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Notes on beers brewed by

Staatliches Hofbräuhaus (Hofbräu München)
Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier

Hofbräu
Oktoberfestbier

Of late I've been trying to fill in a few gaps in terms of notes and reviews for beers that I've drunk a lot of prior, but have never been recorded formally. This time of year there's obviously great opportunities to do that with Oktoberfests and Festers. 12 oz bottle from a six pack. Immediately the Festbier (rather than the Marzen) becomes apparent from the appearance. A golden body with a nice, two finger wispy white head. Looks well-carbonated and feels 'crisp' - Jesus how I hate that word...

Hofbräu Hefe Weizen

Hofbräu
Hefe Weizen

11.2 oz (330 mL) single. Straw colored pour with a head that fades quickly. A little chill-haze, a few floaties. Limited lace, not a great deal of retention. Grainy nose, a little bubblegum -not much. Medium body with a light yeasty, bubblegum and banana tastes. It's quite sweet and soft. The sweetness builds a little, and becomes a feature of the beer. Although a classic (I suppose), the sweetness is surprising to me. Light banana in the finish, and the sweetness finishes the beer too. I have...

Hofbräu Dunkel

Hofbräu Dunkel

330 mL single. Blue Ridge Brew Hub, Waynesville, NC. Beautiful, red bronze pour with clarity and cleanliness that is striking. White head. some lace. Nose offers a ton of predictable caramel notes. Caramel up front immediately in the tastes too. A very, very light roast note, but this is muted appropriately. Malts of course, are all over the beer, and they meld perfectly. Sweet, medium bodied example, with even a touch of chocolate in there too. Refreshing, but it is a sweet example of the...

Hofbräu Original

Hofbräu Original

Pure, golden, clear pour with a resplendent white head. Quintessential Helles in the glass. Deep bread in the nose with a touch of hop character being barely perceptible. Easy drinking, mouthfeel is lightly prickly, simple and perfect. Sweet breads mingle amongst the noble hop bitterness. Beautifully balanced, as the elements meld perfectly together. Lots of sweet grains, a medium body and that leads to an incredibly easy to consume beer - in many ways, that's its purpose. Crisp, light and...

Hofbräu Maibock (Urbock)

Hofbräu Maibock (Urbock)

12 oz single from Grassroots, Jacksonville, FL, USA. Quite a surprising orange color on the pour with very little head. The beer produces a very light film on the surface of the beer and no lace. It looks a little flat, but actually isn't once one tastes it. Extremely malty and musty nose. Lots of organic hay and and some degree of mustiness as well. The nose goes into the taste with a yeast based acidity being quite strong. Fruit notes peek through somewhat, but this a German based malt bomb...

Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier

Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier

Additional notes 09/16/23 (pictured) Of late I've been trying to fill in a few gaps in terms of notes and reviews for beers that I've drunk a lot of prior but have looked at old notes and thought, "what?"! This time of year there's obviously great opportunities to do that with Oktoberfests and Festers. 12 oz bottle from a six pack. Immediately the Festbier (rather than the Märzen) becomes apparent from the pour. A golden body with a nice, two finger wispy white head. Looks well-carbonated and...