Löwenbräu Original vs Scheyern Helles: Which Should You Drink?

HOPIQ FACEOFF

Löwenbräu Original

Löwenbräu

Germany · Helles Lager

hopIQ rank #392

90%

Taste match

across 56 flavour tags

Scheyern Helles

Klosterbrauerei Scheyern

Germany · Helles Lager

HOPIQ TAKE

Löwenbräu Original if you want the safe, universally approachable Munich lager, Scheyern Helles if you want something with slightly more presence and character. They're genuinely close siblings—both nail the helles formula with restraint and balance—but Löwenbräu's the one that disappears into a session, while Scheyern edges forward just enough to keep you thinking. The 0.2% ABV difference is negligible; what matters is Scheyern's monastery brewing lineage gives it a thread of complexity Löwenbräu smooths away by design.

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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Pick Löwenbräu Original when…

→You're starting a long evening and need something that won't fatigue your palate
→You prefer tradition as pure technique—Munich helles at its most refined and neutral
→You're at a biergarten and want the iconic choice that's been there forever

Pick Scheyern Helles when…

→You want to taste the brewing—monastery process and yeast character matter to you
→You're in the mood for something fractionally richer that still stays light
→You appreciate terroir—the water, the history, the specific regional approach

SIDE BY SIDE

	Löwenbräu Original	Scheyern Helles
ABV	5.2%	5.4%
Bitterness	Lightly bitter	Lightly bitter
Colour	Pale gold	Pale gold
Style	Helles Lager	Helles Lager
Origin	Germany	Germany

WHAT IT TASTES OF

12 shared · 1 distinct

Both beers

crispmaltycleannoble-hoprefreshinglightmineralhoneyhoppybready

STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT

Löwenbräu OriginalScheyern Helles

Bitterness

Body

TASTING NOTES

Löwenbräu Original

CrispMaltyClean

Löwenbräu Original is the definition of 'not getting in its own way.' Pale straw color, incredibly clean grain backbone—mostly Pilsner malt sweetness with almost nothing herbal to interrupt it. The 18 IBUs are barely there, just enough to dry the finish without leaving any impression. This is a beer that wants you to notice the smoothness, the lightness, the complete lack of friction. It's almost too polished.

Scheyern Helles

CrispMaltyClean

Scheyern Helles has that same noble restraint, but there's slightly more malt fullness in the middle—a touch of breadiness, maybe honey undertones from the monastery yeast they've been using for centuries. The bitterness sits the same at 18 IBUs, but it feels like it's integrated differently, less stripped away. You get a subtle mineral quality that suggests real well water and traditional process, not just ingredients. It's still incredibly drinkable, just less anonymous.

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