The other day, I hit the import wall at Kress Liquors. Among my selections was a bottle of Mahr’s Bräu Leicht. Mahr’s Bräu is a brewery in Bamberg, Germany that has been around since at least 1670 and owned by the same family since 1895. They produce a variety of beers: Hell, Pils, Light (Leicht), White, Gig (coachman’s beer) and two kinds of Bock beer (Bock and White Bock). Bamberg, a city of about 70,000 people has seven other breweries besides Mahr’s Brau and is known for their smoked Rauchbier. The Leicht has received mixed reviews, with Beer Advocate giving it a solid 82, and Rate Beer giving it a pitiful 27.

Here is my take on the Mahr’s Bräu Leicht…

• Appearance: Cloudy amber with little foam and good lacing.
• Aroma: Malt, spice, mowed grass, lemony citrus and a hint of dried fruit.
• Taste: A bit thin, watery, with an odd off-putting aftertaste. This beer was not very good.
• ABV: 2.8%

This was a really bad beer. My better half gave it a smell and suggested that it smelled a bit like cut grass left in a bag for a week. After a taste, her followup comment was “C’mon, you know that’s awful!”. Well truth be told, I do know awful, and the Mahr’s Bräu Leicht was just that.