Munich's water is defined less by any single dramatic mineral and more by what it's genuinely missing: sulfate and chloride both sit remarkably low, at levels that leave essentially nothing pushing the beer toward either a sharp, hop-accentuating character or a round, chloride-driven fullness. What's left to dominate is calcium and a meaningfully high bicarbonate reading, and that combination suits exactly the malt-forward, understated hop character Bavarian lager brewing became known for.
Low sulfate as an absence that shapes a whole regional style
The classic reference figures for Munich water: calcium 76 ppm, magnesium 18 ppm, sodium 2 ppm, sulfate 10 ppm, chloride 2 ppm, bicarbonate 164 ppm. Compare that sulfate figure directly against Burton-on-Trent's 820 ppm — Munich's water carries roughly 1/80th the sulfate of Burton's, and that gap alone goes a long way toward explaining why Munich Helles and Vienna Lager read as soft, malt-led, and unassertively hopped where an English pale ale built on Burton-style water reads sharp and hop-accentuated by comparison. Neither water is objectively better; they simply pointed two brewing traditions in opposite directions.
Bicarbonate that suits amber and dark lagers particularly well
Munich's bicarbonate reading of 164 ppm gives real alkalinity and buffering capacity — not as extreme as Dublin's, but enough to comfortably support the Munich-malt-forward, amber-to-dark lager styles the region is known for (Oktoberfest/Märzen, Doppelbock, and Munich Helles's own base-malt character all benefit from water that doesn't fight against a moderately dark, moderately acidic mash the way a very soft, low-alkalinity water would).
Using this profile
These are historical reference figures, not a live feed from Munich's current municipal supply — confirm your own water before assuming this profile applies. If you're building toward the malt-forward Bavarian lager tradition, the practical target is low sulfate and chloride relative to calcium and bicarbonate, rather than trying to replicate any single dramatic number the way a Burton-style pale ale build would; see the Munich Helles, Oktoberfest/Märzen, and Doppelbock style guidelines for the malt-forward beers this water historically supported. PeriodicDeck's element reference is a useful background check on calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate chemistry before adjusting your own brewing water toward this profile.