest, but based on the traditional style described in these guidelines as Märzen. May be called Helles Märzen.
• History: Since 1990, the majority of beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich has been this style. Export beer specifically made for the United States is still mainly of the traditional amber style, as are US-produced interpretations. Paulaner first created the golden version in the mid-1970s because they thought the traditional Oktoberfest was too filling. So they developed a lighter, more drinkable but still malty version that they wanted to be “more poundable” (according to the head brewer at Paulaner). But the actual type of beer served at Oktoberfest is set by a Munich city committee.
• Characteristic ingredients: Majority Pils malt, but with some Vienna or Munich malt to increase maltiness. Differences in commercial examples are mostly due to different maltsters and yeast, not major grist differences.
• Style comparison: Less intense and less richly toasted than a Märzen. Stronger than a Munich Helles, with a bit more body, and hop and malt flavor. Less rich in malt intensity than a Helles Bock. The malt complexity is similar to a higher-gravity Czech Premium Pale Lager, although without the associated hops.
• Entry instructions: none

Commercial examples (as listed)

• Augustiner Oktoberfest, Hacker-Pschorr Superior Festbier, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier, Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier, Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier, Weihenstephaner Festbier

Tags

• standard-strength, pale-color, bottom-fermented, lagered, central-europe, traditional-style, pale-lager-family, malty

4C. Helles Bock

Overall impression

• A relatively pale, strong, malty German lager with a nicely attenuated finish that enhances drinkability. The hop character is generally more apparent and the malt character less deeply rich than in other Bocks.

Vital statistics

Judging anchors

• Aroma: Moderate to strong grainy-sweet malt aroma, often with a lightly toasted quality and low Maillard products. Moderately-low spicy, herbal, or floral hop aroma optional. Clean fermentation profile. Low fruity esters optional. Very light alcohol optional.
• Appearance: Deep gold to light amber in color. Bright to clear clarity. Large, creamy, persistent, white head.
• Flavor: Moderately to moderately strong grainy-sweet, doughy, bready, or lightly toasty malt flavor dominates with some rich Maillard products providing added interest. Few caramel flavors optional. Low to moderate spicy, herbal, floral, peppery hop flavor optional, but present in the best examples. Moderate hop bitterness, more so in the balance than in other Bocks. Clean fermentation profile. Well-attenuated, not cloying, with a moderately-dry finish that may taste of both malt and hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate to moderately-high carbonation. Smooth and clean with no harshness or astringency, despite the increased hop bitterness. Light alcohol warming optional.

Context

• Comments: Also known as Maibock. Compared to darker Bock beers, the hops compensate for the lower level of Maillard products in the balance.
• History: A fairly recent development in comparison to the other members of the bock family. The serving of Maibock is a seasonal offering associated with springtime and the month of May, and may include a wider color and hopping range than is seen in exported products.
• Characteristic ingredients: A mix of Pils, Vienna, and Munich malts. No adjuncts. Light use of pale crystal type malts possible. Traditional German hops. Clean lager yeast. Decoction mash is traditional, but boiling is less than in Dunkles Bock to restrain color development. Soft water.
• Style comparison: Can be thought of as either a pale version of a Dunkles Bock, or a Munich Helles or Festbier brewed to bock strength. While quite malty, this beer typically has less dark and rich malt flavors, and can be drier, hoppier, and more bitter than a Dunkles Bock. Less strong than a pale Doppelbock, but with similar flavors.
• Entry instructions: none

Commercial examples (as listed)

• Altenmünster Maibock, Ayinger Maibock, Chuckanut Maibock, Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock, Hofbräu Maibock, Mahr’s Heller Bock

Tags

• high-strength, pale-color, bottom-fermented, lagered, central-europe, traditional-style, bock-family, malty