Augustiner Lagerbier Hell

Brewed by Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG
Style: Light beer/Helles
Munich, Germany.

http://www.augustiner-braeu.de/en/unser-bier.html#

The logo on the bottle shows a monk which is of course a reference to the origins and history of this brewery and beer. It reflects the Augustinian monks who brewed beer in their monastery in Munich in 1328. A tradition the monks had kept up for just under 500 years, enjoying it themselves and also selling it to the native inhabitants of the great city. It was such a hit back then that the local authorities decided to exempt the beer from tax, ensuring it would flow more smoothly amongst the general populace without any hiccups. Tax is a crime anyway! These days the tax has to be paid (the bastards!), and the monks no longer make the beer.

The state took over the monastery in 1803 during the course of secularization that was pushed through by the German state. The government abolished the monastery but were wise enough to keep the brewery which they later sold in 1829 to Anton and Therese Wagner, a family of brewers, and the brewery has continued to be privately owned since. By then the brewery had moved to the nearby Neuhauser Strasse, due to disrepair of the monastery, and this is where they have remained since. The original location is not forgotten though, it has got converted into a restaurant with a large beer hall and is very much a place to drink and be merry, especially round the time of Oktoberfest.

In 1996, Edith-Haberland-Wagner, the last direct family member and majority owner of the brewery, bequeathed her shares to the Edith-Haberland-Wagner-Stiftung (Foundation), which she had personally founded. From then on, the foundation has held 51 percent of the Augustiner brewery.

The brewery are big on the whole Oktoberfest scene, with a Augustiner-Bier booth serving people from at least 1867 onwards. Since 1987, the Augustiner brewery remains the only brewery, out of the the six Munich breweries at the Oktoberfest, that exclusively taps its beer from wooden barrels only.

The company produces all the usual types you would expect from a German brewery, your Pils and lager varieties, the Weiss beer, a Doppelbock, dark beers, but it is the Augustiner Helles, its pale lager, that is the brewery’s biggest and most popular.

Review: 50cl, a nice brown bottle of Augustiner Lagerbier Hell: 5.2% vol

Coming in a lovely brown bottle with that oh so cool label featuring a happy looking monk. Definitely stands out.

This beer is a very good looker. Very clear, a light golden yellow with a lovely frothy white head, and has some good lacing to boot. Its a fantastic looking beer, really inviting to drink! It is very clear to look at, excellent.

Smell is faint, get a whiff of malts.

Initial taste was one of a nice creamy mouthful flavour on the tongue, nice and refreshing.
Some slight tastes of sweet malts.

Taste seems a bit off the more you continue, slight bitter taste, not nice.

As excepted, get a lot on the bottle.
It is ok, but a bit too sour/bitter to be wholly enjoyable.

Slight kick, a little tipsy after it!!! Ha ha. So the alcohol is there just well hidden!

Second bottle
Lagery taste on 2nd bottle. Good initial mouthful.
Ok but the bitter taste is a bit meh, surely a Helles isn’t meant to be this bitter and sweet?. Caramel body.
Not completely overbearing and not bad, manageable, but a little disappointed all things considering.