Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Samuel Adams OctoberfestSamuel Adams Octoberfest
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From:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #280
ABV:
5.3%
Score:
83
Ranked #24,024
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 14.17%
Reviews:
2,356
Ratings:
8,232
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 01, 2024
Added:
Sep 10, 2001
Wants:
  163
Gots:
  2,287
In 1810, the Oktoberfest tradition was born when Munich celebrated the Crown Prince's wedding with a special beer and 16-day party. Our version of this classic style blends hearty malts for a deep, smooth flavor of caramel, creating a brew that's perfect for the season, or whatever you're celebrating. Smooth with a roasty sweetness, and light hop character.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckSpin:
Photo of BuckSpin
Reviewed by BuckSpin from Maine

4.01/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: 12oz bottle (best by of 2/08) in a Shaker pint glass

Poured soft, smooth with a slight crackle

Nice semi-sweet nose, caramelized malts with a nice bread (pumpernickel) quality. Hops add a very faint spice & orange quality. A beautiful head of 2 finger's worth of soft, creamy, tight, sculpted foam, creamsicle in hue. It reminds me of the innards of a soon to be Jack O' Lantern as it laces in curtain like drapes. The body is equally as sharp - a crystal clear, almost luminescent, deep tangerine orange, copper-like & even a little sunburnt. Added to all this eye candy is a glasswide cascade of slow bubbles, twisting as they rise. This is a stunner visually.

Creamy, smooth, rich with soft semi-sweet caramel taking the point & dominating the initial taste, it has an almost lush tonguefeel. Faintly bitter, the hops are feeble & add a trace of some bitterness as well as a peep of some orange and maybe some really old cinnamon. The wet side of semi-dry in feel with a dulled, back of the mouth crunch that resembles an echo more than feel.

Its going down smooth & easy, growing sweeter on the palate, the malts becoming even more caramelized (very nice) with almost a high end confectionary aspect to the rich sweetness. I'm usually against overly sweet beers but this is just tasting great & going down real nice. It finishes a little more bittersweet, slightly filmy, wee bit chewy with butterscotch and a subtle citric (orange) quality, with a tiny bit of tingle of the teeth that leaves a very faint, subtle warmth.

A most enjoyable, tasty & easy to drink beer. This could be sessioned very nicely. Its a great fit for the season/genre, and a great bang for the buck. Has some aspects of a Scottish Ale. I'm seeing root veggies, aged cheddar, simple meats, something creamy (dairy) or smoked meats as a pairing. Definitely recommended.
Oct 03, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of KChief38
Rated by KChief38 from Texas

3.97/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really nice brew for the Fall. Hints of cloves, nice spices, crisp taste and warm color.
Mar 01, 2024
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark amber in color with a fingernail of khaki brown on top. There’s an aroma of caramelized bready malt. I’m tasting toffee and marzipan. The mouth is crisp and approachable.
Feb 09, 2024
Photo of MetalHead7734
Reviewed by MetalHead7734 from South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Moderate light tan head. Caramel or dark honey colored.

Smell: Caramel. Rich malt aroma.

Taste: Caramel sweetness that fades into rich maltyness. A small amount of citrus if you can find it. Finishes with more caramel.

Feel: Perfect.

Overall: One of my favorite beers. Perfectly balanced.
Jan 31, 2024
 
Rated: 3.74 by gongfu from Connecticut

Jan 31, 2024
Photo of 47fvckegotism
Rated by 47fvckegotism

3.34/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Bready smell with light taste of floral and the smallest hint of bittersweet flavor
Jan 28, 2024
 
Rated: 4.3 by Quikshark from South Carolina

Dec 28, 2023
Photo of DarkPassport
Reviewed by DarkPassport

4.31/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: On tap into pint glass. Beautiful clear mahogany amber with almost no head and no lacing. The color was brilliant but the lack of foam was unfortunate.

Aroma: Light malt notes. Toffee and caramel. Musk and oak.

Taste: Malt forward. Caramel that isn't too sweet. Toffee isn't as present on the tongue as it is on the nose. Lightly toasted bread.

Feel: Smooth. Carbonation is on the low side which seems to suit this beer just fine, surprisingly.

Overall: Fairly complex for the style without trying to be over-the-top. It's easy to see why this beer sets the American Oktoberfest bar.
Dec 26, 2023
Photo of Brendan-T-Walsh
Reviewed by Brendan-T-Walsh from New York

2.26/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.25
Very poor experience. A 12-pack case over a month of reluctant drinking in late September.

The look and smell were promising, but the (very American) Marzen feels loaded with syrup. Sad!
Dec 10, 2023
Photo of Mainehawk
Reviewed by Mainehawk from Maine

3.17/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Served from the can into a pint glass. Bright red amber color with a slight head which lingered. Light legs which cleared rapidly, Light carbonation. Full malty favor and lightly hopped. No after taste to my palate. Easy drinking. The bottle format seems to have a better head. Good Marzen but not spectacular.
Dec 08, 2023
 
 
Rated: 4.11 by Luca2020 from Massachusetts

Nov 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.93 by LagerMan_US from Maine

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.64 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of Rodya-CA
Rated by Rodya-CA from California

3.84/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On Draft
Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by Zachboyd3334 from Indiana

Nov 18, 2023
Photo of FreePal88
Reviewed by FreePal88

3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Not hard to drink, but vaguely chemical-ish and artificial. Feels like a focus group of people who don't drink beer came up with an "autumnal" flavor for a beer. I dunno, every other marzen I've had so far has been better.
Nov 13, 2023
Photo of LeinenkugelDrinker
Reviewed by LeinenkugelDrinker from Nevada

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Perhaps the greatest beer ever made. Definitely the best East Coast brew. Flavor is malty and smooth. Excellent feel. The smell is a bit underpowered though. Love these beers.
Nov 05, 2023
Photo of Dylan184183
Reviewed by Dylan184183 from Idaho

4.68/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Tasted great, a little pricey, but man it made me gassy later. Great color, and a great seasonal beer. Had a nice head when poured into a glass. Good beer for October.
Nov 02, 2023
Samuel Adams Octoberfest from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 8232 ratings