Stoudt's Gold Lager

Reviewed By: Rick S.
Style: Munich Helles Lager
State/Country: Pennsylvania
ABV: 5.0%
Serving Type: 12 oz. Bottle

Look: 8.5
Pale golden color, clear.  Thick white head with nice retention and decent lacing

Smell: 9
Sweet malt, toasted malt, grain, and floral hops

Taste: 8.5
Sweet/bready malt, balanced by herbal and mildly spicy hops, finishing with with a biscuit malt

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Medium body and carbonation, with a slight creamy finish

Drinkability: 8.5
Uber-Drinkable

Overall Score: 8.6

Value: 9.5
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.78

Overall Impression:
"Helles" means "bright" in German.  This style of lager was Munich's answer to the Bohemian (Czech) Pilsners  that quickly swept across Europe in the mid-1800's.  They are bit maltier, and more balanced compared to their hop forward cousins.

This is the third Munich Helles I've reviewed this week, and it is easily the best of the three.  Interesting that this one came from America, and the other two were from Germany.  However, it's not surprising given the huge influx of Germans in this region.  Breweries like Stoudt's and Victory obviously know how to produce outstanding lagers that rival the best of Germany.  Stoudt's Gold Lager is no exception.  Prost!

Food Pairing:
Here I am several hours later to add some additional color to this review.  I just made a chicken breast heavily seasoned with Jamaican Curry powder and Applewood Smoked Red Savina (a mutant red habanero that is twice as hot as a regular habanero - 550,000 Scoville Units).  The flavor and spice was powerful and amazing!  Stoudt"s Gold stood up to it no problem at all!  The sweet malt tamed the heat of the chilies, and blended nicely with the pungent curry.  The mild hops and ample carbonation scrubbed the palate, making every bite as good as the first.

The typical recommendation for pairing Munich Helles with food is: lighter dishes, chicken, sandwiches, and all things pork (of course).  Most experts would suggest an IPA as the perfect pairing for this fiery and pungent Jamaican dish, but this particular Munich Helles was spot on!