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...
Notes on beers in the style
Märzen / Oktoberfest
Hofbräu
Oktoberfest
Lager
Tavour has many faults - many, but it does have a few redeeming features. One of those redeeming qualities is access to a handful of breweries that I know from 20+ years ago, and Kuhnhenn is one such brewer. Couple that with a style that I generally enjoy, even at the ridiculous price a single can demands on Tavour I'll swing fro one of these without too much thought. Oddly the beer has been on in the beeradvocate database since 2003, but the reviews and ratings are mostly from the 2011-14 ...
Hacker Pschorr
Oktoberfest Märzen
I must have drunk this a million time before writing these notes in August of 2023. Classic copper colored amber body underneath a high white head, with great lace and some decent retention. Malt and bread nose as one would expect. Lovely rich sweetness sits against the faintest of light bitter backdrops. Absolutely 'gulpable' in huge gobs. Difficult to put down. There's almost a sweet and sour feel to beer that comes from the prefect balancing of the malt and hop elements. Never, ever...
Munsterfest Oktoberfest
Style Lager
Classic copper colored pour with a lovely head. Lace and retention aren't great, that's a shame, but overall the beer looks solid. The first gulps are little too bitter for my liking, but this quickly subsides into the richer, maltier part of the spectrum where the beer should reside. Nose offers the maltier side immediately. The beer has a simple mouthfeel, with decent carbonation and some sweetness. The light acidity falls in to a full and sweet finish, just right for the style, but ... just...
Oktoberfest
Festbier
I love to come across a new Oktoberfest or Festbier or Märzen, and when there is the promise of some sensible Sierra Nevada old-school, no nonsense brewing associated with, it it all bodes well. The Sierra series of collaborations for these beers has generally been a good thing. However, I am confused a bit by the name. Is this going to be an American styled Octoberfest in the malty, caramel colored manner, or a more traditional, lighter colored (still malty) Festbier? Only one way to find...
Oktoberface
American-Style Märzen
Purchased on a whim. 4 pack, Belmont Beverage, Decatur, IN. $10.99 for the 16 oz servings. To be fair, I was ready to hate this before I had tried it. In the end, I was not horrified! I do hate the term, "American-Style Märzen Lager", and a few reviews that I had read prior to opening suggested that this was a "hoppy märzen". Quite correctly, that oxymoron brought horror to many, but in the end this beer really wasn't anywhere that descriptor at all. It's a pretty beer (as most well-made...
Westbrook Brewing Co.
Märzenbier
Westbrook? Märzen? Yes, you have my attention. Handwritten bottling date onthe label 9/17/13 The first thing that strikes me is that odd, slightly grassy, stinky malt aroma that comes with a genuine Märzen style. Nice and light in the mouth with plenty of simplistic drinkability. A chill-hazed, mid orange/light copper color sits underneath the light, wispy head that hangs out above the beer. This is not as sweet as some of the American märzens, and I suspect this is a little closer to...
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...
Shiner Oktoberfest
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Amber pour, with little head or retention. Head fades badly. Aroma is bereft of any necessary elements. Horribly disappointing. Light malt tastes, but weak when considering the O'fest category as a whole. Malts are supported by a little hop factor, but it's ultimately somewhat non-descript. Fairly well balanced if rather bland, sand the downfall of the beer is really its lack of malt presence. Very little to report with this beer, a malt based beer...
Heavy Seas – Märzen
12oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Having been fairly disappointed with the Mutiny, 22oz series from CC/Heavy Seas, I was pleased to see a "back to basics" beer from the stable, and also in one of my favorite styles. Pour is a fairly light orange, amber beer with some scant head and lace. The beer has a medium carbonation that produces a decent mouthfeel. The beer does provide the typical element for the style- plenty of malt, yeasty aftertaste and a moreish and yummy taste, however...
Terrapin Boom Shakalager
22 oz bottle as part of the Side Project Series, this one is #11. The usual gold-foiled presentation. Pour is a surprisingly dark amber in color. The head is largely absent and the retention and lace are close to zero. Disappointing. Nose gives some phenols and a little fusel alcohol in the back end of the finish. It's a pretty viscous and heavy beer, but to be honest, given the style that's in line and OK, but it certainly does not add to the drinkability. There's a little marzipan in the...
Oktoberfest Lager Beer
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a medium, dull-copper body but the level of carbonation and general "liveliness" is somewhat below average. Nose and tastes reveal a certain malt sweetness as expected, but at the same time fail to deliver the typical, malt-punch that I need from my O'fest. The beer drinks decidedly flat as well which is a bit of problem for me. Tasted a bit like one might expect a "rough round the edges" homebrew in the style would come out. Looking for...
Gordon Biersch Märzen
12 oz single, Taco Mac, Marietta (Dallas Highwway), Marietta, GA, USA. Pleased to see this being distributed in bottles now after enjoy the same beer in various GB locations for many years. What I've also said about the GB Marzen when drunk on the premises, is that is has a great, sweet, HIGH yeast feel to it which adds hugely to it's drinkability. This bottled version seems to lack a number of those attrivbutes, and for me REALLY strongly highlights the difference between bottled beer and a...
Hoss
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Delighted to try this as the Marzen style is one of my favorite styles. Paradoxically, rye beers are some of my LEAST favorites so the the juxtaposition should be interesting if nothing else! Pour delivers exactly what I am looking for in the style, i.e. a completely crystal clear body with a nice white head with some spotty film and lace. Super orange, golden body. Nose gives some edgy malts and some...
Gordon Biersch FestBier
On tap, $4.50 served in 0.5 L German style mug with an O'fest logo. A surpringly, light orange body. Color has some macro characteristics. Head is OK but fades quite badly. Extremely yeasty in the nose and tastes with some light fruits. The alcohol seems to build a little over the course of the beer. Dry ending with even more yeast. Light esters in the nose which seem more prominent in the smell than the taste. Lingers a little. Feels pleasing, rich and full in the mouth. A bit odd in terms of...
Gordon Biersch Märzen
Say what you like about GB beers, they do tend to look good and generally they produce a reliable quality. The Marzen is, for want of a better word their "flagship" brew and as usual it is pretty steady at the relatively new, Buckhead location. Great clarity on the bright amber body, the beer is lively and vibrant. Head leaves a little to be desired but it's generally acceptable. Nose gives some quite large malts. More dryish yeast in the tastes (a GB trademark) but again more bready...
Left Hand Oktoberfest
12 oz bottle as a single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. If the truth be known, disappointed considering the usual quality of Left Hand beers and my general enjoyment of the style. In an O'fest I'm looking for a few key characteristics and this beer fell down on several of them. Firstly I want a really, bright orange hue with outsanding clarity and an observable carbonation. For me this provided none of those and in fact I would decscribe the beer as being "muddy" in its...
Dominion Octoberfest
Different presentation than the BA db picture for the 2009 version (and perhaps even before that), $1.79 for the single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a rather murky, dark orange affair with a well formed, tight head that is somewhat small. Doesn't seem very lively. Looks a little ordinary. Lace and (and especially) retention are well below average. Disappointed with the lack of clarity and brightness to the beer. Nose gives up some dryish smelling malts. A little...
Weihenstephaner Festbier
12 oz single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Poured into the Tücher Weizen glass (not pictured, rather the picture shown is from 08/15/21) , the color is alarmingly light for the style, IF we were talking a Märzen (we're not, BTW!). Here's the explanation for the hue which comes six years after my original notes on this beer. The pour is largely a macro yellow color and lacks the kind of extra added orange, amber depth that one would expect to find in a Märzen. Strike one...
Maierfest Lager
WOW and WOW, I wasn't expecting this! $4.99 for the 22oz bomber in the usual silk-screened presentation from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. I usually approach Rogue with some trepidation since I often find their beers over-hopped but this blew me away. (I was worried with the bottle design having hops strewn about Mr. Maier!!) A significant hiss on opening and a lively pour with a good dose of carbonation. BEAUTIFUL clarity on the golden orange pour with great streaming carbonation -...
Heavy Seas – Prosit!
22oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I think that the basic idea of "imperializing" an Oktoberfest beer is essentially a bad idea since it's simply not a style that needs that kind of treatment, but let's take a closer look. Pour lacks much life, but that may be a function of the ABV. Golden orange body with a lack of much sustainable head, minimum carbonation and no lace at all. Nice color but overall a touch ordinary to look at. The nose is not really definitive and offers not much...
The Big O Oktoberfest
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA split with my brother-in-law over dinner. Excellent color on the pour, perhaps a little darker than some in the style, the depth of the mahoghany is quite striking. Head is somewhat disappointing though, fades quickly and not much lace. Nose reveals some typical malt character with sweetness, but there is a hint of hops too. Similar situation in the taste with the majority of the body made up from the typical, sweetish, caramel, sugary notes but...
Michelob Marzen
$0.99 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA as a 12oz single. Attractive colored label (classy green color) with a ridge on the bottle at the base of the neck that is reminiscent of a Westy bottle!! ;-). WHAT A SHOCK - AB marketing outdoes creative and expressive brewing! DOH! Pour is a slightly darker than macro lager pour, and one that produces a slightly better than average head. Still no lace. Mouthfeel is REALLY thin and rlacks any Marzen richness - disappointing. Nose is frankly...
Heavy Seas – Märzen
16oz pour a Taco Mac, East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. $6.00 - first time I've really noticed the increase in prices recently. Hazed ornage appearance with a decent head and some lace. Lots of sweetness in the nose and the initial tastes. Really quite fruity with plenty of juicy, semi-hard fruits present. Some apple character but also pears and other esters. Well balanced beer but the malts obvious take the lead. Nicely put together and tasty. well rounded in the mouth and the finish has...
Max Oktoberfest
2008 version sampled 11/7/08. Simple, clear and orangey/red/mid-brown pour with minimal head and lace. In fact, carbonation this low reminds me of a cask ale (a good thing). This brew pretty much nails the style nicely. Good, sweet malts are supported with some subtle bitternes for balance. Nicely rounded in the mouth (which I always feel is an important feature of the Marzen type brews). According to the blurb this was brewed in the taditonal style in as much as it was made in March and then...
Christian Moerlein Oktoberfest
12oz bottle, thanks to nlmartn for the chance to try this as part of Secret Santa '07. Pour is a little dull - both in terms of the color and the lack of life in the appearance. Very malty aroma, with a touch of marzipan. The nose is the best aspect of this brew. Taste is a little run of the mill. A little flat and it lacks the sparkle, especially in the light of the Great Lakes O'Fest that I had the other day. I suppose that could be bit of a disadvantage and an unfair comparison, but there...
Great Lakes Oktoberfest
Pictured 08/09/23 Original notes 01/24/08 Thanks go out to nlmartin as part of Secret Santa '07. 12oz bottle. Drinking this a couple of months after the best before date on the bottle. Not to worry, this hasn't suffered much in the interim. Amazing color on the pour - almost a radioactive orange color - quite stunning. Large head and a great looking beer. Quintessential Oktoberfest (rather than Festbier). Great sweet, tasty malts with a nice zing in the finish. Very moreish and a beer that I...
Bell’s Octoberfest Beer
12oz bottle, thanks to Hoppymeal for the "extra" in a recent trade. Very simple and solid beer. Great clarity with some good carbonation. Orange color, looks good. Small head; some retention and lace. Color is a high-point/strength of this beer. Typical Oktoberfest feel. Sweet malts, with a hoppy finish to balance the beer. Nevertheless, sweet malts are the order of the day. A little drier in the finish than one finds in many similar beers. Solid and simple.
Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest
12oz single, Mac's Downtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Simple pour with nice clarity but very little life. Not much head and the retention is just not there. Very light lace. Slightly acidic nose with some sweetness. Some weak malty character and some extra carbonation. A little soda like in the mouth. Pretty typical in terms of taste, but it seems lighter than many. In summary, just above macro beer.
Harpoon Octoberfest Beer
12oz single from Mac's Downtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Best Before 11/22/07, dot-matrixed on the neck. Not quite sure why this is listed as an American Amber/Red in the BA db since it is called Octoberfest, drinks like a malty Oktoberfest brew and it says on the label that it is Marzen style. On well.. Atractive light orange body that is lively with plenty of carbonation. Large, frothy head with plenty of lace and decent retention. Ok, what we get here is a nice, malty bread based beer with a...
Red Brick Oktoberfest
On-tap at the Taco Mac on the East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. Lifeless looking pour with a head that dies away quickly to leave almost nothing on the surface of the beer. No lace. Mid-brown, uninteresting to say the least. Sweet malts in the nose and some in the taste. Wouldn't guess this was supposed to be an O'fest, it seems like an amber/sweet lager without any distinguishing character. Utterly bland beer (not offensive, but just blah..). This is a typical ABC beer. Not bad, not...
Oktoberfest
Thanks go out to Vancer for sending this as part of the CEO/Old Farts BIF. 16oz "big" bottle. Label looks "Germanic"! Nice appearance. Good clarity, a great orange/amber color with some head and a little lace. A high quality Fest/Marzen with some delicious toasty, rich malts. Definitely slightly more bitter than some of the same style, but it seems to work well as a change of pace. It lacks a little of the sweetness that I usually seek in the style, but it still comes together nicely. Some...
Warsteiner Premium Oktoberfest
Purchased as a 12 oz single from Total Wine, Kennesaw, GA, USA. So, it's the season for delicious, malty, full bodied Oktoberfests and some delcious Pumpkin brews. All of them with great color and body and plenty of taste. Then comes this....oh dear. I don't like Warsteiner beers in general, so I was dubious, but I couldn't resist at least trying it once. Pours with a fizzy macro lager like look, and drinks pretty much like a strong, Euro, macro/adjunct lager. Nasty. Over carbonated fizz,...
Festbier
12oz single, Jax, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA. Excellent copper color and (for me the most important in this style) great clarity. Clear as a bell. Small, creamy, short-lived head with not much lace. retention poor. Big and malty up front and quickly followed by some organic tasting hops. Some grassy notes. Well balanced. Very typical for the style, a nice example.
Thomas Hooker Octoberfest Lager
Pretty standard offering in the style, not bad but nothing to write home about either. Pour was a little on the flat side for my liking against the clear amber body. Standard nose with some spice and sweetness apparent. Taste had the usual characteristics one would expect, but had an odd earthy component too. A little off-putting. As with most Oktoberfests, as the warmth got into the beer the flavors became more pronounced. OK, try one when you can, but don't expect anything more than a simple...
Dogtoberfest
A decent and drinkable Marzen with mid amber color and a good clarity to the pour. Not much head or lacing. Some bubblegum notes in the nose. Nice malty beer that serves a very simple purpose. Simple fare and average tastes, but you could do much worse. Mouthfeel is not big, but satisfies. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.
Jubel
Short and squat, growler type small, swingtop bottle. $4.99 Cheers, Carrollton, GA, USA. Had a typical Dubbel type appearance. I always think this is a disappointing look to a beer - all drab, murky, muddy brown in the glass, not especially appetizing. Some very thin head and minimal lacing. Soft sugary taste with an acidic twang too. Caramel tastes, but it fails to impress. Quite thin I thought. Very average all around, not something I'm likely to bother with again anytime soon. Not sure...
Oktoberfest
Copper haze with a lot of cloudiness, initial decent head, but this fades very quickly to leave no head and no lacing. Rather flat looking all around. Pretty bland in all departments. Sweet malts and a little bit of a bitter finish, but outside of that a disappointing Marzen.
Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen
On tap at Vreny's, Atlanta, GA, USA 12/03/05. Medium body that lacks the richness of many O'fests. Lack of punch in the mouthfeel and taste departments. Goes down well, has session potential. Aroma muted too. For fuller notes see; See http://beeradvocate.com/beer/user_review/?action=edit&id=142&b=582&rId=242759
The Kaiser
Imperial Oktoberfest? Well, for all intents and purposes I think we have a beer that is basically a Barleywine. Massive sugar, with the associated cloying sweetness, large alcohol up front and all the way through and very little subtle respite from the sugar and the alcohol. Some decent head early, but this fades quickly on warming to give a typical high alcohol "dead head" and sweet, thick body. Some residual lacing, but this is as a result of the sticky sweetness rather than any decent,...
Oktober Fest
Crystal clear, light copper colored pour with only a fleeting head and little or no lacing. Some mild hops and very, very mild spice in the nose. Mild flavor all around. Some light malts start the taste and then the shortest of stinging hops finish it. Sweet in the mouth, light and very easy drinking, this is a beer that is nice, but at the same time not really very characterful. Body is very average, almost seems diluted a bit. Stoudt's makes some wonderful beers, this isn't really one of...
Brooklyn Oktoberfest Beer
Mid-Amber pour, average head and lacing, fairly standard looking, nice micro appearance. Soft malt nose, quite low key. Tastes are dominated by the malt backbone which is strong and solid. Not a big mouthfeel but its a full tasting toffee like experience. High drinkability since it combines a nice satisfying mouthfeel, with a strong malt taste that is easy to quaff. Solid and delicious. Surprisingly refreshing too.
Berkshire Oktoberfest Lager
Hazed light brown/orange body with a modest head that fades quickly. No lacing. Aroma? Well, I don't get much at all except some really dry hops. Taste is really quite dry for the style. Dry hops are present but the brew is smooth and not bitter, That suggests the malts are there, but they are in no way upfront or aggresive. I would expect more malt character for the style. Not a great deal of Oktoberfest character here, drinks more like an APA to me. Having said that I quite like it, just not...
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
Additional Notes: 05/03/2022 This is the bottle pictured. Reading my original notes (below) from 17 years ago I’m a little surprised, since now I really enjoy this beer. To be honest, much more than a couple in any 12 month period is about all that I need, and I still find it best paired with food, but the words, “simply isn’t to my liking” is now just no longer true. I really enjoy it. Original Notes: 06/29/2005 Well, it's obviously an acquired taste, and it's going to take some people by...
Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen
Good, dark copper color and an attractive head. Lacing apparent, but not sticky or much of it. Good solid beer, with some bitterness that runs all the way through from start to finish. I didn't get that typical, full bodied, sweetness that one can get with some Oktoberfest's, more a medium bodied, bitter, dark beer. Slightly out of style I thought. I miss the maltier, chewier body that ought to accompany the style. Smell brings out the grain and is not that attractive. Drinkable, but fairly...
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Additional notes (10/01/23) - pictured. It was over eighteen years ago that I wrote the notes below. I've drunk this beer a multitude of times since, but even though those 2005 notes might seem harsh I have never really loved this beer. The head in the picture is impressive but mainly because it results from a very aggressive pour. Even that one is gone way too quickly and I would mostly stand by what I wrote below. The malts are obviously in place, and one could even say this is a classic...
Beck’s Oktoberfest
Very, very solid example of the style, with good macro type availability and price; this beer is hard to beat from a value and fallback point of view. Drinks very smooth, with a degree of sweetness that I always associate with the style. It really is a question of hops and bitterness in the nose, followed by malts and smoothness in the mouth. Good, filling mouthfeel, nice carbonation and a sweet finish. Typically Marzen, with a refreshing drinkability to it. This is an excellent, (relatively)...
Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Pictured 09/18/15 Additional notes 10/10 Six years on since my original review, I still really love this beer. Today I paid $8.23 for a sixer, so this is still fantastic value. Color in 2010 seems even richer than ever and the malt depth is always impressive to me. Great aftertaste of mellow caramel sweetness is just so satisfying and pleasing to me. Highly drinkable, great value truly one of my favorite beers in the USA. Original notes 10/04 Really pretty good for around $7 a sixer. This is a...
Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen
Pictured 04/06/23 at Ein Prosit, Frisco, CO, USA Original notes 10/04/04 Crystal clear golden, orange pour, that really does look nice in the body of the beer, but the lack of head and or lacing was rather disappointing. In fact it looked distinctly flat almost right out of the bottle. Outside of the lack of head, it looks good. There is a real biscuit malt taste and a very distinct creaminess to this beer. The malt is in the aroma too, but in a subdued way. A lovely smooth beer to drink, with...