Hoptoberfest
Redhook Brewlab

HoptoberfestHoptoberfest
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From:
Redhook Brewlab
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Märzen
ABV:
7.1%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.63 | pDev: 10.47%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
19
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 26, 2013
Added:
Aug 31, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jun 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Wetpaperbag from Washington

Feb 08, 2012
Photo of Ralphster5150
Reviewed by Ralphster5150 from New York

4.63/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Had a sample of this beer tonight (three pints on draft), has a great color and texture which doesn't really let you know that the ABV% is 7.10. Didn't realize the alcohol was that high till I felt a little bit after the second pint. Has a great mouthfeel and the smell is outstanding. This is what beer is suppossed to be. The appearance is a beautiful amber. It is flavorful, smooth yet full taste, and very drinkable. Might catch up to you after a few being that the ABV is a little bit higher than normal. This beer has a nice head on pouring, but the head fades fast leaving little if any carbonation. Not that it matters. The taste and aftertaste is fantastic.
Nov 18, 2004
Photo of bultrey
Reviewed by bultrey from New York

3.76/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is by far my favorite Redhook beer since they stopped making that coffee-infused stout a few years back. When I was at a nondescript NY bar recently, this sounded like the best thing on draft (you know, one of THOSE bars). I was hesitant, but I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised. Supremely drinkable, I have a hard time believing that it checks in above 7% ABV. This is like a blend between and Octoberfest ale and a well-hopped pale ale.
It has a strong, crisp malt flavor, with some delicate but palpable hoppiness. The best compliment you can often give a beer is that it is well-balanced, and this one fits the bill. Hopheads won't be impressed, or even mildly fazed by this beer, but it's doubtful that a diehard hophead would bother to try a Redhook nowadays, anyway, despite the intriguing name of the beer.
Why can't they make more beers like this?
Oct 28, 2004
Photo of clvand0
Reviewed by clvand0 from Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Had this one on tap at the local pub. …actually just stole a drink of it from a buddy who had it. Pours an amber color with a very small head and leaves no lacing on the glass. The aroma has a pine feel with a little sweetness, but it's not very strong at all. The flavor was smooth and bitter (hoppy). Low malt profile. Smooth and easy to drink ... especially for a 7.1%abv! I would probably have this one again. Good brew.
Oct 25, 2004
Photo of kmpitz2
Reviewed by kmpitz2 from Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This one poured off the tap a great transparent amber color with a finger and a half of head. The nose was caramel, but with a nice hop background. The taste was really nice. There was a very caramel sweetness, without that really funkyness I find in some marzen beers. The hops came through nicely on the finish, somewhat earthy and somewhat floral. This one was not as thick as I would have wanted it, but it was still a nice drink. I could sit down to a session of this beer. Too bad I had the last of the keg wih this glass.
Oct 18, 2004
Photo of SheepNutz
Reviewed by SheepNutz from Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On tap poured into a pint glass. It pours a medium caramel color with two fingers of head. There is a bit of lacing left. The smell has a little malty sweetness, but a really good hop nose. The taste starts slightly malty, but it has a great hop finish. Very upfront, crisp, and has lots of floral hops. The mouthfeel is just a little on the light side. The drinkability is good though. This has to be my favorite redhook to date. You can actually taste the hops!
Oct 07, 2004
Photo of masterbruewer
Reviewed by masterbruewer from Ohio

3.42/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I don't have as detailed a review as I'd like. I was at an Octoberfest sponsored by Budwieser and this was the best thing on tap, served in plastic cups and jugs.

It was a medium amber with a nice white head and lacing that stayed a while.

The smell was piney and flower hops.

The taste was solid hops with a little malt cream flavor, but not overpowering. Kind of a like a muted pale ale.

The mouthfeel was smooth and refreshing. Very thirst-quenching.

A nice drinking beer. Good flavor but mellow. Not a first choice but a decent choice when it's all they've got.
Oct 03, 2004
Photo of 99bottles
Reviewed by 99bottles from Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I tried a pint of this only because of the allude to hops, not because I was expecting something great. I was interested to see what a marzen with some aggressive hopping might taste like. This sort of fell short. It has a reddish brown color, a weakly retained head of yellowish-tan and low carbonation. The smell is of sweet carmel malt and a light bitterness of hops. The taste is where it falls apart. Instead of a rich and creamy mouthfeel, this is thin and feels lacking on the malts. Some mild nuttiness, some toasted notes, mostly carmel sweetness. The hops are one sided and bland, nothing more than slight prickle and faint linger in the aftertaste. I might have used a more exciting type of hop, and used more of it, especially in the dry hop to get some aroma going. All in all, not a horrible beer, but with some many others out there, why waste your time with something that's average at best? I will credit them with hiding the alcohol though. A 7.1% O-fest? I didn't taste that.
Sep 29, 2004
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured a bronze color with medium sized off-white head. The aroma was weaker than expected with some hints of malt and floral tones. The flavor was definitely different - an oktoberfest with some aggressive hopping. Not too exciting, almost disappointing as the malts and hops seemed to battle each other for your approval. The malt lingers on the tongue, and the bitterness stretches long into the aftertaste. The medium bodied beer is drinkable, but not one you want to make a session beer out of.
Nov 01, 2003
Photo of beergeek279
Reviewed by beergeek279 from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served on tap at Fathead's. The color was amber, with a white, layered head. The smell was of the caramel malt. The taste was predominantly hoppy, much more bitterness than most other Oktoberfests, but the malt was still present. Mouthfeel was smooth. Drinkability-wise, could definitely have a few of these.

Hoptoberfest is a new take on an old beer, and a rather tasty one at that. Cheers to Redhook for their experiment, and hopefully I'll have a few of these next year!
Oct 25, 2003
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this at the NH Brewery. The beer was a Reddish-Amber color. It was fairly clear. There was a bit of a light tan head, that quickly dissapated. Caramel in the nose, along with hints of grapefruity hops and pine. The taste is a bit sweet, mainly of caramel with a fairly decent hop bitterness. Not bad!
Oct 12, 2003
Photo of ecoboy
Reviewed by ecoboy from Rhode Island

3.64/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Unchallenging and comforting, masking a potent abv punch, Hoptoberfest is welcome when the temperature goes down.

Reddish amber with very small bubble head (almost nitro small) on tap at the Great Lost Bear. Good lacing on the glass offset a definite lack of aroma.

It's been noted before: why add the word hop to a title if that is not a stressed point? How about Maltoberfest? It makes a smuch sense, really.

Warming malt/alcohol smoothness without being spicy or syrupy. A touch of sour mid glass. Hop is really only a characteristic in the finish. Other oktoberfest/marzens are far more complex. I think the alcohol content's effect on the overall flavor profile banishes this to the "only good" and not "great" file.
Oct 10, 2003
Photo of goz
Reviewed by goz from Massachusetts

3.51/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a deep amber/reddish color with a small tan head that mostly diminishes, leaving small lacing. Aroma is mostly sweet, lots of caramel, backed with a slight hoppiness. Flavor is dominated by caramel, a slight breadiness shows as well, and a mild hoppiness finishes it all off. Medium body, easy drinking.
Oct 04, 2003
Photo of UnionMade
Reviewed by UnionMade from New York

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The beer is an orangey reddish amber, topped with a thick white head. Great sticky lace, cobwebbing down the glass.
The aroma is mostly a rich caramel maltiness, with some mild citric hops. Not very hoppy, considering the name. Definitely ale-like, without the characteristic lager cleanliness, although fairly clean for an ale. Some toasted malt, with a bit of cidery apple esters. Light diacetyl buttery aroma.
The flavor starts out very sweet and malty, with a good deal of caramel malt. Some toasted malt, continuing into a mild estery apple cider flavor. Some hints of pear and honeydew melon. A mild buttery diacetyl comes through towards the middle, lingering into the finish with some very mild citric hopping. Light diacetyl and some cidery flavor in the aftertaste. Medium to full bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Not a bad beer, but kind of unremarkable.
Oct 01, 2003
Photo of AtLagerHeads
Reviewed by AtLagerHeads from Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap at Boston's in Dayton, one of several taps they've dedicated to the O-fest beers at the expense of other styles. This is a brilliantly clear orange gold beauty with much less head than I'd expect and very little lacing. The aroma is deliciously caramel malt based with nary a hint of much else. The flavor is heavily caramel malt as well with such a thickly textured body as to seem medicinal. Sweet and smooth there is minimal hop overlay to tame this robust brew. Hop in this nickname is misplaced.
Sep 28, 2003
Photo of OldFrothingSlosh
Reviewed by OldFrothingSlosh from Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On tap at Sine' Irish Pub.

Poured a dull copper color with a really thick and sitcky white lace that ringed the glass. Aromas were hard to detect. Mostly sweet caramel. Flavor is almost 180 degrees different than the name of this beer. "HOP"toberfest...one would think that there might possibly be SOME hops in this. Sadly, this is not true. An almost too-syrupy, sugary sweet flavor in this one. All malt. Only at the end do the mystery hops finally show up, providing a slight bittering flavor. Fairly thick and creamy mouthfeel. The syrup factor dings the drinkability as well. Another disappointing offering from Redhook and certainly not a beer I would think of when someone says "Oktoberfest".
Sep 28, 2003
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On draught at the Winking Lizard Tavern in Columbus, OH. This beer is an orange-red color with a medium light beige head. Aroma is very sweet malt and caramel. More rich that I was expecting, with an almost syrupy texture. The flavor leans to the sweet side as well, with lots of malt and caramel. Luckily there is enough hops in the finish to keep it from going overboard, but I think it would be a lot better with more hops in the flavor to counterbalance the sweet side.
Sep 22, 2003
Photo of jreitman
Reviewed by jreitman from California

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Brewed as an ale and not quite to style but they like to think that it's an Oktoberfest so I will treat it as such. This is a real limited release that appears to be one of the brewer's pet projects. Poured a deep copper with barely any head. Aroma of sweet, nutty malt came through and was accented by a slighty piney note. Went very well with the bratwurst at Forecaster's. Flavor was of nuts with a nice sweetness and startling strong bitter finish. Overall a good effort.
Aug 31, 2003
Hoptoberfest from Redhook Brewlab
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 19 ratings