Memminger Hell Beer Review

Memminger Hell

Review Date 2/18/2024 By John Staradumsky

For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 froman Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported Germbeers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1^st through December 24^th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!

I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are not enough bocks and doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I get mine at Costco here in Georgia and pay on average $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.

First week of September 2023 arrived, and that means I am out there at Costco weekly looking for my beloved Kalea Advent calendars. I didn't see them (and of course buy one) until September 24th, but I gleefully placed one in my shopping cart when I did. The price this year was stable from last year at $69.99 and I think that is a bargain honestly. $2.92 per can is still a bargain for beers from small German brewers I might never otherwise get to enjoy, that includes new beers and one I have had before and get to enjoy again.

On December 19th, I opened my Day Nineteen door to reveal a common style for these calendars from a frequent contributor: Memminger Hell from the Memminger Brauerei of Allgau. This is the 7th Munich Helles style beer I have received so far through 19 Days of this calendar. It is the 52nd Helles over 9 consecutive years of calendars, for an average of about 6 per calendar. That makes 25% of all the beers in the calendar a Helles. It's also the 2nd different beer under the Memminger label; Memminger also gives us the Kartauser beers and Alpkönig Weitnauer Märzen.

There are a number of beers listed on the Memminger website, but Memminger Hell is not one of them. Therefore I have very little information on this beer.

Time to update on the distribution of styles received in the calendars over the years, including this Hefeweizen:

Dortmunder 8 4%
Munich Helles 52 25%
Oktoberfest 35 17%
Munich Dunkles 11 5%
Hefeweizen 12 6%
Dunkelweizen 14 7%
Zwickl/Kellerbier 12 6%
Kristalweizen 3 1%
Pilsner 21 10%
Bock 2 1%
IPA 5 2%
Doppelbock 5 2%
Maibock 3 1%
Pale Ale 7 3%
Weizenbock 5 2%
Vienna Lager 3 1%
Imperial Pilsner 4 2%
Steinbier 1 1%
Stout 4 2%
Rauchbier 4 2%

Memminger Hell has an alcohol content of 4.9% by volume according to my can. Ingredients on the can are listed as water, barley malt, wheat, yeast, and hops. My can is stamped EXP 2025/03.

Memminger Hell pours to a pale golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of fresh bready malt and grassy hops. Taking a sip, the beer has medium body and is as bready in the palate as the nose promised. It’s white bread with the crusts on I get here, and that makes the perfect base for the hops. They’re herbal grassy, lemony, and leave a pleasant bitter buzz on the tongue in the finish.

I’m greatly enjoying my 9th annual Beer Advent Calendar with the day 19 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 5, and another assortment of 24 in 2024. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.

The beers of the 2023 Beer Advent Calendar:

Day 1 Falter Export Hell

Day 2 Kauzle Helles Lager

Day 3 Kurpfalz Brau Kellerbier

Day 4 Graminger Kirta Dunkles Weissbier

Day 5 Erl Brau Erlkönig Hell

Day 6 Hösl Märzenbier

Day 7 Bambule Pilsner

Day 8 Landgang Helle Aufregnung

Day 9 Propeller Bier Turbo Prop Pilsner

Day 10 Gmoastier Weisser Bock

Day 11 Flötzinger Hell