Malt aroma & flavor
Malt aroma and flavor are pronounced. Low levels of yeast-produced sulfur aromas and flavors may be present. Malt character may contain light biscuit attributes. There should be no caramel character.
European Origin Lager Styles
Munich-Style Helles
Lager · Pale to gold
What to expect
Pronounced malt character, restrained noble hops, and low bitterness. Light biscuit notes may be present, with no caramel character.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
2.5–5
Pale / strawBlack
Pale to gold · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
4.8–5.6%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
15–25
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 36 · PDF page 45. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Hop aroma is not present to low. Hop flavor is very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived bitterness
Low, derived from European noble-type hops.
Body & mouthfeel
Low to medium
Clarity
Appearance should be clear. Chill haze should not be present
Color
Pale to gold
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters, DMS, and diacetyl should not be present. A very low level of DMS and/or sulfur attributes may be present (but not required) and in balance with other attributes.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Many beer brands known as Austrian-Style Maerzen are nearly indistinguishable from Munich-Style Helles and are appropriately categorized here.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.044-1.048 (11-11.9 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.008- 1.012 (2.1-3.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.8%-4.4% (4.8%-5.6%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 15-25 • Color SRM (EBC) 2.5-5 (5-10 EBC)