HACKER-PSCHORR MUNICH EDELHELL

When we last checked in with a HACKER-PSCHORR beer, we were drinking their incredible DUNKLE WEISS beer and calling it one of the finest beers we'd ever tasted. That's no lie. I had one of those in New York last year and I was almost giddy whilst drinking it, proclaiming it to be sheer 10/10 perfection. So naturally when I saw one of their MUNICH EDELHELL beers on the shelf I decided to throw down some cash. This one's a "Munich Helles Lager" - a style you don't encounter all that often. Last time I had one of these I had to look it up on Beer Advocate, so here's how they define the style:

When the golden and clean lagers of Plzen (Bohemia) became all the rage in the mid-1800's, München brewers feared that Germans would start drinking the Czech beer vs. their own. Munich Helles Lager was their answer to meet the demand. A bit more malty, they often share the same spicy hop characters of Czech Pils, but are a bit more subdued and in balance with malts. "Helles" is German for "bright."

The strange thing is that I found this beer to be very reminiscient of an ale, rather than a lager. Its sweet, clean taste was simliar to a pilsner, but it might be that extra malt kick that reminded me almost of a more tangy & (again) sweet pale ale. That said, it didn't do a whole lot for me. Too crisp, too clean, too German for me to get very excited. I gave it a 6/10. Anyone know if that DUNKEL WEISS is imported into the US year-round? I'd love to get my hands on some more.....