Reutberger Export Hell Beer is a Dortmunder Export style Lager brewed by the Kloster Reutberg brewery about 60 miles south of Munich. Hell means bright in German. Kloster (Monastery) Reutberg (Reut means repent, berg means mountain) was founded as a monastery in 1618 and in 1677 the nuns began brewing. The brewery is no longer owned by the monastarey but instead by a 4000 member cooperative. As are all German beers, Reutberger is "gerbraut nach dem Reinheitsgebot von 1516" or brewed according to the German purity laws of 1516. What are German beer purity laws?I bought this at Taylor's Market in Sacramento for $4.99 for a 500ml bottle. It has an ABV of 5.1%.
The beer pours a clear, dark golden color with a big fluffy head that dissipates after a few sips with no lacings. The aroma is distinctly German; sweet, barley and bready. The taste is subtle mix of sweet malt, bread, and grassy hop finish. The hops are not the sharp bitter kind we West Coasters pump into out IPAs. The hops perfectly compliment the sweetness for a smooth taste start to finish. Its a medium body, but you'd expect a bit lighter from the looks, but its well carbonated and smooth.
I like this beer and recommend you Try It. However, I'm worried that the current popularity of big hops, non-traditional flavors, and Belgian yeast and spices might make this beer seem bland. For those who find this bland read the link attached to "What are German beer purity law?". You will probably appreciate German beers little more.However, if you're a fan of the Germans, this is still a Try It. I've had better light German beers, but not here in the US. So if you want that Reinheitsgebot experience, Reutberger could deliver.
"Hell" may be better known as "Helles". This brew type is the standard lager beer of Bavaria (a big southern state in Germany, and a nation onto itself, Germany's Texas) and what you find in most beer gardens. Why? Because you can (and often do) drink multiple LITERS of it at a sitting. These brews are generally light, refreshing and very tasty. I agree with the assertion that these may taste weak compared to super hoppy IPAs, but I would posit the opposite is also true. If you take these DELICIOUS beers as your baseline, the IPAs of this world taste overdone, overspiced and overhopped. So the great beer world spins on in its wonderful variety. PROST!
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