Schwandtoberfest
Bauhaus Brew Labs

SchwandtoberfestSchwandtoberfest
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From:
Bauhaus Brew Labs
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Märzen
Ranked #81
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,199
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 9.33%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
67
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 09, 2023
Added:
Sep 29, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  9
What the hosen is Schwandtoberfest?! In a word: magical. This Bavarian style festbier is a true family tradition featuring rich, toasty malt balanced by a crisp hop bitterness and floral hop aroma of tangerines and orange blossom. This beer is the only excuse you nee to don your finest pair of lederhosen.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TEdubbaD:
Photo of TEdubbaD
Rated by TEdubbaD from Minnesota

4.06/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aug 27, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of GStone899
Rated by GStone899 from Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very dark for a marzen. A really dark amber. Nice carbonation and a clean finish.
Sep 09, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by MonkeyPilates from Minnesota

Dec 25, 2021
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

4.07/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
draught
Medium caramel/orange appearance. Sweet, caramelized malt and a touch of floral hops, for the aroma. Standard flavors of caramelized malt and a hint of noble hops.

IBU: 27
Sep 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.52 by Nbensonmn from Minnesota

Feb 26, 2021
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
12oz can with a date. Goofy design

Typical look for the style, smell is dry leaves and warm malt. The taste thankfully leans more into the savory malt than the dry hops. But both are present and pleasant.

Definitely an American version of the style, but in the best way. Adds extra hops to a wonderfully tasty malt bill
Oct 25, 2020
 
Rated: 3.68 by JMN44 from Minnesota

Oct 25, 2020
Photo of Captain69
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
nice amber color with good head - can taste the octoberfest flavors - but could be stronger with more malt
May 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.48 by qcghost from North Carolina

May 16, 2020
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.96/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a small, off-white head of foam. It smelled floral with bready malt. Sweet malty taste with some roastiness and a subtle bitterness.
Jan 03, 2020
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

3.84/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz can.Canned in August of 2019.
Medium amber colored body with some haze. White head sticks around as partial island and ring. Leaves behind some spotty patterns of lacing.
Aroma of bready malts and citrus hops. Touch of honey on the bread.
Taste of roasted malts with honey. Grassy hops with a touch of spice. Sweetness fades at the end.
Robust, medium mouth feel. Very good carbonation.
Good balance overall. Would be too sweet for me to drink more than two, but the malts are thick here. Missing a definite spice note.
Oct 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Sep 30, 2019
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2021:

Appearance: Pours a clear, bronze-brown color. A white foamy head. SRM of 18. (3.75)

Aroma: Moderate aromas of brown bread, brown malts, toast, caramel. Mildly toasty.

Flavor: Moderate flavors of brown bread, bread crust, with a toasty and slightly grassy hoppy note. Finishes malty, with toasty but caramel malts.

Feel: Medium-bodied. Moderate to stronger carbonation than I expected. Finishes full-bodied, but also smooth and malty.

Compared to Josephsbrau Oktoberfest 9/16/21: Pours darker. More toasty, brown bread malt flavors. Less sickly sweet and smokey cocoa. Hoppier and toastier. Winner: Schwandtoberfest

Overall: A decent represntation of an American Marzen. I found it to have a better body and be toastier and hoppier than the 2020 version. Nice and malty, but toasty too. (2021 Rating: 3.79)
Would compare to Bells next

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2020:

Appearance: Pours a clear, deep, bronze-brown color. A white foamy head. SRM of 18. (3.75)

Aroma: Mild aromas of light toast and soaked, brown bread. Some French onion soup. (4.00)

Flavor: Flavor follows with more mild toast, soggy, brown bread. Some French onion soup and German bread spices. Sort of a brown or tea water flavor. Some caramel underneath, but mild. Relatively simple and finishes smooth and somewhat malty. (3.75)

Feel: Medium-bodied. Low carbonation. Smooth and somewhat soft. Could use more carbonation. (3.25)

Compare to Breckenridge Oktoberfest 10/3/20: Pours a similar color. Aromas/flavors more of toast, soggy brown bread, and caramel. Less grass, flower, lemon, honey. More toasty

Compared to Indeed Oktoberfest 2020 10/10/20: Pours a darker color. Stronger aromas/flavors. More brown sugar, caramel, and toast. Less pale malt, but overall a stronger beer here. Much more Marzen-style, but given it has any flavor at all I prefer Bahaus.

Overall: Not quite as good as the 2019 version. Nice toasty flavors, but more soggy brown bread. Sort of a brown water or tea flavor. The carbonation is low which doesn't rescue the soggy brown bread flavor. Mild and toasty, but flat. (2020 Final Rating: 3.76)

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2019:

Appearance: Pours a clear, medium bronzed color. A white foamy head. SRM of 13. (3.75)

Aroma: Light aromas. Some orange citrus and brown sugar upfront. Then some toasted dark bread with cinnamon and honey butter from Texas Roadhouse. Some flowery and grassy notes underneath. (4.25)

Flavor: Flavors of light German spices. Bready German spices and a touch of pepper. There is some light German bread notes behind it. Finishes relatively dry and clean. (4.00)

Feel: Lighter-bodied. Good carbonation. A slight spice and pepper flavor left on the palate, but no astringency. (3.75)

Overall: A really good American version of the style. As others have said it leans more toward an authentic Festbier than many of the American Marzens. Nice German and bready spices. Though the flavors are not as strong nor complex as the ones I've had from Germany. Still, better than most of the Oktoberfests I've tried. (2019 Final Rating: 4.07)
Sep 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.7 by UCLABrewN84 from California

Sep 18, 2019
 
Rated: 3.97 by adosen01 from Minnesota

Sep 16, 2019
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Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.81/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16oz canned August 2018 poured into a dimpled mug at fridge temp 5.7% ABV 27 IBU per can. The beer pours mostly bright brownish amber with bronze highlights. The head is light khaki in color and recedes to a rocky cap leaving some lacing behind. The aroma is mild with toasted bread notes being the most prominent. The taste is deeply toasted malt up front with mild earthy hop flavor and bitterness taking hold in the finish. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied, highly carbonated and dry in the finish. No off flavors or defects. Overall, very good. A highly drinkable beer with the malt bill of a Marzen and the body of a festbeer.
Nov 05, 2018
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
From Tavour, Seattle, WA. Reviewed 11/3/18.
“Canned 08/01/18” on bottom of 16 oz can. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Medium amber, slight effervescence, chill haze.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.3 cm, aggressive center pour), dense, light tan, excellent retention, slooowly diminishing to a three to eight mm ring fed by effervescence and a complete rocky layer. Head retraction generates a band of tiny bubbles.
Lacing – Excellent. Wide sheet of tiny to small bubbles.
First pour – Light amber, clear.
Aroma – 4 – Malt and citrus floral.
Flavor – 3 – Very weak malt, a bit sweet, ends with just a bit of dryness and a hint of hop bitterness. No alcohol (5.7% ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3 – An unremarkable marzen.
Nov 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.69 by einman from Minnesota

Oct 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Rilesmiles from Wisconsin

Oct 08, 2018
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Clear, copper hued body; thick, creamy and lasting head; fine rings of foam mark the glass. Excellent toasted grain aroma; sweet; a bit herbal or grassy. Malty, lightly roasted grain taste; elements of toffee and caramel; medium hop bitterness. Heavy, thick body; chewy; warm with a nice blending of hearty sweetness and mildly prickly dryness.

An excellent example of a traditional festbier, rich and malty throughout with a fine, leveraged hop bitterness that highlights but doesn't dominate the beer.
Sep 30, 2018
Schwandtoberfest from Bauhaus Brew Labs
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 67 ratings