Augustiner
Augustiner Edelstoff
A stronger, fuller Munich pale lager in the export tradition, and the beer that shows what the extra gravity is for.
- Strength
- 5.6% ABV
- Style
- Dortmunder Export
- Brewery
- Augustiner
Also called Edelstoff.
Export-strength pale lager exists because beer that had to travel needed more of everything: a little more alcohol, a firmer malt body, slightly more hops to hold it together. The category is named for Dortmund, but the construction is the same wherever it was brewed, and this is the Munich version.
Beside the same brewery’s Helles it is a controlled experiment. Same house, same water, same yeast, and the only substantial change is gravity — which arrives as more malt sweetness, more body and a longer finish rather than as anything you would call strength.
What it tastes like
Inherited from Dortmunder Export, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried as a reference example of its style |
|---|---|
| Strength | 5.6% ABV — checked 2026-08-19. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Stable — this product has changed little and is not expected to. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- A direct comparison with the same brewery’s Helles, differing mainly in gravity
- Shows what the export tradition was actually for, which was surviving a journey rather than tasting stronger
If you like Augustiner Edelstoff
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Munich Helles — try Augustiner Helles or Aecht Schlenkerla Helles
A close structural match for Augustiner Edelstoff — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Czech pale lager — try Velkopopovický Kozel Světlý
A close structural match for Augustiner Edelstoff — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more floral (none–trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Festbier — try Spaten Oktoberfestbier
A close structural match for Augustiner Edelstoff — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly less hop spice (low → none–trace).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Kellerbier — try Mahrs Bräu Ungespundet
Keeps most of what Augustiner Edelstoff does and shifts carbonation.
Different: slightly less carbonation (moderate → low).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Keeps most of what Augustiner Edelstoff does and shifts floral.
Different: slightly more floral (none–trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Czech premium pale lager — try Pilsner Urquell or Budweiser Budvar
Keeps most of what Augustiner Edelstoff does and shifts hop aroma.
Different: slightly more hop aroma (low → moderate–high).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
California Common — try Anchor Steam Beer
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Augustiner Edelstoff.
Different: noticeably more herbal (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more herbal than Augustiner Edelstoff.
Czech amber lager — try Bernard Polotmavý ležák
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Augustiner Edelstoff.
Different: noticeably less dryness (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less dryness than Augustiner Edelstoff.
Märzen — try Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Augustiner Edelstoff.
Different: slightly more malt intensity (moderate → high).
May not suit: Very close to Augustiner Edelstoff; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from Dortmunder Export. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
Keeping it
Dortmunder Export shows best within 3–6 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.
Derived from Dortmunder Export. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.