Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen
Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-MärzenSpaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen
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From:
Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
 
Germany
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #315
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,615
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 13.74%
Reviews:
1,278
Ratings:
2,898
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 13, 2024
Added:
Sep 04, 2001
Wants:
  65
Gots:
  444
This is the darker Märzen beer sold in the US and elsewhere as Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen. This is NOT the golden Festbier sold at in Munich as Oktoberfestbier.
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Ratings by BuckSpin:
Photo of BuckSpin
Reviewed by BuckSpin from Maine

2.47/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
Presentation: 12oz bottle (production code of L 18471 C) in a thumbprint Seidel

BAside: it seems odd to have a German Oktoberfest with the words "MALT LIQUOR" on the label...

Poured crisp, clean, true. Ugh....not a very pleasing nose. To be honest this smells like a typical canned macro. Dry, astringent, slightly metallic, a little sour, maybe some mildly burnt caramel. Head was a nice pencil's worth of loose & mixed, pale ivory foam that steadily settled to a see-through sheen with a bubbled edge ring. The slightly hazed body is classic Marzen - penny copper orange, warm like good honey. Damn shame it doesn't have an appealing aroma.

It tastes better than it smells, but it still has some mild, canned macro quality. Slightly burnt caramelized malts slide under a semi-dry, crisp astringency that is a ween bit spoiled/sour, with some noticeable metallic & phenolic aspects. Hops are timid & mildly bitter. I'm not really sure what is exactly going on here. I've enjoyed some nice Marzens, but this has an odd aspect to it, a can lining quality that I just can't shake.

Growing drier & lighter on the palate, it finishes crisp but a little phenolic with a nice, sharpening spiciness, leaving a clean yet cloying aftertaste.

I had Mrs. BuckSpin confirm the nose. Her words - "Natural Ice in a can", so I know its not me. It is very possible I got a bad bottle, but in that I have nothing to compare it to I am going with what I experienced. Let me put it this way - if this was a Macro Lager it would be a pretty decent one, but as a Marzen this was not enjoyable. I will definitely try this again next year to see if I did catch a bad one, but until then I cannot recommend this. This was one of the most disappointing & generic tasting imports I've ever had. Very bummed. Omm-pah-pah at your own risk.
Nov 14, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by USArmyRangerVet from New York

Jan 13, 2024
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen pours a darker, brown color, with a small, long-lasting and lacing head. The aroma is light, with hints of dough. The flavor is lighter, and darker, with dough/bread notes. Good feel. Overall, a darker marzen, with some really nice flavors, just a little light.
Nov 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by The_Sewer_King from Illinois

Nov 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.04 by Hazey92 from New York

Nov 07, 2023
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.26/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Dark gold to light brown in color. There’s a fingernail of off white around the rim and covering a third of the top. There’s a faint aroma of grassy hops and light malt. I’m tasting lightly skunky light malt, very faint grassy hops, and well water. The mouth is a bit salty and dense.
Oct 29, 2023
Photo of HappyGuy12345
Reviewed by HappyGuy12345 from New Jersey

4.46/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
From tap into a 1 liter beer stein.
Look: Clear dark amber with 1 finger of head with good retention.
Smell: Faint wheat aroma
Taste: Clean and refreshing with caramel notes and hints of hops.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with plenty of carbonation
Overall: This was an extremely refreshing beer to have during an Oktoberfest celebration.
Oct 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.62 by crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania

Oct 19, 2023
 
Rated: 3.69 by Danmullens1 from Wisconsin

Oct 09, 2023
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Clear burnt amber to light brown with a surprisingly short khaki head.

Tangier than toasty, in the pear skin realm, but still with a light nuttiness. A mildly rounding but dissipating carbonation fosters an overall semisweet constitution just shy of becoming caramelly, while the exhale does add a little brown bread.
Oct 07, 2023
Photo of Red_Beard_Numero_Uno
Reviewed by Red_Beard_Numero_Uno from Pennsylvania

4.81/5  rDev +32.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A quintessential beer for Oktoberfest. This is a great tasting smooth Martin style beer. That is a perfect transition from summer beers to Winter beers. It tastes, delicious and Spaten lives up its to reputation.
Sep 30, 2023
 
Rated: 3.69 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Sep 25, 2023
 
Rated: 3.67 by Fubudu187 from Illinois

Sep 24, 2023
 
Rated: 3.61 by saymike32 from New Jersey

Sep 22, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by TimDixon1964 from Maryland

Sep 20, 2023
Photo of PapaGoose03
Rated by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The Enjoy By date is 11/23 so I think this beer is 17 months old. It tastes old.
Sep 19, 2023
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by October 2023.

Reddish body, head disappears quickly. Sweet caramely aroma, which carries over into the taste. Seems a little dead, not much body. No aftertaste though.
Sep 16, 2023
Photo of Antg8989
Reviewed by Antg8989 from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thought this was very whatever for an oktoberfest. It's not a bad beer, but the hype behind it left me very disappointed. Aroma is grassy/wet hay. Taste is not much like Aroma. Its more in line with the traditional toastiness of oktoberfests, but has a metallic thing going on that just hampers anything good going on here. Not bad, but prefer Ayinger.
Sep 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Chris7482 from Illinois

Sep 05, 2023
Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen from Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 2898 ratings