Oaktoberfest
Nashoba Valley Brewery

OaktoberfestOaktoberfest
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From:
Nashoba Valley Brewery
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Märzen
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
74
Avg:
2.9 | pDev: 24.48%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
22
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 17, 2018
Added:
Mar 24, 2005
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by bjohnson:
Photo of bjohnson
Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured a light amber color with a half finger head that dissipates quickly. No lace left. Smells malty with a hint of maple in there. Doesn't have much taste. After the first sip, I though I had a budweiser or a budlight. There wasn't much mouthfeel. Very slight bitterness. I wasn't too impressed with this beer. Drinkability is mediocre.
Nov 20, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.75 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Oct 17, 2018
 
Rated: 1.77 by Shellynix from Massachusetts

Jan 20, 2017
 
Rated: 2.45 by Dicers from California

Mar 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by TheBeerSipper from Massachusetts

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Resuin from Massachusetts

Nov 07, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by jbertsch from Massachusetts

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by TheRealThreePhilosophers from Massachusetts

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by sweisel80 from Massachusetts

Jan 15, 2012
Photo of mterrence5
Reviewed by mterrence5 from Massachusetts

2.92/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Got a mixed 6 pack a the brewery.

Not too carbonated. Mild Hop/Mild sweet taste, with fruity dirt taste too it. Light in the mouth and not too strong of an after taste. Nothing great here. Don't think I would buy it again except for the fact I was on a tour. Cheers for a good attempt.
Oct 15, 2011
Photo of jondeelee
Reviewed by jondeelee from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +43.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Oaktoberfest--so named because it's an Oktoberfest Marzen-style lager aged on oak chips--smells rich and malty, the brown sugars wafting dreamily from the bottle, accompanied by alluring hints of toasted grains, vanilla, caramel, and apricot.

On the tongue, the brew starts off with many of the same malty notes from the tongue--brown sugars, toasted grains, caramel and apricot--but adds hints of nut, fig, raisin, and even light port to the mix. The light toast American oak does add some vanilla flavor, as well as wood, all of which becomes especially prominent later in the mouthful. Hops are lightly added to provide a subtle hint of bitterness, and mostly appear as a citrus counter. Late in the mouthful, after the sugars die off, a thick grain base is revealed, tasting much like a simple wheat cereal. The aftertaste does showcase a broader range of hops, though they're still light, as well as a continuation of the grain flavors. Mouthfeel is a silky medium-light, and carbonation is medium-light.

Overall, this is great Oktoberfest fare, and if produced in much larger quantities, could give Sam Adams a run for their money. Well worth trying, assuming you live in the Boston area and can find it.
Aug 01, 2011
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

2.99/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Wow... 3 beers in a row, all three with no friggen carbonation. I almost want to go complain to them! THis is ridiculous.

Pours a flat no head whatsoever. A hazy reddish orange color. Almost all their beers have teh same look too, no head, hazy, and orange red color.

The nose is very light, but at least nothing that bad. Some light toasty lager aromas, little malt extract, slight sweet lager aroma.

Taste starts with a very bleh malt flavor. Some malt extract flavors and very syrupy, some dark malts, but not too much. Some lager fruit flavors too. A slight rustic earthy malt taste too. It has some bitterness that comes from that earthy bitter U.K. style herbal hop that I don't really like either. Semi sweet to start and finishes still somewhat sweet. Sticky lingering syrupy finish with more of that earthy hop flavor.

Mouth is lighter bodied with absolute zero carbonation.

Drinkability is also somewhat meh, with the sticky syrupy flavor, and lingering bad hop flavors.
Oct 28, 2010
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

1.59/5  rDev -45.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
12 oz bottle generously shared by nickd717. This is a marzen aged on American oak, I guess?

Appearance: Burnished amber with slight haze. A small thin head forms, settling to a crown after a minute.

Aroma: American oak chips, rubber, butter and, beneath all of that, a touch of Vienna malt. I'm baffled by the use of oak in a beer like this.

Taste & mouthfee: Horribly tannic and astringent American oak completely annihilates the malt and hop character here. The beer is too thin to withstand the astringency that the oak brings; the sweet, toasted malt flavors are buried beneath oak, oxidation and rubber. Finishes harsh and buttery. Pretty abysmal.
Oct 28, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

2.14/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Bottle via trade.

Pours clear reddish-amber with a pretty well-formed off-white head and decent lacing.

The aroma is cellophane, oak chips, butter, and asphalt. Some slight malt notes as well.

The flavor is somewhat malty and oaky. Plasticky as well. Not much to it, and not good.

Decent palate, a little watery with medium-light body and average carbonation.

Not good. Had trouble finishing a few ounces of this stuff.
Oct 28, 2010
Photo of AndyAvalanche
Reviewed by AndyAvalanche from Massachusetts

3.09/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle picked up at the brewery/winery, poured into Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. It's amber/brown, darker than many of this style. Has a small white head that fades pretty quickly, a little lacing, to it. Good clarity.

The smell contains sweet malted barley. Slight dried fruit smells, no real hop presence. The smell itself is really lacking, very weak.

The taste is a slight savior to the other lacking areas. The taste has a strong malt base, caramel being the dominant feature. There is a slight pine hop taste that is maybe slightly stronger than most Oktoberfests, but doesn't over do it. Could just be the suggestion of the name, but it does seem to have a slight oak flavor to it.

Mouthfeel is okay, probably a little lighter than most of this style. Bitter aftertaste, could be a little cleaner, but not bad. Drinkability is good.

All in all it's pretty unique, don't think I'm overly crazy about it, don't know if I'd get it again.
Oct 16, 2010
Photo of taez555
Reviewed by taez555 from Vermont

3.23/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Had this beer on-tap at the brewery/winery.

Poured a clear caramel/brownish body. The pour had no head, but looked appealling overall.

Nose was in your face with rich caramel and loads of oak and fresh new england sweetness.

Taste was right up the middle typical New England style Fall/Fest/Autumn Ale/Octoberfest. Loads of caramel and very easy drinking. Rich and very sweet, but overall a lighter lager style body. The really unique thing about this beer was the oak aging. Coming from a winery, it actually reminded me of a beer that had been aged using a chardonnay barrel. Loads of oak and butter. To a point it actually dominated the taste and overshadowed the rich caramel notes of the octoberfest.

A very unique beer, not sure if I'm crazy about it though. Most oak aged beers nowadays go overboard with the bourbon flavor, this oak aging is totally a wine aging. It really tastes very much like a muted English Old Ale, and if I wasn't told it was an octoberfest, that's what I'd think it was. Still, a good attempt at a very unique style by a cool local brewery.
Oct 27, 2008
Photo of Franchise
Reviewed by Franchise from Oregon

3.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This offering from Nashoba pours a dark gold cloudy with yeast throughout leaving a thick tan head. The aroma is caramel, sour grapes, tart citrus fruit pwder, with a yeasty essence. The taste is tart upfront very lactic. The maltiness is nice caramel, brown sugar, followed by a brisk tart candy feel that moves to a under ripened fruit tartness. The finish is oaky but rough, overall not what I expected in this Oktoberfest overly tart but decent.
Dec 12, 2006
Photo of mountdew1
Reviewed by mountdew1 from New Hampshire

2.51/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Poured into a pint glass. As a pre note, it's possible this one was off. When I poured, I immediately got half a glass worth of head. Took a while for me to get the whole bottle in the glass. Once the head dropped, a hint of lacing was there for a wile. The color was a medium brown, an attractive color. The aroma was slightly fruity with a hint of alcohol in the back. The first sip made me shudder. Wasn't sure what it was, but it tasted bitter, and sour, and a few other things at once. In the mouth it was very oily. Tried a few more sips, but had to put it aside. Tried it again 1/2 hour later. I could now place the flavor. It was a bitter lemon. It no longer made me shudder, and was almost drinkable. Not nearly as oily in the mouth. Had some more, but eventually it became very bitter and oily again. It seemed the best as just below room temp (which was about 60) Cold, or at room temp it was tough to swallow. 'm seriously hoping it was a bad bottle as I have been pleased with most of their other brews.
Dec 05, 2006
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

2.06/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
12ozer bought as part of a 6-pack from Austin Liquors, Shrewsbury, MA. Note that this was purchased within the past couple of weeks.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" off-white head over the almost clear amber brew. Head quickly fades down to the thinnest of small-bubbled films, with average lacing. Aroma is musty, with a slight sour fruit and some alcohol. Taste is a blur of sour fruit, sweet malt, bitterness, and a boozy aftertaste. Mouthfeel and drinkability both continue the trend and don't do much to get me to revisit this product, unfortunately. I want to like Nashoba, but stuff like this off the shelf isn't helping.
Oct 12, 2006
Photo of bigman147
Reviewed by bigman147 from New Hampshire

2.95/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a light amber/copper with minimal head and zero lacing. Head retention is so low I thought that the carbonation was off (its not bad just zero head). Slight unidentifiable floaties. I hope its yeast.

Aroma: Smells of a watered down SA Triple Bock (smoked oak and maple). Slight yeasty notes.

Taste: Taste is thin with minimal body. I would have liked a little more malt character. Slightly tart. Slight plastic note

Mouthfeel: Lingering bitterness. Good carbonation and body

Drinkability: The thin watery quality would make this very drinkable however it does not impress in the glass and therefore, I had a hard time wanting to finish it.
Oct 02, 2006
Oaktoberfest from Nashoba Valley Brewery
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 22 ratings